Sometimes habits
and routines have to be challenged by doing
something completely different. So I decided
to sign up for an evening class in singing
- nothing too serious, just popular music,
to open lungs and throat and take
a break from everything else.
It's a ten-week, once
a week beginners' course
and the first class was last Friday. Twelve
people of varying ages, nationalities and
backgrounds, all keen to sing for fun, taught
by a sympathetic, and professional
tutor. We did warm-up and breathing exercises
and ended with the group singing
the old Otis Redding number, Dock
of the Bay. By the end of
the course, each of us will have chosen
one song we want to perform alone (I've
already decided on mine) and we'll also
be doing some group harmonising etc.
It's not necessary to be able to read
music, thankfully, since I've forgotten
all I ever learned. Lyrics and links
to internet sound clips will be provided
by Max, the tutor.
I love to sing but
somehow never do it nowadays, not even in
the shower or for blogging entertainment
- you may remember some of my past efforts
along those lines: a sound clip of one of them (Cucurucucu
Paloma in Spanish
with accompaniment improvised in Garage
Band) is among video clips here.
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