So true and beautifully articulated as well, bruthaman @luzcypher.
I loved your story about your band.
You’ve got a very Buddhist type of unattachment approach that is awesome advice for attaining emotional stability when it comes to the arts. I’m not certain that’s realistic for everyone, at least not all the time, but it’s definitely a good goal to aim for.
Regarding creativity: I agree. I’d have never booked a single gig nor ever toured nor released several albums over the last 25 years if I’d based my creativity on what other people think.
An artist creates.
A performing artist entertains people. In other words, performing is an art done as a service for other people.
Call me old school, but after more than 2 decades of working stages around the globe, I still hope the audience applauds at the end of the song and the end of the show.
I don’t expect it, but that applause is the acknowledgment, or gauge, that you’re doing your job properly as a performIng artist (it can be very different to being just a songwriter or just a musician, as not all musicians nor songwriters are performing artists).
What @passion-ground has wisely addressed in both his posts, and I’ve reiterated the importance of, is the digital equivalent of applause.
It shouldn’t be necessary for an artist’s emotional balance, but applause helps us assess whether we’re doing our job as performing artists.
That is an etiquette between performer and audience that has been around for millennia.
What you have generously provided for musicians here on Steemit is truly amazing!
I am personally grateful that Open Mic exists.
You know I feel this way as we’ve spoken about it.
You know I’m all about the sharing because I’ve vocalised that numerous times.
You also know that I encourage and congratulate people for entering because they’ve bravely shared their heart’s expression and there’s reward in the sharing itself as you’ve agreed on my comments about this.
Heck! It feels like such an inclusive community that you make me feel like I am part of the inner team. That is some potent magic you are weaving there! Why else would I feel the confidence to speak candidly here?
What a brilliant analogy, Nathan. I totally get that, brother - it hits the nail on the head!
This is all I’ve been talking about the whole time, but struggled to convey in text format. Digital applause. Not my own personal validation, which is how this all got misconstrued & misdirected.
What I’m questioning, or rather, boldly bringing to the forefront of our consciousness, is
what are the performance protocols are in this digital format?
What do you guys think?
The dynamic between performer and audience, including all its tiers, has been a protocol or etiquette for thousands of years in the performing arts, which would be arrogant for us to ignore or dismiss, so it is important for us to establish how that etiquette plays out in this Steemit Open Mic digital arena.
I think that makes perfect sense, brother! In light of such, might I suggest to all of my musical brothers and sisters, and to all those who love music and follow the Open-Mic or any other online musical venue:
Better yet...
I like the way John Lennon put it in his brash, in-your-face kind of way. When asked by an interviewer how he wrote so many songs he said, "It's just what I do every day, like having a shit."
HAHA! I love the way John said things and caused stirs with his up front boldness with humour.
Comparing a performer to a songwriter is like comparing an actor to a playwright.
One creates the story framework.
The other performs it to people.
They only intersect if the artist does both at the same time, like an improvisational jam band or live theatre sports.
Gosh! How I love witnessing total improvisation! Spontaneous creation and performance intertwined..
Ha-haaa! That drew quite a chuckle, Luz! :-)