It was just me and my hairbrush, well, and my two sisters. There I was standing on the bed, hairbrush in hand ready to sing-off to know which sister was the best. We would compete regularly and usually we would sing the latest Disney movie hit. This time it was “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid. I always knew I was the best but my older sister was, of course, always right and claimed she won each and every time. I didn’t let that stop me. I knew that if I kept up my singing into the hairbrush that I would eventually get my chance to sing on a live stage. The hairbrush singing continued through my teens, young adulthood and even today. As a matter of fact, I’ll sing into anything that can give me the feeling of actually singing into a microphone. A toothpaste tube, cell phone or curling irons work too, you know, before they are plugged in and hot.
There comes a time when you realize all that singing into the fake microphone just isn’t fulfilling anymore. You need the real deal. In my early twenties I watched many live performances and really focused on the singer; their movements, mannerisms and quirks. Some singers leave you mesmerized by their pure conviction for what they are doing. I would go home and try to emulate what I had seen and heard. But when it came down to it there was always a void. I didn’t have the monitors, guitars, drum beats and PA system penetrating through every fiber of my being like those performers I idolized so much. That is when I knew one day; I would need to start singing with a live band.
How was I going to do that? How in the world would I make that happen? I had no idea. I had so many friends who would make that dream come true for themselves. Most of them, however, had other talents than singing. As a matter of fact singing wasn’t their first talent. They could play guitar or piano, write music and would then add singing to their repertoire. I was just a singer and singing with a live band was one thing I had never done, not even close. My whole life I have sung in choirs, starting within my own family. In high school I sang soprano for two choirs and the same goes for my church.
After starting a family I guess I accepted that choirs would be my singing life and my dream to perform on a live stage had dwindled. Although I had mostly accepted that I wouldn’t be singing live I still sang my heart out into that hairbrush and I never let that dream completely fade away. I guess that was a good thing, because it wasn’t too much longer that I received a call from a live band asking me if I would like to sing with them at their next gig. That’s when the hairbrush became obsolete and my dream to sing live rekindled. This was it; this was the opportunity I had been waiting for. All I had to do was not screw it up. Hopefully all of that singing into the hairbrush was practice enough to prepare me for that first live performance.
