The Gift of Song

Waking up to cooler weather is enough to make me feel like I can write, not just a song, but a symphony. The energy it gives combined with the richness of an early day’s light, intoxicates. Listen first; then do.

My thoughts are running amok. I need to run, walk, ride a bicycle or just BE outside, before I can settle down and SING. (Laundry dirty dishes, bills, errands, etc., all take a back seat during this writing adventure. Yes!)

I am a dancer, who sings, and once a dancer, always a dancer. My physical being is tied to everything I do. I am the person in a reception room who paces. I twitch when I sleep, and rest in the shape of a big X, spread out over the bed.

When I close my eyes, I have visions of being upside down doing a handstand. Song is partnered with movement; it is a long term relationship.

I MOVE through the day, literally, singing and doing, doing and singing. Somewhere in between it all, I accomplish little pieces of a song, or thought for a show, a different idea about relating to an audience, something new when I suspend a note and focus on the meaning of that particular word and how it is pronounced. The creative process is my steak and potatoes; an entertaining evening, one end result. There are infinite details to mull over, and I savor it all. It is a process not unlike constructing a house.

Singing is motion, rhythm being in the vowels, the breath, the arms, the sway of the body and the sentiment of the lyrics. This dance, while appearing to have less movement to outside viewers, is just as rich as traditional forms of dance. The movement, the choreography, the feeling is more internal. Singing is accomplished by the diaphragm, instead of the torso. The mouth articulates, instead of the feet. The breath is similar in that it informs what is to come, and how the information is presented.

I’m very happy to have this gift of song.

Speaking of informing, my body is aching to get up and zoom around. My brain has already moved onward to next month's shows, recording music for a CD and continuing work on vocalizations, diction, considering the meaning of the each lyric and the historical context in which they were written.

My spirit is singing a song already, lyrics are around the bend. Being in action creates inner stillness for me. Sing, dance, love life, always.

What MOVES you?