A couple of weeks ago, I took a Sunday morning drive - (see previous blog post) and what I loved about it was there was NO traffic! Like NONE - ZERO!
And if you've ever been to Atlanta, you know how big a statement that is! You can see more photos in the afore-mentioned blog post, but this is what I mean...
I wanted to get out and get some coffee and really just drive around.
I didn't have anywhere to go, anywhere to be - just drive around and listen to music or listen to my church service online.
When I was a kid, my parents and grandparents used to like to go for a Sunday afternoon drive. The purpose was just to "ride around" not necessarily go anywhere. If you’ve spent any time in the Southern US, particularly, you are welllll aware of this activity!
Side note: My paternal grandfather was notoriously famous for this. He decided one time that he would like to go to Florida, a family place we had in Ocklawaha, Fl (what do you mean you've never heard of Ocklawaha - look it up!). So, he rounded up my father to drive him and his brother Ed down there. They drove the 6+ hours down there from our home in Griffin, GA, pulled into the house, got out, walked around the house and down to the lake, and then promptly decided he was ready to go back home. WITHOUT EVEN WALKING INTO THE HOUSE! What??
My grandfather wasn't always concerned about the destination, I think he just liked the journey.
And, as you can imagine, it used to frustrate me to no end when I was a kid!
WHEN ARE WE GONNA GET THERE!?!?
As a Kid, how many times do you remember saying that?
As a parent, how many times have you heard it??
But as I've grown up, I do understand some of the Joy in it and have proficiently apologized to my parents several times for those whiny cries.
Except about the TRIP FROM HELL! But that’s another story for another time and I will have to include excerpts from both my sister and cousin to give you the full account of this 12-hour trip across Georgia – “For the love of everything good and Holy, get me out of this car!” However...it has provided us with YEARS worth of stories and memories about this and that has been positive... right??
But back to the point…
As I was driving, I saw things and buildings and murals that I don't normally get to see. And saw them in new ways that I don't always see them.
When you're rushing to and fro in traffic and going somewhere, we don't happen to catch the new building going up or pay attention to the things surrounding us.
And since I'm a Vocal Coach, I have to connect it to singing and music.
So...
What if you’re a performer (musical theatre, pop, country, etc.) and you struggle for newer repertoire?
- When's the last time you just listened to a brand-new or a brand-new to YOU cast album?
- How many times have you just put on music you've never heard before and just had a listen?
- Have you checked out your favorite performer to see if they have an album and listen to the songs included? or if they are a Broadway performer, did they do a 54 below show?
- What artist dominated the Billboard charts the year you were born? Have you listened to their most successful album?
What if you just listened to observe and learn without having to have a destination or a purpose? or an audition??
Just listening for the sheer sake of it. Or for the JOY of it.
And this can also apply to singing!!
- What if you played around with different voices? AND different registers?
- What if you sang through an entire album of songs predominantly sung by another gender?
- What if you sang all of your songs like a Country song?
- Or sang every pop song like an opera aria?
Not to sing that high F in "Defying Gravity" or for an audition, but just for the sake of playing and exploring?
Or because you have to get that note just right for juries?
What would you find different?
What new sounds do you find you can produce?
How much freedom did you find from being silly?
What if we just stopped worrying about the destination and focused on the JOY of the Journey?
The JOY of exploring and finding new things!
The JOY of discovering a new artist that you’ve never heard of but have fallen in love with! Hello... Jon Batiste, anyone?? (The JOY this video brings - Wow!)
The JOY of discovering that you actually can free up your singing voice in a way you hadn’t imagined before.
How cool would that be??
There’s a practice/exercise at the beginning of each year where people pick a word for the year. A word that they’re going to focus on for that year – maybe for their business, maybe for their family, maybe for their own personal life.
I’ve never done the practice. I felt too scattered.
But this year, for whatever reason, I felt compelled to entertain it in some way. And I took a couple of online quizzes about finding your word and nothing felt right.
And then one day, the word JOURNEY just popped in my head. And it felt…right!
So, yeah… JOURNEY is my word for the year – personally and professionally.
And I think that it informed my desire to write this blog as well.
We are all on a journey… Hello, 2020?!
And unless you have a magic wand or a crystal ball that we don’t know about, none of us knows truly what the end destination is going to be, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find JOY in the JOURNEY!
So…How’s your JOURNEY going?
What new things have you discovered about yourself or your singing voice or your performance careers over the last year?
Or your personal life?
Or the area you live in?
If any of this resonates with you in a vocal/singing or personal way, just hit REPLY and let me know your thoughts.
Enjoy your day and Go Be Awesome on your Journey!
xo -
Heather