Birthday Present from Edmund
This time I am doing something different. My thought was, what if I practice every day? What would happen then? So far, I haven’t practiced every single day, but with that mindset, I have been practicing several times a week. And you know what’s happening? I am getting better. More confident. My pipes are coming back. And I like it.
Let me explain: in the past, in the time ago, I have had the luxury of being in spaces where individual practice time was not as necessary. Like – I am in a musical, so I go to all the rehearsals and learn the songs there. And I only learn the songs I am supposed to sing. Like that. Or I have my go-to songs I sang in public forever via Karaoke, like Big Spender, Goldfinger, I fall to Pieces, These Boots are Made for Walkin’, Crazy – that was my entire repertoire. But I stopped going to Karaoke.
New keyboard setup
(It is important to note that I was enabled in my current endeavor because Edmund started taking lessons himself. He started with guitar lessons, now we are both taking voice lessons.)
So far, TLDR: I used to sing, and I missed it. So I started taking voice lessons again.
Here is how I am doing it differently. I remember how it was when I was at my best singing, and that was in High School and College. And the thing that really helped me there is that I always had access to a keyboard or piano (mostly piano). Don’t misunderstand me, I cannot play the piano. By any stretch of the imagination. What I can do is read music and plunk out notes, which means I can figure out how to sing new songs. Of course you could argue I can do this without a piano, but if you did, you probably aren’t a musician. So, we bought a used keyboard so I could practice. And it has made all the difference.
Once I had my keyboard, I was able to play around with new songs. What was a grudging practice session of a half hour became an easy 2-hour session wherein I rediscovered my joy in playing with music.
And those old karaoke chestnuts I alluded to above? I am moving beyond them. A whole new repertoire for a new age!
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