In 2009, the director, Paul, came to a Chorale rehearsal to ask for singers. I thought it sounded like fun, and signed up. At the first rehearsal, Paul heard me singing as he stood near the soprano section and later told me, "You have such a sexy voice!" (He didn't mean anything untoward by it, it was just his way of saying, "Damn, girl! Listen to you!") He asked if I'd like a solo and I told him I'd love to sing the Sebastian solo in our Disney medley (from the song "Kiss the Girl"). It's traditionally a male solo, but Paul agreed to let me do it, and he loved the results.
Last year, I went back and he immediately asked if I'd sing a little solo in the Beatles medley we were to perform.
This year, I showed up on Monday night and Paul offered me, right away, a heftier solo, from "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes." It's a lovely little solo, and it's right in my passaggio. You know, that part of the voice that I've learned, over the last several years, to sing through--and it's the part of my voice that promptly gets really shaky when I'm nervous!
But I did well enough tonight. I received many compliments after the show, from audience members and fellow singers alike. Before we sang the song, Paul told the audience, "Every year I send out an email to people who have sung this in the past, and every year, I hope Megan C----- will reply that she's singing with us." He gave a big grin and gestured to me. "Well, she did."
I have a funny time responding to compliments about my singing. On the one hand, I know I have a beautiful voice--too many people who know a lot more about singing than I do have told me I have a naturally beautiful quality to my voice. I've also worked my butt off to be even better than "naturally beautiful" sounding. I have studied ear training so that I can sing on pitch and in tune. I have practiced--endlessly--breathing exercises so that I can sustain long phrases and get the best possible sound out. I have listened to my teachers, I have done all the little tricks to access notes, and I have worked my range to a point where I can access a high C# (a year ago, that wasn't possible). So yes, from a purely technical standpoint, I know I can sing. And I don't think it's cocky of me to say so.
On the other hand, I never take for granted that an audience will enjoy my singing. There's a responsibility that comes with singing to not only sound technically correct, but also to give a performance. One of our soloists tonight sang "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friends." Technically, she was a very weak singer--she had pitch problems and her rhythm could have been stronger. But she gave the audience a ton of sass and she absolutely went for it--they ate it up.
So hearing that my solo was appreciated tonight was testament to my ability to perform--not just technically, but to put a certain amount of wistfulness and emotion into the song, as well.
But the best compliment I received at the end of the evening was from the lady who told me, "You sounded so lovely...and you look like you could be Snow White."
Dark, curled hair? Check. Ruby red lips? Check. Pale skin? Check. Yeah, I guess I can see the resemblance!
So now I'm home. The makeup has been showered off. My hair has lost most of the curl. I'm in pajamas instead of Concert Black.
Snow White has left the building.
1 comment:
She may have left the building, but she can still sing! Sorry I missed your shining moment. And I agree: you do look like Snow White. Pale skin has its perks. ;)
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