You know when a beat is soooo good that you can’t help but activate cruise control and drive with your wrists down I-80 as you clap along?
Umm, yeah, me neither.
But, if by chance I did do that (strictly hypotheticals here, folks), I would have done it to one of the songs we’ll be rocking – and I do mean ROCKING -- on stage.
I’m not gonna say much other than this gem is an a cappella number that never fails to put a smile on my face and a spring in my step. The mere thought of us being able to replicate said Mystery Song makes me giddy to no end.
As you can probably tell, yes, Mystery Song is my contribution to the group.
And, of course, what vocal experience would be complete without a small dose of mind-numbing fear?
Let me explain.
Mystery Song involves alternating solos, group harmonies, and elements of call and response. See, while I’m one of those sing-at-the-top-of-my-lungs-by-myself-in-the-car-where-no-one-can-laugh-at-me types – and while I do aspire to be more someday – I am QUITE cognizant of my present limitations. If anything, I saw myself as a ‘no call, all response’ sort of a girl.
I’d contribute the song. I’d guide the song. I’d even do backup vocals in the song. But I was NOT going to do a solo.
Guess what I’m doing.
Intonation vs. volume: Pick one
In truth, I’ve wanted to sing for a long time. I even have a voice teacher who I see sporadically in an attempt to not sound like a deflating tire while holding a note. It’s safe to say that I will have her on speed dial for the rest of spring.
And in no way were these Solos forced upon me. This is just another example of being encouraged to push my limits and try something new in a safe environment. And that’s never a bad thing.
As a high-ish soprano, I find it challenging to sing lower chest-voice registers even with the help and guidance of the best and most patient teachers. Understandably then, I was a bit on the quiet side when I tried my hand at Mystery Song’s solo parts. And although I know we will have microphones to magnify our sound, I still found the disparity between the volume of my voice and others’ rather striking.
So, I could try to sing louder and more forcefully. But that’s what I do in my car, and there’s a reason that what happens in the Thunderbird stays in the Thunderbird.
Dilemmas.
In the zone?
So, aside from my pending vocal crisis, I feel like I had a major moment on Sunday.
And unlike traditional major moments – like winning a championship, getting married, or being granted a major award – this one was entirely devoid of pomp and circumstance. Unbeknownst to me, it quietly made its way through my bow and alerted me to its presence through song.
In my own way – and in my own little world – I was in the zone.
I’ve never been musically in the zone, at least not on this instrument. God knows I’ve tried to find it many times before, and I can tell you that my efforts often ended in a bundle of rosin-covered frustration.
But on Sunday, I finally improvised. And by my standards, it was legit.
I nailed my major and minor pentatonic scales. I picked out interesting rhythms, and am starting to hear and anticipate the half- and whole-steps increments without needing to read them from paper.
For all you classical folks out there, you know that learning to improvise and play without sheet music is HUGE. It’s like I’ve suddenly found myself without directions, but instead of freaking out, it’s all good.
I look forward to hitting these zones more often.
Next up: Guest coach
So now that we’re halfway through our sessions and have a set (yeah, I can’t believe it, either), it’s time for a visit from our star guest coach. I won’t say the name so I can keep you guessing, but no matter how you cut it, she’s a superstar.
And she just so happens to play the same instrument as me. Yay for new fiddle friends!
I’m so excited to see what next Sunday will bring. I’m certainly a little bit nervous, but then again, that seems to have been working for me so far.
Take the Stage is a band performance workshop and project of Nell Robinson Music in partnership with the Freight & Salvage and the California Bluegrass Association. Please contact hilary@nellrobinsonmusic.com for more information or go to nellrobinsonmusic.com/tts.
