Should ambient music be performed live?

[sine@zerocrossing.net]

Hey gang,

I've been kicking around the whole performance thing for a while, and I've
been doing it with a fair amount of success.  At the rave the Jon El-Bizri
and I played a few weeks ago, we seemed to have really good feedback from 
the
crowd.  As I was packing up, I got introduced to some fellows in a band 
that
do electronica as well.  As a matter of fact, they had brought a CD with 
some
of their music on it, and one of the DJs played a cut from it during his 
set.

They got really good feedback from the crowd.

And that got me thinking: I know I'm not much to look at, except for the
sheer volume of gear I'm able to schlep and hook up at a moments notice.
Also, the music I play is what I consider to be "ambient-dance."  Which 
means
I hope my music sets a mood, and affords the listener a decent beat to 
dance
to if they choose to.  I'm happiest when the audience isn't paying 
attention
to me, and just doing whatever, and hopefully enjoying the bed of sound I'm
creating.

But, what about the sounds I *created*?  I can do so much more at home in 
the
studio, and under much less duress.  Is it important to anyone that I'm 
there
doing it?  I'm really asking because I'm not sure anymore.  I know there's 
a
lot of music I enjoy seeing live (reggae, bluegrass, ect...) that I'd never
buy on CD.  Maybe I'm totally spinning my wheels.  I should be giving out
discs to DJs and letting them spin while all my gear sits happy in my apt.

So, many of you have heard my music, others have not.  Check out some tunes
I've put up at http://www.zerocrossing.net/sleeping  Click on the "Music"
link.  Let me know.   Would you want to hear that live?  Does it matter?  
Is
my time better spent in the studio?

Mark Sottilaro