Presenting... someone else!

I presented my first ever house concert this weekend, and I'm still enjoying the warm glow of the experience. It wasn't just about the music - although Greg Hobbs did an excellent, understated, intimate and funny performance that literally drew applause from several backyards in each direction.

I'll admit, there was the satisfaction of seeing all the hard work I've put into my back yard pay off and be symbolically recognized with this event. And of course it's always a pleasure to be surrounded by interested lovers of music, some of them friends and some of them strangers who may one day be friends.

But more than anything, it was a great pleasure to present a musician whom I admire, to some people who I knew would enjoy his stuff. That's a common experience for me as an MC, but hosting my first house concert added some of the work of an impressario to my task list as well. To my delight, I found it was something I liked, and liked a lot.

I liked it so much, I didn't even want to play, at least not until the crowd had dispersed and the evening had grown long. Managing the music experience turned out to be every bit as enjoyable for me as making the music myself.

Presenting.... someone else. What a gift and pleasure. You'll be hearing more from me about that.