Thoughts on Singing

Singing is sometimes exhausting. Few things give me as much joy and energy as singing, but it is hard. It is physically hard to keep a consistent, pressurized breath, without nearly passing out. It’s hard to stand tall and stay rooted when you’re already so tired. It’s hard to get your tongue to stop fucking around, and just stay out of your way. It’s emotionally hard to not sound as good today as you did yesterday. It’s mentally hard to get the motivation to practice everyday, especially if you’re already battling mental illness. 

I am tired today. I was tired yesterday, too. But I love this and I won’t stop just because of a couple off days, no matter what my inner-critic tells me. While I have no standing on which to do so, I’d like to give you permission to rest, and to offer gentle forgiveness for the days that you just can’t do it. Just because we love something doesn’t mean it’s always going to be easy for us to engage with it. Some days you’ll just warm up your voice, and then collapse on the couch, watch Schitt’s Creek, and curse capitalism under your breath. That’s okay. Even in the pursuit of singing professionally, that’s okay. There are always going to be days when I don’t practice, and then end up hating myself for it. I want to let that feeling in, and also challenge it. I’m not entirely sure how to do that, but I’m trying. We’re all trying. And when you can sing, do it. Make it happen. Cancel your plans, turn off the tv, and do it.