@direvus yeah Brendan, it’s a winner in my eyes. Very nice guitar too. Here’s a better picture and the specs if you’re interested.
Hi Maggie, yes we sometimes overcomplicate things that are supposed to be fun. The little guy just went for what he was supposed to do, play music for him and the audience, just for the fun of it.
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I’m just home from the OM at a local bar. I sang a song for the first time there. The biggest surprise was when the MC was introducing me, I lifted my head to see the entire crowd looking at me, paying attention and smiling. I expected they’d be chatting, many with their backs turned, and paying no attention to the stage at all. It took all my self control not to turn tail and run away.
Go me!
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That’s awesome!!! Very proud of you.
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Superb, Maggie, well done you! very proud of you! I clicked on the image hoping that it would start playing so I could enjoy the performance too 
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@tony thankyou so much. The bar environment is a stark contrast to the quiet, attentive Coast Acoustics audience and the sound system doesn’t go anywhere near Adam’s magical sound. It’s taken me weeks to find the guts to front this noisy place and now I have, I’ll be back.
@Socio Chocolate Jesus is a song that you’ve heard me sing before James, I don’t want to bore you. 
Brilliant Maggie! And what a terrific photo! Well done to you 
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Huge congrats Maggie, glad you managed to tread the boards this time, after the last disappointment. Fantastic to have a positive response from the audience. Well done. 
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Pop the bubbly and celebrate good times, come on!
That is fabulous, Maggie, go you indeed!
Just after say we listen to our favourite artists sing our favourite songs over and over and over again. So I challenge you to share you playing and singing to try and bore me … I suspect the challenge is unfair on you, as I will never be bored watching you sing and play … it is always a treat.
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I hear you loud and clear, I had to play a few other open mics at other venues to appreciate what we have at the club.
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Maggie bravo you are a very courageous woman and I wish to find half of this courage one day in me 
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Good on you Maggie – as long as it is what you want to do or like to do. It’s hard to tell if either is true. There is a certain rush that is pretty cool after playing live in a venue.
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Hi dear Maggie,
Yes, here you go at last, 
…how many declarations of love have you received today 
,…great that you got the hang of it and will be back,… 
Greetings,… 
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Well done Maggie, you never cease to amaze me putting yourself out there and having fun.
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Hi Maggie, well done! Go you! Sounds like you’re going back for more too. Great stuff!!
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@Notter thankyou Mark it makes the event even more meaningful having folk like you to share it with.
@TheMadman_tobyjenner you dear heart are a rock - of encouragement, enthusiasm, advise and all round goodness.
@DavidP haha David P. You da man 
@tony you’re certainly a veteran of OMs. I hope you get to The Burrow some night when you get back. They’d love you.
@adi_mrok it’s a weird sort of phenomenon. I was asking myself about 30 minutes before why I put myself through this. There’s a multiple of answers and they’re all good reasons to keep pushing my boundaries. In the time you’ve been here I’ve seen huge growth in you and that’s because you too have had the courage to put yourself out there Adi. It’s a joy to see you blossoming.
@CT I know my reasons and they’re all good. Just having an OM to work towards gives me the motivation to improve, that’s reason enough, but it goes way beyond that for me. Lots and lots of personal growth, even at this late stage in my life.
@roger_holland I am most certainly feeling the love Rogier, made all the more special coming from people who walk a similar path to mine. Thankyou dear.
@skinnyt it was fun to be part of the entertainment for sure Trevor. Thankyou for encouraging me.
@BurnsRhythm yep now I’ve broken the ice I’ll go back. Now highly motivated to be a better guitar player and to develop a set list. Thankyou for your encouragement.
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A few years back I went through a really bad case of performance anxiety that lasted for several years. It was an agonizing experience, a lot like hitting your head against a brick wall in that it felt good when i was finally off the stage.
My wife asked me why i was putting myself through this because as she stated, I performed well and without much nerves when playing in small group around family and friends. For me, the answer to that was simple. All my life when I’d seen others play guitar i was wishing it could be me doing that. Now that I actually could play, wild horses wouldn’t keep me off that stage.
There are things you can do to help. Simplify and slow down what you play. Be confident you are on top of the songs you are performing, don’t play a new song on a whim. And do as many open mics as often as possible. It DOES get better.
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Hey Maggie, you don’t just motivate yourself, you motivate others as well. When I’d finished my practice tonight I was doodling around with the G Major scale. I was up on the high e string and I heard something. It just popped into my head. I heard you singing English Country Garden! I’ve never played it before but I found a few bars after a bit of trial and error!
Thanks for that!
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Good vibes to you, Lady of the Night
You can’t go wrong with chocolate!
My word, that camera angle makes it look like you’re playing a double bass 
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@tony I find that fascinating. It was the influence of Skotty, my former teacher, that had me in the line up of each of his Jar Jams while he was here. I never for a moment had any goal to play in public. The terror I felt at that first Jam opened a can of worms that I’ve spent time understanding and resolving.
I understand that it’s not about being a whizz bang guitar player and it’s OK that I play with rudimentary skills and technique. That can be enough to entertain the audience when I deliver with meaning and make it relevant to those who are listening. My ego would love to have people gasping at my virtuosic playing, but it will starve waiting for that to happen The driver for me is connection, that’s the magic for me.
@BurnsRhythm Ooooh David I’d love to hear you play your discoveries. Magic moment along the musical path indeed. 
@brianlarsen yes the church of chocolate is a tasty morsel Brian. When I looked at the large guitar and my comparatively small body I thought I was seeing the results of my efforts in the gym
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