Comfort Zone = Gone

This entry is dedicated to my friend, Kazzy, who has been encouraging me to be more brave with my singing. Thanks for your faith, Kazzy!

I've said it all before so I'll spare you the details. There was a recital tonight that I was supposed to sing at. All day, I felt like crud (err, technically, "scared to death") and didn't want to sing. Might have something to do with the way I totally slaughtered my songs last Saturday and couldn't for the life of me remember the lyrics.

So I told Josh to go perform his songs and I'd stay home with the boys. He didn't like this plan. He called a babysitter and dragged me reluctantly along. The idea behind this recital is to give us all a chance to perform our songs before our competition on Friday. When we approached the recital, my heart was racing so fast that I wasn't sure I'd be able to breathe enough to sing at all. I tried to calm myself and apparently succeeded by the time it was my turn to sing.

Here are some of the nicest things people wrote down on the feedback cards:

* "You have a wonderful, large voice. Your voice is very expressive."

* "Beautiful nice clear voice that projects well."

* "So great! I almost got emotional. You're my favorite!!"

* "Very beautiful job - loved it. Great thoughtfulness."

* "Amazing theatricals"

* "I like your expression. It pulls you into the song."

* "Lovely voice! Relax & smile! You're awesome!"

So, after my nerves put me through the wringer and I barely had enough guts to show up, the singing was a very positive experience. Amazing theatricals? That's freakin' awesome because I honestly can't act to save my life. It made my day.

So, I decided to finally swallow my pride and throw all semblance of self respect out the window by posting my singing here on the blog. A few caveats. If you believe the comments above, you will expect more than you're going to get. Trust me. We're all beginners at these recitals, so I'm being compared to other beginners. Period. 

Caveat #2: I actually did sound way awesomer than this recording. Live music has a certain resonance and richness that can't be picked up by a built-in microphone on a $500 laptop that is sitting all the way across a huge room from the performance. I'm just sayin' -- go easy on me. You know how the camera adds 15 pounds? In this case, the microphone adds a few shrill and offkey moments and little harsh twists that are less noticeable when I sing live. Man I hate those shrill, jerky little tweaks of the voice.

Anyway, here it is, folks: "Memory" from CATS. Juliana style.