It occurred to me recently that two very different situations have a similar effect on people in terms of how much interest they generate. When I first started playing gigs, it took me a long time to understand the culture amongst a seemingly indifferent audience. I had put in a lot of practice and thought I was playing well, but the audiences I was playing to seemed thoroughly uninterested, and I had no understanding of what I was doing “wrong” at all. What I was getting “wrong” was the fact that I had failed to notice and appreciate that there was a different side to this situation. Nobody left, and nobody complained. Now I look at this situation from this point of view first, and beyond that, I’ll appreciate and the interest or acknowledgement of what I do beyond the fact that people have chosen not to leave! Sound defeatist? Maybe, but that’s how I’ve learned that it’s best to look at the situation, because that’s the way the audience are looking at it (consciously or not). A similar situation appears to be happening in the media at the moment. It occurred to me that run up to the latest American presidential elections were well covered in the media, with every poll, debate, and opinion well documented, although subsequent to the election of President Barrack Obama, there has been very little media coverage of what he’s been doing. Has he disappeared without trace? No, he is the most powerful man on the planet, but because he’s just getting on with his job, and seemingly doing what he said he would do, it all becomes mundane and holds nobody’s prolonged interest. If he made a mistake, there is a 100% chance it will be jumped on by the press and broadcast all over the world within minutes, but while he’s doing his job, and doing it well, there is no story. I liken this situation to playing a gig to a seemingly indifferent audience because it occurred to me that essentially the whole idea of “interest” (amongst the general public) works on the same level. If a band is playing well, that’s great, but not to the point where anyone will share their appreciation of the music beyond “not leaving”! If the president is just getting on with his job, that’s great too, but not so great that it is covered in the media. If a mistake is made (by either the band, or the president), it would be a very different story.