I hope I can properly convey the meaning of my question. I’ve been blown away recently by the generosity of compliments that I’ve received from people, while playing in public. I don’t think I deserve the praise, but it’s got me thinking.
I don’t mean for the question to be about me, but a lone person playing a single instrument, harmonica or guitar or whatever.
Why do we find it to be so appealing?
We can all dial up any version of any song of our choice, play it on our car stereo, or lap top or smart phone. All performed by professional singers, professional instrumentalists and beautifully harmonised. Surely it sounds much better than the street performer, playing that same song with one instrument.
So, what is it about the lone performer that grabs us? Is it the spontaneity because we weren’t expecting it, do we feel a connection to the performer, is it easier to feel admiration because we’re physically present with them.
What do you think?
Man, you just can’t beat live music. It’s true, raw and naked.
Agreed 
. Live music is sooooo much more than recorded music because it’s experienced as a give and take between the performer and the listener in real time. It’s a shared experience. It’s not just entertainment. It’s far more than that. It’s an integral experience of what it means to be human.
B.B. King’s album Live at the Regal it will be one of the albums that I’ve listen to most in my life and I bet it wasn’t until about the 1000th time that I listen to it until I had the revelation that the thing that makes that record so amazing is actually the crowd!!
It’s an instinct for human connection. Something AI can never replace.
Because it’s real. Not a product. No sleight of hand, over produced, photo shopped, Phil Specter “wall of sound”. It’s the real thing, like a hand made toy. It may not be the prettiest, but it’s a human creation and people can connect to it.