Thursday, February 27, 2014

"The Voice"

So, I've been watching season 5 of The Voice on Hulu Plus and I'm moved. Deeply moved. What moves me is these coaches who don't try to change who the singers are.

Some of you know, and many probably don't, I sang for years. I began in grammar school like most kids do and music was one of the few things that truly motivated me. I taught myself guitar when I was 12, having been inspired by my two sisters, Charlotte and Melissa, and after high school I spent something like 18 years singing in our little church every Sunday and eventually putting together a choir for special occasions like Christmas and Easter. A choir, I might add, of people who wanted to sing, but felt they could not sing well enough for anyone to hear them--and in the end they were a fabulous group of people who sang wonderfully!

I also spent several years in college learning the foundations of music writing, vocal presentation, history, etc., because teaching music seemed to be the outlet open to me. There was an expectation, both societal and familial, that the arts were not an acceptable way to make a "living". I can see the rational behind this, although at this point in my life I realize limitations are put upon our children when we don't have a broad enough knowledge about what is available for work opportunities in a particular area.

I eventually quit music because I could never be what my instructor said I had to be.  I had no interest in singing opera or being a soloist with an orchestra, or even being the best in the city, state, country, etc--I didn't want to be a "star". I simply wanted to be...well, me when the music overtakes me! I had no desire to remake who I was into something that would fit into the world they insisted I needed to be in to be successful.

And here we are back--finally!--to my main thought. I am so utterly impressed with the coaches on The Voice, only one of which I've actually heard of. (Not surprising as we all know I don't get out in the world much.) They gave these people a chance, mentored them and brought out what was beautiful and unique about the person and their voice. Not one of the coaches tried to make those people over into something/someone else. They listened to their dreams and their desires and guided them toward their goals. Wow!

To close I want to speak to all you people out there who have children or who are in a position to influence someone's dreams--and that would be all of you because there isn't a person who doesn't have some kind of relationship with someone who confides their dreams to you.

Do your best to help them find a way to find those dreams. No one can predict what is possible. People laughed at Fulton and his steam engine and H.G. Wells and his stories of man landing on the moon. In the seventies when I was working in behavioral health people were skeptical of things like art therapy and psychodrama, yet these disciplines have been proven helpful and are now taught in our universities. Don't let fear and skepticism color your support for your children and the people who look to you for mentoring. If they want to make a living in music help them research all the ways there are to do that and keep encouraging them until a door opens and they find the right mentor for themselves.

Blessings! Teri

PS--While I don't blog much I love the medium 'cause I don't have to follow the rules of writing!

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