In late 2023, I began to take formal vocal lessons. I’d always wanted to sound a bit better as I enjoyed singing. I didn’t think I was terrible, but I knew I was no Beyonce. What I didn’t foresee was that I’d end up loving singing so much.

While it has been an arduous process of fixing my downright awful habits, I love taking vocal lessons. I love singing in general. Singing in the car, singing with my friends, singing to my dog (sorry, Max). However, I never felt I could sing in front of people — in front of an audience. I’d have likely gone jello-legged and passed out. Singing in front of people and being confident about it sounded like a delusional idea. I didn’t have the confidence that I could improve that much, but I did! I can’t say that I’m studio-level, but I do think I’m leagues better than I used to be. My vocal coach, Jennifer, encouraged me to join a “vocal showcase” performance during one of our sessions last year. At first, I was absolutely sure I would not be doing it. Things change. I later found myself ruminating over it, which led to asking Jennifer about it, which led to picking a song… and before I knew it, I was shakily standing in front of a live audience. 

That evening, I very nervously performed “Killing Me Softly” by Roberta Flack. I fought off a voice crack nearly every word, but I prevailed somewhat successfully. I had at least made it through the song without fainting, and the crowd rewarded my efforts. I began to have more confidence in my abilities and focused harder on honing my voice. It’s no easy process, but it’s rewarding when you finally don’t sound like a dodo bird with strep throat.