It’s like this; I do a lot of different stuff, but I never do enough memorizing of songs, even my own. I know the lyrics to jazz standards off by heart, but when I sing jazz standards in public, it's usually me, singing. Just singing. I'm not playing guitar at the same time. If I were performing full-time, I would very likely have more time to perform songs and learn them by heart.
Playing guitar for popular songs means memorizing chords. I'd have to play the songs crazy often to memorize lyrics and chords! Even now, working as a full-time communications specialist while hosting a television show focused on Montreal current events, I don’t play songs often enough to learn the chords and lyrics off by heart. Consequently, I have to read them off a sheet. To read the sheet, conveniently, I now need glasses! That is the reason why I’m wearing glasses and reading the music when I performed on stage in May! Several people have asked the question after seeing the YouTube videos I posted.
To make matters even more complicated, sweat on my face while I was singing and playing guitar caused the glasses to slide down to the tip of my nose, completing my Ludwig Von Drake impression.
Hey, if you don’t mind the glasses and reading on stage, I’d love to do more shows!
Here is an Eagles song we did at the May show.
Those glasses are alive!
