Writing has been the theme of my life what with my two creative writing classes, and one English class. It is curious that I should start a blog right now. But, all who write agree that writing is the only way to improve your writing. Normally I don’t go with practical advice such as this but I have had a change of heart lately.

I have been taking voice lessons. My teacher, Julie Blue, is a great woman. She is both spiritual and professional. “If you would allow yourself to dream, what would you do with your voice?” She asked me on our first meeting. To perform and touch others with my voice was my answer. So we have agreed on spending half of our time together with piano and the other half with voice coaching, so that one day I could accompany my own singing.

Julie did not ask me to memorize anything on the piano. She introduced the piano to me. The piano made sense to me with Julie’s teaching method. So I now diligently meet up with the piano once a day for thirty minutes. I don’t feel as if I am practicing the piano, rather, I am nurturing a relationship between us. For now it has been pleasant and surprising.

“Learning” to sing has its own surprising lessons. I have always been told that I could sing. My voice is strong and I could often reach the higher notes in Karaoke. My ears are relatively good and I could usually sing on key. But I am not a good singer. Some songs I love lose their magic as I sing them. I could never figure out why. Why does the song sound so flat even when I hit all the notes right? I have given up singing many songs in shame of butchering them.

Julie never really answer to this concern of mine. She asks me to be forgiving of myself and remember that I am a student. Compassion with the self is really key for anyone who’s learning anything. We have chosen three songs together: Send in the Clowns, La Vie En Rose and The Rose.

I had accepted the fact that I would never be able to sing Send in the Clowns the way it is sang by Judi Dench and the great singer, Lisa Donnovan who performed on the Sapphire Princess Cruise when I was there. Judi Dench’s version moves me to tears every time without fail. There’s something more than just her voice in the song. I am sure of it.

There is something from within her that vibrates and something within me resonates with that thing.

For some reason, I have never been a believer in practicing. Well, I should say, I don’t believe that practicing would make a difference when it comes to me. I full heartedly believe that it would work for other people, but not me. Without questioning this belief, I have gone on life thinking that if I am not good at something the first time I try it, well that’s it for me and that thing. I am not born to do it.

With Julie’s advice of compassion, I gained room to practice. After singing(butchering) Send in the Clown a few times, it started to sound better. It was such a strange thing to me! I didn’t even do anything different. All I did was singing it more times than I would have allowed before. Julie didn’t give me tips in making the song sound better. Yes we have done a few voice warm ups and she has told me to drop my jaw a few times, but nothing in performing the song. I can safely deduce that the reason why the song improved is because I have practiced! Wow!

I am sure it is nothing to many of you. This discovery probably seems quite silly and late to people but it is a very significant thing that has taken place in my life. This is the beginning of faith for me.

So with my new found faith in this great secret of getting good at anything, I have decided to apply it with writing as well. And voi la, the birth of this blog.