I have a very
nice singing voice.
A lot of
people wouldn’t assume that the voice is part of the body and therefore doesn’t
belong in my “I love my body” week, but those people would be wrong. Those are
the same people who tell me that the voice isn’t an instrument. Sure, it’s not
an instrument like the piano or a guitar, but it still takes years of training,
careful maintenance and rigorous exercise to become a master of it. Sound
familiar: it’s an instrument and a
muscle. My vocal chords are part of my body and are also my instrument of
choice when I want to perform.
When I was in
high school, I trained as an opera singer. That’s pretty much the only thing
that you can train to be because no one worth their salt trains you to be the
next American Idol. I did a few competitions, but like my ballet and fencing
career, it was more of a hobby than
anything else. But like any serious singer, I didn’t drink caffeine, I never
smoked anything, never drank (for various reasons) and during shows and
competitions abstained from dairy, chocolate and spicy foods all for the sake
of my vocal chords.
I stopped
singing after high school. I didn’t fool myself into thinking that I could get
a degree in music or that I belonged on Broadway. Some people, like Mackayla,
do belong on the stage and are going to kick ass at it. Some of us do it
recreationally. I’ve lost a lot of my skill because like any muscle in the
body, if you don’t work out your vocal chords you’ll lose strength.
I
really, really miss singing. I do. So,
if anyone wants to get a little quartet together or something, let me know.
Challenge to
my Readers:
Sing today.
Even if you just do it in the shower or in your car to your Taylor Swift CD (do
people still use CDs?) or whatever. Sing to your dog or your baby. Even if you
aren’t any good (or don’t think you’re any good) sing something that makes you
happy.
Update:
I sucked it up and sang a song for you. In honor of Les Mis coming out, I decided to sing a song from the musical. Enjoy:
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