It all starts with an 8-note scale. Preferably all the black keys or white keys.
While I could give you the impression that I’m “already there” and together and gigging like ka-ra-zee, the reality is I’m not. The reality is that I’m an advanced beginner restarting my music career after 10 years away. It’s been pretty rough but I make progress every day. Instead of showing you all the polished version, I’m going to give it to you raw and uncut. Well, a little cut because no one wants to watch 80 minutes of practicing.
Where I’m Starting
I have a degree in music with an emphasis in vocal studies. That means I sang art songs and arias for four years. That means I had no idea what “levels” meant on a PA system or how to hold a mic because it was usually just me with a piano in an acoustically engineered room. That also means I sang with a very different vocal technique. I sang to the back of the room with just my voice. I’ve also forgotten half my musical theory and I was never good at ear training. I also have terrible stage fright / performance anxiety that throttles my throat every time I open my mouth in front of anybody, even my best friends.
Where I’m Going
Hopefully some place jazzy, funky and bluesy. I’m learning new techniques in vocal projection. I’m getting real familiar with my lower registers. I’m writing my own songs and doing different takes on my faves. I’m taking it one step at a time to overcome my fears.
This website is not only a place to find out what I’m doing, but also to learn about the process of getting great, inside baseball style. Some of us aren’t made overnight. Most of us toil for hours, slowly rolling down that hill until our tiny pebble becomes an avalanche.
So here we go! Whee!