Today’s song is one I played with The Verna Cannon. It’s about how fragile people can be when it comes to believing that they can sing. I was convinced that I could not sing after my teacher didn’t choose me to sing a solo line. It took years to build up the notion that I had the “right” to call myself a singer. And all around me I hear people dismissing their own abilities, declaring themselves unfit to sing. How does this happen? I, for one, want to hear you sing.
Tags: shyness, singing, wanting to get picked
And then there are those of us who go in reverse – I used to be able to sing when I was a kid – I was in a children’s theater group and did lots of musicals. Now-a-days I can’t carry a tune at ALL – I’m almost tone deaf. Makes my husband wince (though Katie staunchly maintains that I CAN sing. Poor dear…)
I once had a guy make fun of my singing voice in church and after that, I was sure I stunk. I love to sing, but always figured I sucked at it. Lately, though, I have had a few people compliment me at church, which has made me think maybe I was wrong all along. Who knows?
I’ve loved music my entire life and was positive that I couldn’t sing. But it was an unlikely hero that proved that I could. Jonathan Coulton, interweb superstar of zombies and robot songs. As I was learning his songs, I got used to the sound of my own voice. Now, I don’t suggest that I’ll be in the Billboard Top 40 any time soon, but more important than that… I’ll enjoy my performances as a singer in my own right. So much so that, I’ve even signed on to volunteer at Guitars Not Guns, a charitable organization that provides free guitar lessons to at-risk youth. And hopefully, I’ll inspire a few new kids to play and sing out loud without fear.