Some months ago Vernon Bush, a San Francisco musician, approached me after my speaking engagement.
Vernon said, “You have a great voice, you would probably be a great singer.” I thought, “You've got to be kidding.”
I responded, “Vernon, I would rather swallow a chair than sing out loud in front of other people.”
He laughed and then questioned me. “But you just spoke in front of people? Singing is just speaking where you hold the notes longer.”
Just then he uncovered a serious disconnect. Clearly, I was in profound resistance to singing. My resistance was so strong that it held my attention.
I realized that I had never been to Karaoke, I only mouth the words to songs, and I don’t sing in the shower or in the car.
Yet my voice is my most immediate and constant form of expression.
I had a block. A BIG block. So what did I do? I signed up for private voice lessons with Vernon Bush of course.
Bring it! I’m not letting any creative blocks ever push me around again.
What Vernon has been reminding me of is that creativity is where I express my unique authentic voice.
When I access my unique voice, and I express the depth of my authentic emotion, I am in high creative gear.
When I express my unique voice, regardless of the medium, I have the opportunity to connect with others.
How does art connect? When the emotional vibrations of art resonate with someone else's, it ignites the sparks of inspiration.
We don't see art, we don't hear music, we don't read poetry, we feel it.
I’m still a reluctant vocalist. But I am pushing through this resistance to express my vulnerable voice. With a kind and supportive teacher, it is well worth the push.
By expressing my authentic voice through another channel of communication I’m gaining direct and deeper access to my emotions, my artistic fuel.
Singing is primal. Sound vibrates through my body and the truth of my individual expression is freeing and joyful.
“Whatever you hear from the water, remember, it wants to carry the sound of its truth on your lips..." David Whyte
What this Painter has learned from a Musician
1
Some months ago Vernon Bush, a San Francisco musician, approached me after my speaking engagement.
Vernon said, “You have a great voice, you would probably be a great singer.” I thought, “You've got to be kidding.”
I responded, “Vernon, I would rather swallow a chair than sing out loud in front of other people.”
He laughed and then questioned me. “But you just spoke in front of people? Singing is just speaking where you hold the notes longer.”
Just then he uncovered a serious disconnect. Clearly, I was in profound resistance to singing. My resistance was so strong that it held my attention.
I realized that I had never been to Karaoke, I only mouth the words to songs, and I don’t sing in the shower or in the car.
Yet my voice is my most immediate and constant form of expression.
I had a block. A BIG block. So what did I do? I signed up for private voice lessons with Vernon Bush of course.
Bring it! I’m not letting any creative blocks ever push me around again.
What Vernon has been reminding me of is that creativity is where I express my unique authentic voice.
When I access my unique voice, and I express the depth of my authentic emotion, I am in high creative gear.
When I express my unique voice, regardless of the medium, I have the opportunity to connect with others.
How does art connect? When the emotional vibrations of art resonate with someone else's, it ignites the sparks of inspiration.
We don't see art, we don't hear music, we don't read poetry, we feel it.
I’m still a reluctant vocalist. But I am pushing through this resistance to express my vulnerable voice. With a kind and supportive teacher, it is well worth the push.
By expressing my authentic voice through another channel of communication I’m gaining direct and deeper access to my emotions, my artistic fuel.
Singing is primal. Sound vibrates through my body and the truth of my individual expression is freeing and joyful.
“Whatever you hear from the water, remember, it wants to carry the sound of its truth on your lips..." David Whyte
