Let me sing
I believe I was in Grade 8 when I sang a duet with my cousin in our local festival. I always loved music but it never occurred to me that I had any talent. To my great surprise, my parents received a call after that performance to ask me to audition for a girls singing dancing tour group called The Treble Teens.
What the heck. I auditioned and I made the cut. For the next 4 years from Grade 9-12, I gave up team sports to practice and train my voice and my dance choreographed moves with 25 other girls. We toured around on Greyhound buses, we flew all over the place, we worked hard and made great memories! We performed at Canada Games 87 in Nova Scotia, at Expo 86 in Vancouver, and even concerts at Disneyland in California. And many concerts in between where we signed autographs coming off the stage. A touch of fame haha!
This experience shaped me. My insecurities glared back at me in the mirror while rehearsing with our choreographer from Chicago. “Energy to your fingertips!” she would yell. I knew I was one of the girls with the least natural dance talent and not a whole lot of confidence….. Though I enjoyed the dancing so much and I enjoyed the singing even more. And why did I always think the athletes were so much more cool than the singers and dancers? I wish I understood then that it was just different. Those days the athletes were the cool kids.
I came from a musical family. My mom and I recorded many times together in studio. Our Christmas family gatherings consisted of 100 people belting out “Friedensfurst” at the top of our lungs in 17 part harmony. My mother and I taught a children’s choir for 5 years. Music is in my blood.
I started to sing at weddings, funerals, churches, even my own concerts. Sang in bands, let me sing!!! My biggest highlight.. I had the privilege of having a producer approach me for work in Nashville where I got to sing and record with Amy Grant’s band. What a trip!
Today I hardly sing. And I dance even less…. Except in the kitchen and for my kids to show them that I am well and crazy. I see now that though I probably had the talent, I never fully had the confidence. How I regret this. I wish I knew then how to embrace this experience fully.
One thing is for certain. I still long to sing. There is a song in my spirit. It was there as a very young girl, it was there as a teen and it is there today. I sang recently at a fundraiser where I was reminded of my passion for singing… photos below. I feel grateful for the experience of music in my life. I believe that in the core of who I am, I will always have a passion for singing. And these days I own my style and I don't care if you don’t like it. These days I understand my passion. Let me sing. Let me sing. Let me sing.
