My First Voice Lesson

I indulged in a pity party when my dad gave me a zinger, then decided I was gonna stop moping and improve my voice. I dialed the number I've had up on my bulletin board for a while now, and left a message for a vocal instructor, whom I will heretofore call Vi.

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I'd never had voice lessons and I came to my first one with some trepidation. Especially since on her message and when I talked to her on the phone, she sounded a little snarky. She lived in this little house with a cat on the window sill, and that made me smile and relax.

She looked a decade younger than me, freshly graduated from her masters, and looking to build her voice lesson clientele. We spent a few minutes chatting and she said her training is classical but that a lot of the techniques can transfer over to rock.

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I am an "alto 2," Vi says so. Which I already suspected. But now it's official.

Warming up exercises is not for the inhibited. I was doing things with my mouth that I'd have scolded my children if they were to do this at the dinner table. Like blubbering and letting my mouth hang open as though I had marbles in my mouth.

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We worked on "All Your Love". She taught me the "belt" style. When my CD recording began playing she said her dad would love that music. I told her I wanted to learn how to project my voice better and really rock out. While I sang, she kind of manipulated my posture and chin and chest and everything! that it was really hard to just sing. I have to unlearn some breathing I have done for the last thirty some-odd years. Not an easy feat, but I am sure I can learn.

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There's another teacher I will check out next week. She lives closer and is more experienced. She said I wouldn't have to perform in a recital if I didn't want to, and I resisted the urge to giggle. Me - reluctant to perform in front of people. It's like saying I don't have to breathe if I didn't want to.

Meanwhile, I wandered into the music store the other day and came upon a guitar recital. Oh man, I can't really afford both voice and guitar lessons, but the atmosphere in that room was electric (and not just because there were cool-looking guitars on the stage)! What a fun bunch of people. I would LOVE to be part of a guitar recital someday. Or maybe even play guitar with my band on some songs.

But for now, voice!