Karaoke...With A Twist

I like to sing. Actually, that's not correct. I LOVE to sing. I will sing any song I know the words to...and I know a lot of songs. In fact, I used to think that if I could use the part of my brain that is responsible for memorizing song lyrics for something marketable, I would be rich and retired by now (at the ripe old age of 26). Then I would have more time for singing. Sometimes I don't even realize I am singing, and then it dawns on me that I'm in the office, or at the gas station, where other people can hear me. It's a compulsion, a passion. It makes me feel good regardless of what mood I am in. I don't think it's physically possible to sing freely when I am choked up or tense or carrying anxiety within. Singing is an exercise in relaxation. I feel energized and powerful when I sing. I sing for me.

Slightly over a year ago, I decided to channel my passion for singing into organized instruction. I began taking vocal lessons to learn proper breathing technique, stretch my vocal range, and pick up some basic music theory and performance pointers. My first few teachers were quite good at the basics and at teaching the more classical genres (opera and musical theater). I was fortunate to work with them and to learn to appreciate some forms of music that I had not previously experimented with, but I had not found exactly what I was looking for in a voice instructor.

Through a friend of a friend, I was connected with my current instructor, and it is an entirely different experience altogether. Gone was the rigid, commercialized, formal studio lesson arrangement of the past. Instead, I found someone who performs in a local band, teaches from her basement, schedules lessons to accommodate my rigorous work schedule, and most importantly, is flexible with the types of music I can study. Rather than forcing me to connect with operatic pieces or overly-dramatic musical theater numbers that do not come naturally to me, she gives me the freedom to take my favorite songs and study them in depth. I can learn the notes, then the words, then the emotional inflection, and finally the performance elements of each song - pop, country, and Motown classics alike.

Recently my instructor suggested that I try some live performance to expand my musical experience base. It should be mentioned that I did conduct a solo recital with some standard songs taught by my first few instructors, but the recital was small, on my terms, and with only my closest family and friends in attendance. My current instructor is suggesting that I get out there and perform for a room full of strangers...just for kicks. Surprisingly, I am up for the challenge. Working with songs that I actually enjoy, connect with, and "get" gives me a confidence that I have lacked in the past when it came to public performance. As a jumping off point, I plan to sign up for the next "season" of "Can You Rock?" This extension of live-band karaoke features amateur vocalists performing in front of a house band that is comprised of several musicians from Indianapolis-area bands. Their song repertoire is extensive, so I need to narrow down my options to a few works-in-progress. Song suggestions from the approved list are encouraged! Stay tuned for updates on my progress and a recap of the big performance in October.