How to perform open mic at a cafe
How I did it: I played guitar for one of my friends once, and he was surprised that I had never performed in front of an audience before. With his support and encouragement, he finally convinced me to do it. So on a tuesday night, I went to the Espresso Yourself Cafe and played. First, I played guitar while my friend Jacob sang I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab, then I played piano and sang Lady Madonna and Let it Be. Apparently I made three people cry during let it be which made me feel good, because the whole point of being a musician is to be able to make the listener feel the emotions that you yourself are feeling, and I accomplished this. I am now working on completing some of my own songs, and will perform originals the next time I do open mic. I cannot even describe how amazing this experience was for me.
Lessons & tips: Don't be afraid, just go for it. If you have a dream, you aren't going to get anywhere by just dreaming about it. Put it into action. Every famous musician had to start somewhere.
Resources: Encouragement of friends, connections with cafe owners.
