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July 07, 2009
What People Really Want From a Musician – Humility
Here's the “flip side” to my post from yesterday.
People want to become fans of musicians who have confidence in their abilities, but these same folks will speak disparagingly of a performer who seems to exhibit a total lack of humility.
You've seen them; performers in love with the sound of their own voice, possessing an unshakable belief in their complete superiority to all around them.
While you need to be confident in your abilities as a musician, you don't want to cross over the line to sheer arrogance. It can be difficult line to walk.
This is a most personal subject for me. I have confidence in my abilities, but I too often downplay them, for fear of becoming a raging egomaniac. My wife Sheryl assures me on a regular basis that I have not “crossed the line,” and indeed, tend to err in the opposite direction.
Fortunately, I don't have to deal with very many overconfident musicians in my work as a performer and as the Project Studio Guy, but I sure have heard some “horror stories" from those who have.
Posted by leonolguin at July 7, 2009 07:20 AM