Last weekend I attended a vocal intensive seminar. It’s a regular once a year event that my vocal coach does for his students, and for singers that some of his students teach. It’s very well-named because it is very intense, going non-stop from 9 in the morning until 9 at night.
Singers of all ages, who sing all musical styles, and who are at different stages of learning attend the seminar. We each have a time slot or two to sing and the rest of the time we learn by listening to other singers.
After it was over, and everyone left both tired and charged up, I got in my car and started the one and a half hour drive home. During that time of mindless activity, while some other part of my brain took over the automatic task of keeping on the road, I reflected on my personal experience of the intensive.
I realized that:
- I was very open to enjoying the creative gifts of all the other singers, no matter what musical style they sang or where they were in their vocal development.
- I didn’t compare myself to anyone else and I saw once more that we all have a unique voice to bring to the world. Wow!
- While I’d enjoyed some very nice compliments from people about my singing and my song compositions, I hadn’t needed them to have a positive experience.
- It was more fun to find out from other people how music fed their creative life.
- Very interesting discussions could occur just by asking people questions designed to bring forward their very best thoughts and ideas.
Not everyone had the advantage of time driving home that I did. But I hoped that everyone took the opportunity to create their own meaning from the experience. Inner perspectives can shift in a very profound way if we just give ourselves permission to let the insights flow. But it doesn’t stop there.
After seeing personal meaning, then what? Or maybe so what?
The ‘then what’ for me has been a commitment to sing every day, even if it’s only for a few minutes. And to appreciate the creative gifts of others that I am blessed to come in contact with.
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