Singing a different tune
My favourite Artist Date so far
I leapt out of my comfort zone last week.
I am a proud in-the-car singer but I never sing in front of others.
No, not entirely true. I used to play Singstar with the kids and my inner competitive streak surfaced as we belted out tunes like “The Final Countdown” by Europe, “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor and “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler.
Good times.
Oh … and my youngest and I used to sing Sound of Music and Abba tunes in the car whenever we drove anywhere. Like, top of our voices. Kelly Clarkson also got us going, though we could never hit the high notes of “Since U Been Gone”.
Also good times.
And since I’m in confession mode, I sang Sound of Music and Abba tunes when my husband and I were on the last stretch of a loooong road trip. I was bored. He pointedly refused to join in.
I also used to sing made-up songs to my kids, wrote ditties for a children’s curriculum publisher, dreamed of starring on Young Talent Time when I was a kid … and you get the picture.
I love singing.
But apart from family, I wouldn’t dream of singing in front of anyone.
No way, nuh-uh.
I know my strengths, and my singing voice is not one of them.
That said, I love the concept of Australia’s Pub Choir/Couch Choir and (because there’s safety in numbers) I’ve always wanted to have a go.
Couch Choir came to my attention in 2020, back when the pandemic was first sweeping the world, when people were seeking ways to connect meaningfully, when creatives were sharing content from their homes like recordings, rehearsals, masterclasses and more. As the online equivalent of Pub Choir, Couch Choir struck a chord … so to speak …
"Even though we can't meet at the pub anymore, we can still make beautiful music together! Anybody from around the world is invited to submit a video of themselves singing along to our instructional videos.” - Couch Choir
In July 2020 Couch Choir created a video including 1,534 contributions from people in 40 countries, according to the Canberra Times, all singing “All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers.
I watched that video (and many more Couch Choir videos) and thought, “I’d love to try that.”
It seemed so easy. All I had to do was learn the harmony of a set song at home, record myself singing and upload my video effort. Each time, I watched the instructional videos, practised a few times … and then found a reason not to follow through.
Too busy. Too tired. Too hard. Too embarrassed.
About five weeks ago, another Couch Choir opportunity came up and I wondered … should I? Should this be an epic artist date with myself?
The answer was ...
YES!
WHY NOT?
This time, I was determined to follow through. I wrote COUCH CHOIR on my to-do list which meant I had to do it (or the uncrossed-out task would forever taunt me).
I practiced Fleetwood Mac’s “You Can Go Your Own Way”: in the car, shower, even at work one quiet afternoon.
Last Friday, with six hours to go, I pressed record.
The first recording was a trial. I laughed so hard when I played it back - my face was dead serious, my voice all over the place.
(No, I won’t share the video.)
The second recording was even funnier (and worse). I’d plugged in my headphones as instructed and through the whole video, the sound of me BOUNCING ON MY CHAIR overshadowed my voice. Maybe that was a good thing.
I banished the chair and kneeled for the next recording.
The third was full of missed notes, breathy bits (when I thought I was rocking out), but by now I was going with it. This was going to happen whether I sucked or not.
By the fourth, I somehow channelled my inner performer and sang my little heart out: smiling, winking, rocking out, holding up a “You are awesome” sign, and not caring a bit about my voice. Or my shoulder dancing/swaying …
When it comes down to it, Couch Choir is not about me and my voice, for better or worse. It’s about people uniting, voices meeting together in harmony.
But the journey - my journey - to taking part was totally about me. About me taking a leap. About me taking a chance. About me doing something I always wanted to do.
About finding the joy in my creative life.
I have not laughed so much in ages. A week later, I’m still smiling at the memory.
Of all the Artist Dates I’ve had with myself, this was hands-down my favourite. It was a date with joy. I came to the edge of my comfort zone, told my self-doubt and all the reasons why I shouldn’t do it where to go, and leapt.
I sang a song of joy.
Since then, I’ve taken two more leaps:
submitted a children’s story to a publisher - one I wrote after an afternoon of cloud watching
chatted with Dublin-based life coach Erika Mitak on the M.E. Wellbeing podcast about creativity, self-doubt and limiting beliefs
Have I made progress on my novel? No. I’m OK with that. I’m in a resting season and right where I need to be for now.
Do you have a story about leaping out of your comfort zone and finding joy?