Okay, this is a bit of a pet peeve of mine that I have been wanting to blog on for a while: the lack of singing for fun that people do. I mean, it's fun, come on!
I am not talking about going out to do karaoke or something, that's performing which is different. I mean the sitting around with a guitar or piano and singing, learning the songs as needed. When I was on St. Croix, we would go over to Tom (the music teacher's) house and he would pull out some music, start playing the piano and everyone would join in. There was no pressure to be good and people who knew the songs taught those who didn't. Some people would belt out solos or start a harmony line. No pressure, just fun. Same thing when I was performing at the Ren fest...campfire time always had a guitar and tunes. Or my time in West Virginia at NRAO...boring rural place had lots of sing a long campfires.
When do we get a chance to sing...church or the national anthem at ball games? Both dreadful (but not for the reasons you are all thinking, that I am a godless atheist who hates America...while that may be true (I'll never tell) that's not why they are awful singing opportunities). Most churches (with some exceptions) and the National Anthem are examples of people trying NOT to sing, but sing as softly as they can and convince everyone around them they are singing. WTF! Belt it out! There are a few churches that get this right and actually encourage people to sing. I don't go to church, but at least I can see that they get singing can and should be fun and joyous.
I am trying to learn a little guitar...just enough so I can strum some basic tunes and get people singing. I want to do more musical improv but even some of the most fearless people onstage I know freeze up when asked to sing. You don't have to be American Idol worthy to just have fun. I mean, I would be laughable in the NBA but I can still play a pick up game of basketball and no one thinks anything of it. Participating in hobbies as an amateur is acceptable in so many areas but not singing.
Rebel...sing, have fun.
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7 comments:
So, I can play a little guitar (not good enough to be in a band-though I wish..),but even with my LOUSY voice, I've been known to burst into a song and sing some classic tunes at work. I've gotten some weird stares...
we sing constantly around here.. I am often surprised by the reactions by people when I start singing for no reason when on the bus or sitting in town or anywhere.. I have always been a singer.. never really cared.. now I'm spreading it to the next generation, my daughter will break out in song at the drop of a hat..
I'll fess up to singing along with songs on the radio in the car and if I'm playing the Beatles,I will most definitely be singing. But thats it.
I think our forms of mass entertainment may have killed singalongs at the piano and the like. People used to entertain themselves, now the TV or radio or movies do it for us.
I find myself humming tunes and then wondering where I last heard them. "Strangers in the Night" is one that keeps coming up. Last night an old Cossack song (my mother's father was a Cossack) popped into my head and I had to Google the album to see if it's still available.
My father had a fantastic tenor voice. He sang in the local bars. I can't carry a tune in a bucket, though. When I get really worked up, I sing into a digital voice recorder in the truck, then laugh at it later.
HB Instead of playing a little guitar, why don't you play a bigger one.....it might be easier.
You could join the girl scouts. That is the last time I remember singing just for fun in a group without worrying about how it sounded.
Of course, there are those off key concert going folks who stand next you and sing every song, loudly, just to prove they know the words. Usually, I want to say that I paid lots of money to hear the band do that.....
Girl Scouts? Are you trying to get me arrested or something?
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