I like singing. In case you didn't already know.
For ten straight years now, I've been singing in a choir of some kind. In high school, I sang in the choir. At St. Olaf, I sang in three of the faculty directed choirs and a variety of side projects (lab choirs, Russian choir, pick-up a capella groups). After college, I sang in one of the seemingly dozens of semi-professional choirs in the Twin Cities. I spent last year with one of the groups in the IU School of Music. Now I'm singing with the Bloomington Chamber Singers (somewhat inaccurately named, as the group is 60 members strong).
Needless to say, I've got a bit of singing experience. I am not and have never been a music major, but I have been very frequently mistaken for one. I've been called an "honorary music major" several times. I've been told I missed my calling as a conductor. I've been called a choir snob (the only snob title I will wear proudly).
All this is well and good. But I've never really felt like all my experience has amounted to much. I always felt out of place when hanging with the "Twin Cities choral crowd" -- the collective body of music educators and choral singers in the Twin Cities. I usually feel inferior to people with degrees and people who have made singing their vocation. I usually see them as more talented or more valid, somehow. I can sing, yes, but only because I've been doing it for ten years. I wasn't born with much talent -- what I have, I've developed through lots and lots of practice.
But last week I got the first unsolicited comment that has changed how I feel about this. Gerry Sousa, the director of the BCS and a man of clearly very high musical pedigree and talent, told me that I "have a very nice voice" and selected me as the baritone soloist for a carol in our fall concert.
The choir is not great (there's that choir snobbery again) and there probably won't be more than 150 people that hear me sing. But this is a first. It's a serious solo -- the choir's just backing me up. I think I'm gonna be nervous. Have I made it?
Comments (2)
If you want to feel like you've made it, then you've made it. Personally, I think you were already there. You DO have a great voice, and it doesn't really matter whether or not it's talent or hard work -- you love to sing, you're good at it, it shows, and other people like listening to you. That's a great thing. Enjoy!
And I will be there, holding up a big sign that says "The soloist's my husband." ...*grin* Maybe.
Posted by samantha | November 6, 2005 4:25 PM
Posted on November 6, 2005 16:25
you weren't a music major? what the heck? (just kidding -- jeez.)
i'm so excited for you. may this be the first of many solo moments with increasingly snob-worthy choirs!
Posted by jen | November 7, 2005 3:33 PM
Posted on November 7, 2005 15:33