Day 17 of 100 days of Me - Just Sing.

Tonight I sat down and recorded my own version of the song Angel on acoustic guitar.  It is truly more appropriate with last night’s blog, but I didn’t think of it until 3 this morning when I woke briefly.  It was then that this song came to me, and how much it matched the mood of yesterday. I knew I had to try to give it some justice.

“Spend all your time waiting
for that second chance
for a break that would make it okay
there's always some reason
to feel not good enough
and it's hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction
oh beautiful release
memories seep from my veins
let me be empty
and weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight

So tired of the straight line
and everywhere you turn
there's vultures and thieves at your back
and the storm keeps on twisting
you keep on building the lies
that you make up for all that you lack
it don't make no difference
escaping one last time
it's easier to believe in this sweet madness oh
this glorious sadness, that brings me to my knees” – Sarah McLachlan, Angel

Take a listen:

https://soundcloud.com/karen-ritchie-brown/angel-cover

Sitting down and having the opportunity to record a song, takes me to an entirely different world.  It is one where creativity thrives and there is little room for thought at all – only your creation has your attention. This is true even for recording someone else’s songs.  I have recorded many of my own, and other’s songs over the years and each time, I feel more alive and fulfilled.

There are days I do miss performing.  I do not miss tearing down a stage at three in the morning, unloading gear and getting a couple hours sleep before getting up again ;)  I also do not miss arguing with clubs to get paid, having equipment broken or stolen, or having a show that went unadvertised and NO ONE is in the club.

What I do miss is the fun we had practicing to get the songs in such a state that we knew our audience would love them.  I loved the audiences and the girls and guys that would come up and dance without a care in the world.  I miss how much happiness it would bring to people to hear us play for them.  I miss the mistakes that no one noticed, the laughter we had in getting it right, and the deep friendships I made through my bands.  I even miss how often we got together, because we had to practice... now, it is rare when we get together.  They were Good times indeed.

In these last years I’ve found playing guitar and recording, for myself, has been therapeutic all on it’s own, as I love learning new songs and the release you get from singing out loud is not describable, but I recommend you try it.  If you haven’t gotten into that shower of yours (where the reverb takes your voice and gives it a life of it’s own), and sang out loud your favourite song – you absolutely must.  It will give you a happiness you’ve not felt in a long time.

Stacy Horn from Time magazine writes, "When you sing, musical vibrations move through you, altering your physical and emotional landscape. Group singing, for those who have done it, is the most exhilarating and transformative of all. It takes something incredibly intimate, a sound that begins inside you, shares it with a roomful of people and it comes back as something even more thrilling: harmony." (http://ideas.time.com/2013/08/16/singing-changes-your-brain/)

Favourite Quotes:

“If uncertainty is unacceptable to you, it turns into fear. If it is perfectly acceptable, it turns into increased aliveness, alertness, and creativity.” Eckhart Tolle

"The only thing better than singing, is more singing" Ella Fitzgerald

"My first love was singing, and I had no time for boys" Christina Aquilera