I was listening to music in my car driving to another town this morning and thinking of this thread. A psychiatrist mentioned to me once that people get power from their jobs and I think that's the main thing I get out of performing music. The power (perceived or real) it gives me personally. When the music is right (real or imagined), I feel that I am showing people who I am and what I can do. There's probably a lot of fantasy in there too.

I used to foolosophize with a guitar player friend of mine. He always said that all his problems began when he got on stage. I had to agree with him. Your whole life is onstage with you when you perform. Good, bad, confident, insecure, cockiness, shyness and the list goes on forever. I've been all of those things while onstage. But when it is right, there's nothing like it.