Extraordinary Singing Experience

Dear Per,

I can’t begin to tell you the journey with trying to work in the lessons. I am 71 and a nurse 24/7 along with my husband in a care home for the sick and terminally ill. I am also the mother of 10 children --all girls and all with beautiful voices. Anyway, I am also a Cantor at my church and have been having a lot of trouble with my throat being raspy and other difficulties. One Sunday while cantering, I was having this trouble and apparently other troubles as well. I thought I had covered my mistakes well, but I apparently was not successful, because my daughter who was at the same Mass gave me an unusually big hug with a sympathetic look on her face. I said, “What’s wrong?” Reluctantly she told me that a person beside her said, “I’ll give you $20 bucks to go up there and replace her!“ She had such a look on her face. I couldn’t believe it. I have cantered for years!

That did it and I was determined to take some kind of voice lessons. I saw lots of things online, and then I stumbled on your presentation on YouTube. From the moment you opened your mouth and began to speak I was sold. Your voice and attitude was so caring for those you were working with (students) and I was given some assurance in my heart that you were sincere. I just had to find the money to join your students. So, I bought the lessons and joined The Singing Zone! I believed that you were going to give me a new chance. I had sung all my life and I was losing it!

I joined and that is another story. Trying to get going was an unbelievable war zone for me. Time, money, sickness, you name it, stopped me but I finally began! Oh boy, how silly did I feel with the AAAAHHHHH and other exercises. I was exposed to the whole world it seemed! I kept getting interrupted. It was extremely frustrating. I kept saying to the girl in customer service. Don’t give up on me. Please! So the point of this story is that I feebly got through lesson one and listened to lesson two and three but did not have any time to really work with them. This I say with all sincerity. I tried and became sad because I felt like such a failure.

But, I remembered your encouragement and your patient way of teaching. The best I could seem to do was to go back and begin to refresh lesson one and lesson two before I would be called to cantor.

This last Saturday night it was my turn again and when I began to practice I was mortified! I quivered, I tightened up, I screeched, I strained and I could not get over it. Then I remembered the “relax”; “AAAAAHHHHH”; “ brrrrrrr”; “Loosen up”;. No time to finish practicing at home. I went to the church hoping to practice there. I got to the church and took a deep breath and prayed. But when I got there everything that could go wrong did, and I had no time to practice and set the “key”. It was time and I was scared!

This is no joke, but just then your face popped up before me in my mind’s eye, and I felt calm as I could hear that calming voice in my head, just like a coach. “Breathe” I said, “relax! Loosen that jaw. Now feel the muscles in your face, just relax!“ Then I began to sing! Oh My! It was clear as a bell, strong, with a meaningful delivery and every time during Mass when I got even a little apprehensive, I could hear you coaching me. This was an awesome experience and a total surprise.

I received so many compliments that night. But even more, the Lord was glorified.

I guess, the big story is that if the lessons can make that kind of a difference in that short amount of time and with the small amount of practice and lesson time, just think what really taking advantage of everything you give us would do!!!! I have told this story to encourage others. You can use it if you want to.