As a singer, it is my job to find tunes that fit my tessitura.
If I have the opportunity to serenade a roomful of folks, I want to try to champion my efforts by doing a song that properly fits my voice. This means that I should know every lyric and every nuance of the songs chosen and must also be open to speculation if I forget even one lyric or utter the song a little different than what the listening audience knows.
But even while doing cover songs, we as singers still work hard to try to create our own distinctive sound. Lately, I have had this willingness to just experiment from the confines of the bandstand in front of whoever is there and so, I decided to start sharing my original compositions more and more because I am not just a cover artist; I am a songwriter.
Such was the case the other night when percussionist, Rick Santa, asked me to co-host their open mic night at Hat City Kitchen in Orange, NJ.
In spite of all the talks of the coronavirus, I feel that there is a sort of healingness in music and so, I showed up ready to sing.
If God put me on this planet with a purpose, my duty is to share my gift and talent and so I did. The Corner Pocket Band was subtle and flexible which made it easy to be able to flex with them as I scanned the crowd and tried to send out some encouragement to the people and the establishment which saw less of a crowd because of growing concerns of their customers about the pandemic, as I sang the words to my song "I'll Be There." Please check out a snippet of my performance
It always feels good to be able to do my own material and to see folks who are open-minded and willing to participate in my effort of getting people to have some type of response to what I am doing.
I guess I will be home working on my music and craft until everything passes over. This is a time where we can focus on improving who we are and getting things done that we need to do until the light at the end of the tunnel appears.
I won't say that I am not scared of becoming ill with this ailment but in growing times of uncertainty and unrest, I think this is the perfect time to even if you stay home from everything else, to make it to church on Sunday morning. Why wait until you actually get the disease to access God?
Use your smarts. Be safe out there. Wash your hands. I see people who come out the bathroom stall and leave the lavatory without even sprinkling a bit of water onto their hands.
Do you know if the person who touched the doorknob you just touched before you did, just picked their nose or sneezed without washing their hands? You just never know.
Let's stay safe. If you feel sick, stay home. If you feel under the pressure and not sure of how to handle all the news reports, have an intimate conversation with God and see what happens.
We should be actively praying for a healing over the world. I'll play it safe and be at home doing everything I can to keep my mind engaged and not get weary and lazy but on Sunday morning if the church doors are open, "I'll Be There."
Please check out the original version of my song "I'll Be There" on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/track/11V3lJph5uzycZa2Qa8azp?si=wZKX5QifQMC_mYkMXAyFiw
I won't say that I am not scared of becoming ill with this ailment but in growing times of uncertainty and unrest, I think this is the perfect time to even if you stay home from everything else, to make it to church on Sunday morning. Why wait until you actually get the disease to access God?
Use your smarts. Be safe out there. Wash your hands. I see people who come out the bathroom stall and leave the lavatory without even sprinkling a bit of water onto their hands.
Do you know if the person who touched the doorknob you just touched before you did, just picked their nose or sneezed without washing their hands? You just never know.
Let's stay safe. If you feel sick, stay home. If you feel under the pressure and not sure of how to handle all the news reports, have an intimate conversation with God and see what happens.
We should be actively praying for a healing over the world. I'll play it safe and be at home doing everything I can to keep my mind engaged and not get weary and lazy but on Sunday morning if the church doors are open, "I'll Be There."
Please check out the original version of my song "I'll Be There" on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/track/11V3lJph5uzycZa2Qa8azp?si=wZKX5QifQMC_mYkMXAyFiw
Thank you for checking out my blogpost.
God bless you all!
I too am staying home right now. You can entertain people with your music from your house.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, there is nothing we can do but stay home and work on what we can. I live in Spain, where the situation is very bad. The entire country has been under quarantine for 2 days now...
ReplyDeleteI cant stay home even if I want because in India. Quarantine in India is just for students. Just take care of yourself. Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your story as I am also a songwriter and would love to get out of my comfort and actually record the songs I have written.
ReplyDeleteYou should. Don’t slip your allowance under a rock. Use it to the glory of God.
DeleteThese are some nice songs. I am staying home to be on the safe side. You just never know.
ReplyDeleteThank you got the compliment
DeleteYou're right. This really is a good time to focus on self improvement since we won't have a lot of other things to do or places to go.
ReplyDeleteI'm not able to stay home, I work in a veterinary clinic and animals still need care. Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us!
ReplyDeletePlease be safe. God bless you!
DeleteI'm trying to stay home. Im so thankful for the internet so I can stay connected
ReplyDeleteYou're right, there's a whole lot of uncertainty right now, but God's got this! It's so neat that you know what your talent is and you're able to share it with the world the way that you do. Great music!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Yup! God had got us. Time to stay prayed up and to keep the faith going strong.
DeleteWe are all staying home here. I am loving it for now but I know we will get tired of it quickly.
ReplyDeleteI am home as I am on a break. otherwise in India, there is no quarantine as such.
ReplyDeleteWe love hearing the behind-the-scenes life of a singer. We are in Chicago - staying home and staying healthy. Thanks for sharing all the details.
ReplyDeleteI still have to work while I can, so I understand needing to work and make sure bills are paid. I hope you are doing well and staying healthy! These are crazy times but I think music is definitely healing.
ReplyDeleteYes it is. I hope you are safe as well.
DeleteI think it's awesome you put yourself out there and shared your own material. When I go out, I don't always want to hear covers of songs. Sure it's fun, but it's been done before. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteThank you for that. It makes a difference fir me too when I can sing my original songs.
DeleteVery wise words! Let's try to think positive and see social distancing as a way to improve ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI've recently been told to stay at home after a final appointment at my clinic later this afternoon. I'm officially terrified of what the future will be and how I'm going to afford my mortgage.
ReplyDeleteWe're staying home too. Hopefully this will pass soon because it's getting scary! Hope you and the fam are safe!
ReplyDelete