It's done. I played my first unaccompanied solo traditional Irish music recital last night. I don't have the recording back yet, but I feel really good about it. It's not that it was the most incredible thing I've ever played. It's more of being surprised by how right it felt. That and being completely flabbergasted by the fact that I did it. A group of us went out afterward, and I couldn't stop smiling. Why? Because somewhere deep inside my subconscious was the idea that I wasn't capable of playing an hour's worth of music with only me on stage. I can't stop smiling, because I was wrong.

Two things said to me las night that stuck in my head:

To my statement that I would never have done that if it hadn't been suggested: "It's about breaking down obstacles."

and

From a conversation shared by two of my teachers: "It's amazing what happens when you do what your heart wants."

I've been trying to be something I'm not because I was convinced that I wasn't capable of doing the one thing I really wanted to. For once, it's great to be wrong.

Peace, Love, and Tunes,

Mac.