Making Notes.


It was nice to sing through the songs from my show today to exercise that part of my brain (and voice) again.

A pleasant byproduct of Edinburgh last month - though surely it was longer ago? - was I was singing every day, which meant my voice was in good shape; I may have lost my hearing by the last week, but I could still hit the notes, though whether they were in tune I couldn’t pass comment.

I don’t know why I forget it so easily but I’m always happier when I look after my voice; it’s a simple thing, but it’s very important to me. It’s nice to not have to stretch to sound good and to feel you have command of your abilities. That’s why touring with Buddy was good at first, as singing and playing regularly kept you match-fit; you had the luxury of a band to play with, plus the intrigue of a new town and venue to keep things interesting.

It’s even better when you work on your own stuff as singing through a few songs feels like opening a window wide to let the fresh air in. That’s why I enjoyed this year’s show more than the others, as the music relaxed me and made me do a better job. This is something I want to keep up, even if it’s just for me. The point is I’m a musician first and foremost, though I easily forget it, or associate it with the actor / muso work that took away my love of it; also, the songwriter in me has been lying dormant for too long and needs to be brought to the surface again if only for his / my own enjoyment; it'd be good to reignite the spark of musical ability, without 1950s, 60s or 70s cover in sight.

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