On top of working full time and writing music, I also teach voice lessons from home. Half of what I do within a voice lesson is to figure out what type of voice I'm dealing with and uncover its strengths and weaknesses. It's like a diagnosis. Singers usually hate this part. This is the part where they get to hear what their weaknesses are, and it usually incites either a sense of panic or cements any underlying insecurity the singer might already have. Some singers get the feeling that they've gotten worse at first. But it's inevitable. Without it, you really have no idea what direction the next 30 minutes are going to go. If you're not careful, you might end up making the singer worse by the time they walk out the door. That's why these two things are so important.
Lately, I've been so caught up trying to stay on top of the whirlwind of my life that I think I've kind of lost track of where I am. Today I sat in church pondering again what it is that I'm doing with my talents and time, and how that sits in relation to what my heart feels called to do. Looking back at where I was less than half a year ago, I know I've come a long way. The question is, have I come the long way towards the right direction?
It's an uncomfortable position, to allow yourself to see where you've gone a bit off path. But it's necessary. Every now and then, you have to look back, assess yourself, and discover the things you might need to correct, improve or challenge. Maybe you're a bit off. Maybe you're moving too slow. Maybe you haven't moved at all. But you need to look back, assess and discover. Without this, you might not have any idea where you need to go.
this is excellent (yes i just discovered how to leave comments okay, leave me alone).
I feel like I'm going through this. I'm finding a lot of things I really dislike, and it's difficult to not feel disheartened, but I am desperately trying to at least acknowledge it and try to get better.
And then there's my singing voice. Well let's just give up on that period.
Posted by: Richie | 10/27/2009 at 01:20 AM