Musicianship vs Performance

(Long time no blog... I've been having trouble blogging from work. Just have to be a little more paitent, I guess!)

Read this this morning about lip syncing and performance and Saturday Night Live. Got me thinking about the nature of musicianship vs performance. I think we often get the two mixed up. We expect every great performer to be a great musician, and vice-versa. Really, boys and girls, its not the case.

I don't believe that lip-syncing is in any way acceptable. If you're going to perform, then perform. Don't tell people you are, and then wimp out because you don't feel like, or are not up to it or whatever. However I also know that there are many great musicians out there that aren't great performers, and don't want to be. They enjoy making great music, and that's all they want to do. Bernie Taupin comes to mind. Billy Joel is one of those that I respect as a great musician, but I think sometimes he tries too hard when performing. He always seems much better - more relaxed - when he's just playing and singing, rather than putting on a big rock star act.

As a musician myself, I'd rather make great music, and leave the performance to those that can pull it off. But still - perform. I don't ever want to mime to a backing track if I am there to play. I have mimed to a track once - for a video. To me that was acceptable because at the point the music was not the central focus. If it was in front of a crowd, just for a performance when they were expecting live music, then I'd be hypocritical. Something I don't ever want to be.