Do you have someone in your life that holds you accountable? Who either gently or unceremoniously reminds you to show up? This week that has been my uncle, Marc. This was prod #2, and I know better than to willfully ignore the helpers around me.

Marc wanted to know when I will be back in Maine for a gig. Before Marc, it was one of the students in my singing class. The truth is, I’m ready to go. I have a 45-minute set that is passable but I’m rusty on the performance end. I’ve spent the last 3 years honing my songwriting craft, singing into a really nice microphone, and having pristine, compressed vocals sent back to me by a producer. I’m used to singing songs in phrases instead of full pieces. If I’m really honest, I’m afraid. What if I stink?

The thing is, we all have to stink. Our egos do not like this fact. Social media rarely shows us this so we sometimes get charmed into thinking it doesn’t happen. I even find myself trimming my best 1 minute of a performance for Instagram. It’s the truth, but it’s not the whole truth.

When we show up, we have to give the full story. We have to hold ourselves accountable and accept that we can’t control it all. And when we doubt ourselves, we have to be grateful for the helpers who remind us why we do this crazy work. They want to hear the mess ups and the richest moments. They want to hear it all, because that’s the truth of being human.

So I booked a spot for this Sunday at the Bebop, and I reached out to some venues in Maine to book a date there. You should see more and more dates peppering my calendar this summer, as well. Here we go!