Quiet Time

I am finally well after feeling sick for over a week. I can't remember the last time nature silenced me like for such a long time. I was finally able to sing in a San Francisco shower on Sunday morning as I prepared to fly home from a visit with an old childhood friend. The high notes no longer stabbed my throat and the line from note to note was almost fluid rather that interrupted by crackling sounds. I felt grateful. I realize now that I can't take my voice for granted. People always say "I can't sing. No really. I CAN'T sing." And I admit I didn't believe them, but last week I also literally could not sing. It just wouldn't work. I could talk, but even though I tried, music would not come out of me. It was sad.

I spent the week listening to a lot of instrumental classical music, because singing of any kind made me burn with jealousy. Is it possible that my ear has become more sensitive after only one week of this? It seems that my singing notes are more in tune that usual. Perhaps my body needed a little vacation time from all the practice I have been doing to process all of the information. During the week, I played the piano as if I couldn't sing. Every instrumentalist really wants to sing with their voice, but that is not always biologically possible, so they put that energy into the instrument. I finally understood this.

I can't promise a blog post tomorrow, because I feel I need to continue my quiet time to myself. But I am still playing music. That will never stop.