It's easy to make it a habit when it litterally sits right next to me the entire time I am working.
From what I remember when you are playing for people and they are really into it, its just there's something going on there that I just don't have the words for.
What's going on there is honor. It's an honor to perform. These people paid a $20 cover charge, waited in line, and then gave us their attention. It's a thing I'm honored to do and have. They're way too good to us, so we try to give them a performance they'll remember.
I actually try to couch some of my stage presence from BB King. I think he was pretty much the best performer to ever perform.
I don't sound like, look like, or say the same things that he says. What I've taken from him is my desire to make sure the audience knows how much they're appreciated and the desire to make them all feel comfortable while you give them an experience that will have created memories.
For that brief amount of time, the audience has given me their attention and emotions, to the exclusion of everything else - pretty much/frequently. And, I'm honored to have been considered worthy of that.
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