For the Sake of the Song
I strapped on a new set of strings and went to the open mic last night at the Villa at Gruene, hosted by my young friend Bo Brumble. It was a coolish evening, but the heaters were running and I had a cup of black coffee to warm me up and help me focus. I played my three songs, then sat to visit with Bo and listen to the other musicians. It was a pleasant night with good company all around.
As I lay in bed this morning, mulling over the evening, however, I had a small revelation. Previously, I approached open mics as a bit of a competition. I worried about my performance and how I might be perceived. Was I good enough? How did I do? So, I got nervous. This morning I realized it didn’t matter, because to paraphrase Townes Van Zandt, maybe we just have to sing for the sake of the song, because who do we think we are to decide that anyone’s wrong?
I realized the evening of an open mic, or even a pickers circle, was just one big performance composed of all our little bits, and we all had roles to play, no matter the skill levels. Even the talking and chatter of the little groups there to support their friends, their boyfriends. or their girlfriends, were just part of the music, part of the scene, part of the song. Some came to sing, some to talk. But all of us were there for the sake of the songs, and I think I’ll have a lot more fun going forward, having realized that.