Tag Archives: singing

La, La, La

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For the past year I’ve been taking singing lessons.  It’s not a secret or anything, but it’s not something I talk about very much.  It’s one of the few things I do just because it’s fun.  I have secret ambitions to be a rock star or torch singer, but unless I’m ‘discovered’ I doubt that will happen.  I’ve never even been near a karaoke bar.

Every Tuesday I walk over to the music center to meet with Raya and sing for 30 minutes.  Raya is fantastic and Izzy also takes lessons from her.  I have a better voice than I thought I would with a pretty good range.  I’ve gotten over the embarrassment of singing in front of Raya.  I’m pretty sure the woman at the front desk can hear me.  So far she’s been nice and discreet, keeping that bit of info to herself.

Most likely none of you will hear me sing unless you sneak into my house while I’m doing dishes or stand outside the door when I shower.  You could hide under all the rubble in the back of my car and hear me belt out my current favorite as I drive to pick the kids up from school.  Right now, I’m working on a Willie Nelson song of all things.  A beautiful sad song called ‘Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.’  I think my dad would be proud that I’m working a tune by Willie.  I’ve also fallen in love with Gillian Welch.  She covers a Radiohead song called ‘Black Star’ that I’m much enamored with and may tackle next.  My repertoire includes Billie Holiday, Bonnie Raitt, Patsey Cline and Eva Cassidy.

So Tuesday is usually a good, happy day for me.  There’s something about singing that just forces you to feel good.  I’m not sure, but maybe it’s the extra oxygen.  That’s part of what brings me such joy–I just sing and don’t over analyze it.  Taking singing lessons is something I’ve always wanted to do.  I’m writing about this here to remind myself (and all of you dear readers) that it’s perfectly fine to do something just because it feels good.  Not a career move, money maker or concentrated investment in the betterment of world or self.  Just opening up and belting out a tune because it feels good.

For my next act, I may even learn to play guitar.

Twitt

21 December 2008

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Where do they make balloons? Amalia has been singing this song for weeks.  I’d never heard of it until she learned it in class.  I actually wouldn’t mind not ever hearing again.  Except that Amalia’s little voice is so lovely and un-self conscious.  She sings herself into her own world, her own rhythm as she wanders from one activity to the next.  Sometimes dressing in ballet or gym clothes with tights and leg warmers to stretch and dance.  Other times she’s in the kitchen cutting up apples for some recipe she’s creating.

The warbling little voice tells me she’s happy, content.  The song doesn’t really matter.  Right now we hear lots of Christmas-type songs.  Fortunately, the balloon song isn’t on the Top 10 this week.  Izzy sings alot too.  She’s been learning songs for her school play this year, Twelfth Night.  At the girls’ school, the kids sing every day.  It’s one thing that even Izzy hasn’t gotten cynical about.

I used to know Izzy was happy when she’d skip around.  I just realized that she doesn’t do that anymore.  I remember watching her break into a skip a while ago and thinking that she wouldn’t be doing that much longer.  But now it seems that’s gone.  Almost 13 year old girls don’t skip much.  But thankfully, they still sing and Izzy will come up to me and sling her arm around my shoulders.  She even does that in front of her friends.  So I feel blessed and remember to take notice.  You have to do this with kids.  You have to memorize their physical movements, their smells, the shine on their hair before it changes.  I can’t remember much of Amalia’s first birthday party, but I can remember how she used to put her pudgy little hand on the back of my neck and I’d swoon.

And now I’ve got it recorded that I don’t like the balloon song, but at least I’ll remember it.

Twitt