I’ve been looking for a way to use this blog to help me work on my spontaneous singing skills more directly. A way to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

A few weeks ago, I thought “What better way to practice what I preach than to post a daily recording? Brilliant!”
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Then I got worried.

• I worried that I would fail to post every day.
• I worried about what to record
• I worried that what I did record would be boring, too similar, too weird, too … (you get the idea *smile*)
• I worried that I would send too many posts and all my readers would unsubscribe.

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Fortunately(?), everyone to whom I mentioned the idea was excited about (or at least intrigued by) it.

So I haven’t figured out all the details or reasons, but I will just start moving (or stop stopping *smile*) and adjust as I go.

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Knowing that it’s best (for me) to undertake a journey with at least some reason for traveling (if not a destination) in mind, here are some things I hope to accomplish.

• Post a 3-minute recording for each day of the month in November
• Interact with you as a singer (instead of just as a writer)
• Observe my art half-way through my year-long vocal improv class
• Learn something *smile*

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I don’t know yet if I’ll post daily or record daily and post weekly or if I’ll share what went into these recordings. I know identifying some things to try and whether or not they’re working could be useful as I make these recordings, but I don’t want to set up too many barriers to making the recordings. (i.e. I don’t want to chicken out. *smile*)

(Speaking of being brave,)  I won’t edit any of the recordings, but I am giving myself permission to record more than one “piece” a day (if I choose) and to post the one I like.

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So let me know what you think about my experiment. I’d love to hear your responses, questions and ideas. You can comment below or email me.

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Spontaneous Song #1

“Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.”
– Lao Tzu

“If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music.”
– Gustav Mahler

“My idea is that there is music in the air, music all around us; the world is full of it, and you simply take as much as you require.”
– Edward Elgar

As you may recall, I led two Songtaneous workshops at the 29th annual Women & Spirituality Conference this weekend. (Thanks to everyone who came and sang with me!)

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Singing spontaneously with Bruce Henry at the Dakota Friday night.

I’ll admit I was tired going into this weekend, having crammed my schedule fuller than I should have in the week before. Plus I went to see singer friend Bruce Henry at the Dakota Friday night before leaving town (we improvised a piece together in his second set — an experience I would have been sorry to miss!) so I didn’t even take an early night before getting on the road.

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That said, it was a beautiful drive down, what with the unseasonably warm October weather and all the autumn colors. I warmed up, sang along to the radio and prepped for my workshop that afternoon.

First annual Mankato marathon

When I arrived in Mankato, I discovered to my surprise (and to the surprise of the poor workshop coordinators) that Mankato had chosen this Saturday morning to host their first ever marathon. (I took some pictures of the runners to amuse myself. We sat there for a while. *smile*)

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Once clearing the running route, I went straight to the conference site – the Centennial Student Union, picked up my registration materials and found a seat in the front row for the opening ceremony and keynote.

There, I met ML and R who immediately asked me about my astrological sign and my numbers (the first I knew, the second I didn’t). They quickly calculated my number and told me I was a Heirophant, which means I am a student/teacher and always swinging between the two roles. (Well, that felt right on the mark.)

ML went on to say that I was in the middle of a rerooting/rebuilding year which is a time for going back to starting places and sorting things out. I certainly feel like I’m looking for the next step or project in my musical journey and that I have received a LOT of input in the past few months and am working to integrate it all.

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Dr. Akasha Gloria Hull gave the keynote taking me back to one of my former careers (I used to work at a rape crisis center) as she talked about the relationships between sex, sexual violence and spirituality.

She was funny and vulnerable admitting that after proposing her speech topic, she had changed her mind and decided she wasn’t going to talk about sex and spirituality. (Why do I have to be the one to talk about this?) But she reported, saying she sensed the Universe at work, that the coordinators didn’t get the email with her new topic until after her original title had been announced and the programs had been printed. She accepted that she was meant to proceed with the topic.

She asked why what we hear about the sex lives of church (and political) figures is about their transgressions. Why we only talk about the scandal of sex, not the spirituality. She talked for about an hour and then signed books for us.

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After the keynote, I left my new friends ML and R to go find lunch and get my room (and head) together for my afternoon workshop. I found my room, which was literally off the map, and set up my materials.

Both Songtaneous sessions were great fun. I reconnected with a few people from last year’s conference and met lots of new singer friends. Two women were guided to my Saturday session when they couldn’t find the workshops they were trying to attend. They graciously sat and sang.

We sang, connected and laughed (oh, how we laughed!) and I felt like I had slipped on my favorite robe and slippers. Comfortable and at ease.

I drove home Sunday afternoon exhilarated and exhausted. Today, I rest.

Tomorrow …