My musical inquiry for this term is to improve my singing voice. I have always loved to sing, a habit I picked up from my Mom and a sure fire way to know that I am in a good mood. As a kid I would put on The Bodyguard soundtrack, sit really close to the speaker and belt it out, that way I couldn’t hear myself, just Whitney and it felt like it was me singing….”And IIIIIIIIII will always love you”.
I never considered myself a good singer, my siblings would get easily annoyed with the out of key sounds that would suddenly puncture the silence, the dinner table was the only place where singing was outlawed, every where else my voice was given free range. Just last year my sister told me that I actually have a pretty good voice and that she always told me I wasn’t good to discourage me from singing all the time. For almost 30 years I thought that not only could I not sing but that I would never be able to.
One Christmas my Mom gave me a coaster with a Zimbabwe proverb on it and it changed my perspective on singing and dancing.
I think too many people see singing and dancing as something you can do only if your “good” at it, this idea limits self expression and growth. The proverb doesn’t say anything about singing or dancing well because that is not the point, to me it means that with patience and practice you can do anything…..even sing.
Ms. Alder 