is this how bob dylan got his start?

I was nervous about signing up to perform at a talent show at work. For the two and a half weeks between when I signed up and the actual show, I was nervous. Actually, I was of a mixed mind. I was kind of excited, and wanted to tell everyone I work with in the New York office so they could come and see. On the other hand, I wanted it to remain a secret so that no one would see me in my moment of supreme embarrassment.

I was quick to blame the friend who forwarded me the email and suggested I sign up. He pressured me into it, I told anyone who would listen. But the truth was I knew that, if I had passed up the chance, I'd be kicking myself. I'm not a good guitarist. And, as a singer, I'm a great guitarist. But I have long envied people with the musical talent and skill to sing and play an instrument in front of an audience. So I signed up to perform two original songs. I would be showcasing my talent as a writer, I rationalized. And if my performance was really bad, well, hopefully people would be polite enough to pretend that it went OK.

Well, the show was yesterday. How'd it go? You can judge for  yourself from this video, but be merciful.

All in all, I think it went well. Certainly better than I feared. No one is going to see this performance and mistake me for a professional quality singer or guitarist. But I was passable for an amateur. Nerves did get the best of me, and my guitar-playing was shakier than it should have been. And, in a couple spots I messed up the lyrics to the first song. Aside from nerves, that's partly die to the fact that I have reworked that song so many times that there are numerous versions floating around my head. But I got applause and positive feedback. And it seemed louder than politeness alone would have warranted. Maybe I'm deluded, but it was a great feeling.

I think I fit in reasonably well in this show. Three people each read poetry. two women performed together giving a talk about language and dialects. And the friend who got me to sign up sang two old songs, accompanied by  recorded music. And, as a surprise, the AV tech guy (who happens to be in a punk band called Bedpan Fight) borrowed my guitar to perform an acoustic version of one of his band's songs.


One thing that caught me by surprise was that everyone was introducing their pieces, putting them into context. I hadn't figured on that, but it became clear during the runthrough before the show. So, on the spot I came up with a brief introduction for each song.

For the record, the two songs I sang are "Music No One Else Can Hear" and "Never Fight a Battle Twice." Both are works in progress. I'm tempted to go into the history of the songs, but I'll leave that for another blogpost. Or I won't do it. Who knows?