Flying Solo (Part 1)

I can't help but feel a little anxious when it comes to performing live. The fear of not knowing how it is going to sound on the night, will I be able to hear myself, will I play with conviction and will I remember the parts! It is here in all these areas of worry that the true majesty of the musical beast resides. My mind and heart race, almost as if against one another, but the thrill is what keeps me encompassed. That moment right before my opening phrase or chord is the most incredible. I feel it swell deep within the pit of my stomach, pressed against the back of my throat. This is what I live and feel, once in the firm grip of the music, I can allow myself to losen up and I start to become the songs that I am performing. It is my duty to tell the story the way it was written and to tell it with sincerity and honesty, with absolutely all of my being...