Music History Part II

Yes, it’s another post about music.

While at the park for playgroup this last week another mom asked if I sing to Peanut a lot. I told her I do and she said she thought so and that Peanut seemed to be a girl who would sing. I agree. She does.  She talks and sings a lot already.  Loudly.  Especially during church.

Then, while my parents were here NYDD asked them about me singing when I was little. If it was mostly learned or mostly natural. My mom said I “came out singing.” I laughed and thought it’s probably true. I’ve been a singer for as long as I can remember. When I was old enough to figure out how to record myself I remember sitting on the floor in my bedroom singing songs into a tape recorder and reading stories that went with the songs. I still have the tape someplace, I think.

I sang solos in sacrament meeting in church while I was still in primary. I sang in an elementary school talent show and a few middle school plays. One day at school a friend of mine told me she could hear me sing during our reading class. I had no idea what she was talking about and she told me when class started and we were all reading silently I was always humming something. I didn’t realize I was doing this and apparently it’s still something I do on occasion. NYDD points it out to me once in a while when he notices.

In middle school and junior high I was in a local children’s choir and one year even got to participate in a national children’s choir. I started taking private voice lessons from the most wonderful teacher when I was 13 and stayed with her until she moved while I was in HS. Since then I’ve bounced around quite a bit. In high school I was in the school’s big choir as well as the madrigal choir. I also participated in the school musical each year, being cast as Cinderella my junior year. The music director recommended me for our school’s Music Sterling Scholar. Unfortunately I’d already been recommended and accepted for Speech and Drama, though I still don’t really know why as my acting abilities are less than stellar and several other people I know would have done way better. Whatever. Anyway, an equally talented and deserving friend of mine was accepted for Music and she did great. I was totally proud of her. Since I didn’t get to be it, I was glad she did. When I found out the situation, though, I felt a bit frustrated. Why hadn’t the administration asked me which department I wanted? I don’t know. Again, whatever. At the end of the year I was elected the music department scholar and spoke in a group at graduation and sang in a small group I arranged. Graduation is a happy memory for me.

In college I was in a small performing group that did a huge floor show and really, really enjoyed it. It taught me a lot about performing, not just standing and singing.  I’ve since been in a few other community shows and even got to solo in The Messiah before we moved to CA. I’ve also done a little recording here and there for random projects and kind of play around doing some recording with my daddy, but nothing major.

Since moving to CA all I’ve done is sing for church things.  I still sing at home and in the car and try to make time to work on new songs so I don’t get completely out of shape, but it’s harder when I don’t have anything to prepare music for.  It’s nice to sing for others once in a while.  I miss it a lot.  I love being able to move people through it.  I just wish I had more opportunities to do so.  With a little babe, though, it’s hard to do such things.

I was thinking about this last night.  I had Peanut in her pajamas and was giving her some cuddles before bed.  I was singing to her and thought, “Peanut is my audience now.  After singing in some amazing places for some amazing events, this is one of the best.  Soothing my little one to sleep.”  I’m sure I’ll get back to performing when she’s older, but right now she is the one who needs my voice and I’m happy I can share it with her.