Michael Thames wrote: > try repeating the words, solo,,,, solo,,, solo,,, this > may help.
It doesn't, though the absence of plurals with apostrophes is heartening. Is a violinist playing a Beethoven sonata playing "solo"? If he is, does he lack "professional stage presence" if he has the music in front of him? What about the pianist playing with him? Does he lack "professional stage presence" if he plays with music in front of him, as he almost certainly will? What if it's a trio? I've never seen a string quartet play without music in front of them. A "soloist" will often play a concerto with music in front of him, particularly with period-instrument ensembles. So no, repetition of a mantra is no more helpful here than mindless repetition usually is. I don't know if you've ever thought about where, in the continuum from one musician alone on a stage to 100 musicians on a stage, the musician playing from music no longer lacks "professional stage presence" if he has the music in front of him. But your personal answer to that question is probably of use only to you. It wouldn't interest me, because I don't share your view that it's unprofessional for musician to read music in concert. BTW, I would hope to avoid a concert where someone was sightreading. That would be unprofessional. And I can't imagine a musician "site reading." I suppose web browsers and surveyors do that. HP To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
