Sunday, March 20, 2011

Huh...haven't done that in a long time...

I used to sing. No really, I did. I was in all kinds of choirs in high school, including the "elite" Octavos. I enjoyed singing, what I didn't enjoy was the issues so many music people have. My father tried to warn me, you see, his mother, my beloved Grandma Whiting was a music person. She was a guest soloist at the first radio broadcast of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. My Grandma Whiting was a wonderful person, and she had some awesome qualities, but she was a force to be reckoned with when it came to music and productions.

I pretty much decided that I was done singing when my high school choir director got mad, threw down his baton, ran into his office and slammed the door. Granted, it was his first year of teaching and we were a pretty mouthy bunch of high schoolers. Anyway, I didn't pursue it when I went to college. At one point I did have to go to the director of the music department to drop a class, and when he saw the form, he looked up and said, "So you're the Whiting I heard about that could sing." I just smiled, thanked him for signing it and left.

So for that last 20 years, it has just been a few little songs here or there-a funeral, a Relief Society lesson, etc. About 9 years ago I did have an inch of my trachea removed because of some scar tissue build up, and I never really planned on singing again, so I was surprised about 6 weeks ago when I got a call from the stake Relief Society about singing in a choir for a Women's Conference with Janice Kapp Perry. Well, I have good days and not so good days, but I gave it a try.

It has been a really long time since I worried about breathing, diction, crescendos, etc. but it brought back a lot of memories from way back when. Well, after it was all over, it turned out to be pretty good, and I guess we sounded ok, anyway, we got a lot of compliments. Maybe I'll do it again, well until someone throws another temper tantrum.

5 comments:

Jackie said...

It's true...it's been a long, long time since I've heard you sing. In fact, maybe it was when I played the piano for you and Aunt Donna at grandpa's funeral...?? And how was the legendary JKP?

Allisond said...

It was a great talk, she is pretty personable. Lots of funny antecdotes.

Allisond said...

Oh yeah, Vicky Robbins brother is married to Sis Perry's only daughter. Apparently, that was our "in"

Donna Lyn said...

Hey, I was just telling Dale that you got all the singing talent in our family on Sunday after not being able to hit a single right note in any of the hymns we sang in Sacrament meeting - LOL

The Fuller Angel said...

don't have me be your director then. I have high expectations...yeah, I am a music snob- so hate me.