How you like me now?

Do you have to really like everyone you play with, in order to play joyfully with them onstage?

Unless you're extremely lucky, there are people in your group you're not too friendly with. I would even bet there are people in your group that you don't like! *gasp* I believe the technical term for that is called "life".

In an ideal world, we would all be doing our arts with people we all really got along with. But it's not like that in school, it doesn't happen at work, and it rarely happens within family, so why should taiko be any different?

Sometimes you may just have someone who rubs you the wrong way. It can also be as bad as a fellow member who doesn't like you, and is antagonistic (whether it's obvious or behind your back). I could write an entire post about what you might do to handle that animosity, but how does it affect what goes on in a performance?

I don't have an answer, honestly. All I can do is tell you what I do and hope it helps. A few posts back I talked about acting, where sometimes you have to fake an emotion that you're supposed to be projecting. It's much the same here. It's not like I've played next to someone I utterly hate and have to keep down the bile, because that's a much more serious problem. However, when I have to support someone and they're not my favorite person, for the sake of the performance - for the sake of the art - I make sure that the audience never knows and never suspects.

I mean, think about being in the audience...wouldn't it be distracting to see someone who obviously didn't like being next to someone else? It could sour the song for you or even the entire performance!

Ultimately, the love of your art should surpass any *grumble grumble* feelings you might have when it comes to performing it. Do you have to like everyone in your group? Unless it comes really easily for you, then no. Consider it a reason to perfect your acting skills onstage instead!