Renee's Book

I wanted to cry `tears of joy' when I read this last weekend at Borders with J.

(on her performance at Ground Zero, a few months after the attacks of Sep 11)

Given the fact that most classical musicians are not household names or faces recognizable from television, it's interesting to speculate about why people so often turn to a classically trained musician, rather than a familiar singer from the world of popular music who has sold millions of records? Why turn to a far lesser-known voice whose music is appreciated by a smaller audience? I think the answer lies in two places. First, the tradition of music grounds us and connects us to one another through a sort of universal appreciation that transcends taste, particularly in such songs as ` Amazing Grace' and `God Bless America". Second, a trained voice has a kind of innate authority that transmits a sense of strength. We can be heard without a microphone. We sing with our body. The sounds that we make emanate not just from the head, but from the whole heart and soul and, most important, the gut. The word `classic' has come to to be applied to so many things in our culture -- cars, rock music, a particular episode of a television show -- when in its truest sense it carries a weight of something that has been distilled over time and represents the highest quality in a given field. The music we sing has been loved in many past generations and will continue to flourish and find life and love in the future.

So he bought me the book. The Inner Voice - The Making Of A Singer by Renee Fleming. For those not familiar with the name, she is a famous American opera singer...

That intro above just did so much for me in terms of reassuring my love in the craft of `beautiful singing' or bel canto, she has said what I wanted to say and to hear, it hit on my spot and got me moving.

She narrated in great detail from how she first fell in love with music (at thirteen), to what important lessons she learned from all her early coaches. This book is written such that, it does not matter if you do not know who Renee is, but as long as you love singing and or are already singing, it does great thing to your understanding of the singing technique and best of all, you read about how this famous person made it through tears and heartache, a sure booster to your singing morale.

I know I have years and decades to go before I mature as any good singer but it's nice feeling to know that I'm doing something I love and be respected for. It also great to know that I'm constantly improving not just in the singing technique, but in cultivating the right attitude.

Haha, I'm sounding too serious...right? Like a formal speech....

In a nutshell, to sing well is no easy task so if you are a singer out there, don't ever let another person puts you down by slighting your talent and interest...and don't ever give up the love.