I played real locally tonight at the SouthSide Library for two families and the children’s librarian. We were in the basement of this old building (1929) and we had a good time. One white family with mom, 3 year-old and grandparents, and a Latino mom and two daughters…. and the librarian. God bless children’s librarians….
Its tough to do these smaller audiences in that the kids feel more ‘under the spotlight’ to sing, move, react to that guy with the guitar. But the artistic effort is in trying to connect with the individual kids without being overbearing. Encouraging and enticing them out of their shells. (and it’s the same with adults, except much harder) And, amazingly, it works.
I’m a folk masseuse, getting the knots out of the audience and loosening their artistic muscles. I always work up a sweat doing this. Tonight…. no different, but I got to walk back one block home after the gig….