The Gift of the Listener

I am given a gift on a regular basis by thousands of people. I jump into my boots and head up onstage and attempt to call in the spirit and sing. And I get the pleasure of having people listen to me.  It is one of my sincerest goals to be worth listening to. 

There are some emotions, ecstasy and grief, in which I think the only way to release them from the body is with a wail. That part is ancient. Then there are other parts of singing, when you feel connected and thrilled, when it feels like you are riding your voice like a surfer rides a wave and there is no tension, and nothing else, and you are at ease and totally present, and that feeling is wonderful. Once you have had it, you want it again. Much of the work that goes into singing is working to be able to get to that place reliably, every time. That is the kind of singing I am working on. And the funny thing is, you have to practice like crazy to get there, but the real highs only come when someone is listening. That transcendent, otherwordly wonder, really only happens when there are ears to hear the voice. 

There is something about listening to a singer who is free and uninhibited that moves me like no other instrument can. I love bands. I love my band. But today, I am going back to the first reason I fell in love with music, because I wanted to sing. I first wanted to sing because I loved listening. 

 This week I am going to write about the practice of singing. Thank you for listening.

*** also, I was floored when I opened up the email list I have set up with this blog and found out I have so many subscribers! I figured I should probably actually hook up the RSS so that y'all can get these emailed to you. I did my best, but please forgive me if there are any snafus in the delivery. Love and Inspiration to you all. Jes