So the open mic where my wife has been performing, and where I’ve been making a bunch of friends just had its 1yr anniversary (tonight, even). It’s a really welcoming bunch. The organizer and a few other folks have been bugging me to perform for awhile. Not really trying to pressure me, but they know I play so they’re trying to be encouraging.
My big holdup is that I am not good at singing, let alone singing and playing. I can barely do that with 2 songs locked away in my music room so nobody else has to hear it (well, nobody except for my wife and the 4-legged children). I want to be able to hold my own on some instrumental songs so I don’t have to rely on my voice to make my performance interesting.
Last month, the organizer did the first theme. His first theme was a pretty easy one that most people do already, which is to sing a song either written or performed by someone of the opposite gender. Tonight, he announced the theme for this month’s theme night, and it’s Disney songs. My wife is absolutely thrilled and plans to learn to play Le Poissons from The Little Mermaid. She loves Disney and can sing a LOT of those songs from memory.
I decided to go a different direction. I think I’m going to cover a cover of something that’s technically a Disney song now.
Just have to figure out what I’ll do for the rest of the songs (at this open mic, 3 songs is standard). Thinking I’ll play with my wife on a song or two, also.
Open mics are a great learning experience. Practice with a mic and amplified at home if at all possible before the public event. My first open mic I’d not sung into a mic before and didn’t realize they are often quite directional. So when i turned me head to look at the fret board I could hear that my voice was fading. Plus your guitar, if acoustic, does sound different amplified than it does unplugged.
So…I won’t be singing so I have that part covered.
I have to decide if I want to play my electric and be more “faithful” to the Metallica cover or if I want to keep things simpler and play my acoustic. I’ll be practicing with both to see which I prefer and that will certainly color anything else I might do. I could technically cut it off at just 1 song, but that one as written for guitar is pretty short.
Not sure I have enough time to mash up a few bits of different songs as an instrumental medley and learn it well enough to play. I suspect it’ll take me plenty long to learn that one piece well enough that I won’t need to bite off even more and overextend myself. I have a feeling that I’ll most likely play along with my wife and then just do the one on my own.
This is great to read Nate! Practice your song and have fun! So much to learn for you from this opportunity…I hope you’ll share how it went, your considerations and feelings.
Ah…Les Poissons big thumbs up for your wife’s choice…though I don’t know the song by Metallica
big thumbs up for your wife’s choice…though I don’t know the song by Metallica 