Singing Never Came Naturally To Me

Singing never came naturally to me.

When I was eighteen, I wanted so badly to sound like the singers whose records I listened to over and over again on the turntable in my tiny two-room apartment.

I’d listen and then try to match the warm, rich tones of Sara Vaughn, the gospel-tinged swing of early Aretha Franklin, and Annie Ross’s effortless, cascading vocalise.

I never loved the sound of my voice, but I did love the feeling of singing, so I kept at it. Years of listening, trying to match the sounds of the singers I idolized. Years of voice lessons. Years making records —painstakingly recording take after take until I finally landed the “magic” one. Years of teaching too. (They say the final phase of learning is to teach — so true!)

There’s still more to learn, but after all these years, I feel like I’ve finally settled into my own sound — accepting and loving my voice for what it is — my body and the life that I’ve lived — intertwined.

I wish I could go back and tell my younger self that she will someday make sounds that she loves. That perfect isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. That she WILL be able to make the sounds that she hears in her head someday, but what really matters — is to give voice to what she hears in her heart. ♥️