I just re-listened to the radio show which I hosted today (if you read below, you'll see my rant on radio). On second listen, it' didn't sound as horrible as the actual experience. This is a common occurence for performers. Thinking back to the days when I used to jam percussion on stage, the experience of being on stage often clouded my perception of how things actually sounded.
This phenomenon works both ways really. Sometimes it doesn't feel good on stage, but you listen back later and the performance sounds better than you thought. Conversely, you can come off stage feeling great, but when you take a listen afterward it sounds terrible. This is why there are so many terrible musicians torturing innocent audiences out there: they have no idea how badly they sound. Ditto for karaoke. It has something to do with focusing on your own feelings and perceptions instead of seeing and hearing the reality of the situation. When you're on stage, you are the center of attention and sometimes the reality never sinks in.
It's the same with a radio studio. They're usually plain rooms with microphones. Not much to focus on, except for your perception of your performance. In short: I thought I sucked today, but on second listen it didn't sound as terrible as I thought it would.
This is all over-analyzing, but isn't that what blogs are for? (I picture Stevie Wonder holding hands with Elton John singing "That's what blogs are for..." Stevie and Elton are always there to back me up when I need them.)
Speaking of complex, the Blue Man Group is playing San Diego this weekend and hopefully I'll get a chance to check them out. I talked about this concert during this week's radio show, so that's what made me think of it. Anyway, I wrote up a profile for SignOnSanDiego, so take a read through if you have a minute or two. Cheers.
