Voice Lessons

i need voice lessons. You can ask anyone who's heard me sing (which is pretty much my family, i don't sing around other ppl). i don't just 'love' singing, i truly enjoy it. Music is always playing around me. In my room, in my truck, on my mp3, doesn't matter where i go, i want music with me. No matter if i'm happy, sad, or angry my mood improves when i start singing.

i started in kids choir when i was 10, and then went on to the Jr. High choir when i started 6th grade. i was a 1st. Soprano, i could sing those really, really high notes. i could also repeat perfectly anything you played for me, after hearing it only once. Once i learned a song, it was with me forever! For a while i even toyed with the idea of being a music major in college.

The summer i was 15 i spent most of it either in the hospital or at the doctor's office. In a 3-month period i had pneumonia, bronchitis, strep, and several colds. All of which settled in my throat or lungs. For a few months i could barley even talk, much less sing. When i finally tried to sing again, i found my voice had been damaged quite a bit. Not only am i now a low alto, my voice sounds rough when i sing. i can't hold notes very long, my voice shakes really bad when i try. i can't simply hear something to sing it anymore, i have to practice it a hundred times for it to even sound ok. i learned quick how to lip-sing. i spent most of last year in choir (including 2 out of 3 concerts) faking it. You can ask the girls i stand by, they've never heard me sing. The only song that i could easily sing last year was a medley of Broadway show that i already knew.

If you ever hear me sing (very unlikely) its only because i've practiced a song a hundred times and feel confident about it. I spite of my voice (or, perhaps because of it?) i work very hard at choir, and at improving my voice, and i can tell i'm getting better, which is encouraging! 

This week i finally worked up enough courage to join my church's choir. i had a great time, and i think it'll go well, but it was so weird to be in such a small group. The HS choir has about 90 kids this year, and my church choir has about 30 people. Pretty big difference. i can pretty much get lost in HS choir, while i'm pretty sure they would notice if i'm gone in my church choir (not cause i sing, but cause there's so few ppl). i'm also one of the youngest in choir, that's just weird! i'm the oldest girl in HS choir, if not the oldest student in the class. In church choir there's only one girl younger than me, and one or two girls less than 8 years older than me, but everyone else is at least 10 years older than me, if not more. i think it will b good for me tho, church choir is much more relaxed, and its a completely different style than HS choir, so i'm definitely learning new things!  

i'm super excited to be in two choirs now!! =)