I started trying to improve my singing ability a little over a year ago. Prior to that, I was too scared to ever really try--I sucked, I knew I sucked, and I wasn't exactly receiving any encouragement from those around me. This perception/opinion of myself was enough to keep me from being foolish and embarrassing myself. So, for a long time, I did not sing. But, I love writing, I love playing guitar, and I was growing increasingly frustrated by not being able to sing my own songs, so eventually I decided to start trying--timidly and sporadically at first, and then gradually more emboldened and consistent.
There is a simple quote I came across at some point in the last two years that put things into perspective for me: "Practice is the cause of achievement." I firmly believe this. There is no magical switch that turns you into a superstar, and no one else is going to do it for you. Since March 2010--when I started recording myself singing in order to track my progress--I've practiced singing 156 times. The sessions range from 12 minutes to 1 hour 37 minutes, with an average time of about 37 minutes. So, basically, in the 450 days since I started making a concerted effort to improve my singing, I've practiced an average of once every three days for a little over half an hour each time. This hardly seems like much of a commitment. And yet, I can honestly say that my singing is much improved from a year ago. It's still not very good, but the biggest difference is this: I don't care. I don't care what other people (might) think. I'm a little more comfortable, a little less insecure, a little less frightened. I see no other cause for this than the gradual comfort that comes with doing something repeatedly over time. Whereas I used to shut up and immediately stop singing as soon as I heard a neighbor's apartment door open or close, I now scream like an idiot in my parents' house with my entire family easily within ear-shot, something I never would have done before, because it wasn't "me" and I didn't want my family to think I'm weird. It's now at a point where I simply enjoy this activity...I love singing, and I'm okay with expressing myself and not being afraid of what someone else might think. It feels great.
My routine is this: Whenever I have time to sit down and play, I grab my acoustic guitar, open my laptop and bring up GarageBand, record for however long I feel like playing/singing, and then export it to iTunes.
The following recording is from yesterday. The songs are listed below, along with the corresponding dates/time periods of when they were written.
"2011/06/16 Voice"
1. Tuesday................................. October 2006 (form/lyrics); August 2008 (lyrics)
2. Clouds.....................................................................August 2008 (form/lyrics)
3. Two Halves..................................................................May 2006 (form/lyrics)
4. Foxhole in Winter.................December 2010 (form/lyrics); January 2011 (lyrics)
5. Up..............................................June 2010 (form/lyrics); October 2010 (lyrics)
6. Flannel Wind (Delphi).................October 2008 (form); August 2009 (form/lyrics)
7. Montana..................................................................August 2010 (form/lyrics)
8. I Used to Play Guitar..........Oct 2006 (form); Nov 2010 (form); Dec 2010 (lyrics)
9. Penance...................................................June 2010 (form); July 2010 (lyrics)
10. Demigod...................................................................June 2010 (form/lyrics)
11. Monorail (Infinity Beers)...09/2010 (form); 12/2010 (form); 01/2011 (form/lyrics)
12. Dogwalker (The Winds of Solitude Roaring at the Edge of Infinity).......08/2010 (form); 12/2010 (lyrics)
13. Change the World/Rule the World...............November 2010 (form/lyrics); January 2011 (lyrics)
14. Legos................May 2009 (form); July 2009 (form/lyrics); August 2009 (lyrics)
15. Concussed.................................November 2009 (form); October 2010 (lyrics)
There is a simple quote I came across at some point in the last two years that put things into perspective for me: "Practice is the cause of achievement." I firmly believe this. There is no magical switch that turns you into a superstar, and no one else is going to do it for you. Since March 2010--when I started recording myself singing in order to track my progress--I've practiced singing 156 times. The sessions range from 12 minutes to 1 hour 37 minutes, with an average time of about 37 minutes. So, basically, in the 450 days since I started making a concerted effort to improve my singing, I've practiced an average of once every three days for a little over half an hour each time. This hardly seems like much of a commitment. And yet, I can honestly say that my singing is much improved from a year ago. It's still not very good, but the biggest difference is this: I don't care. I don't care what other people (might) think. I'm a little more comfortable, a little less insecure, a little less frightened. I see no other cause for this than the gradual comfort that comes with doing something repeatedly over time. Whereas I used to shut up and immediately stop singing as soon as I heard a neighbor's apartment door open or close, I now scream like an idiot in my parents' house with my entire family easily within ear-shot, something I never would have done before, because it wasn't "me" and I didn't want my family to think I'm weird. It's now at a point where I simply enjoy this activity...I love singing, and I'm okay with expressing myself and not being afraid of what someone else might think. It feels great.
My routine is this: Whenever I have time to sit down and play, I grab my acoustic guitar, open my laptop and bring up GarageBand, record for however long I feel like playing/singing, and then export it to iTunes.
The following recording is from yesterday. The songs are listed below, along with the corresponding dates/time periods of when they were written.
"2011/06/16 Voice"
1. Tuesday................................. October 2006 (form/lyrics); August 2008 (lyrics)
2. Clouds.....................................................................August 2008 (form/lyrics)
3. Two Halves..................................................................May 2006 (form/lyrics)
4. Foxhole in Winter.................December 2010 (form/lyrics); January 2011 (lyrics)
5. Up..............................................June 2010 (form/lyrics); October 2010 (lyrics)
6. Flannel Wind (Delphi).................October 2008 (form); August 2009 (form/lyrics)
7. Montana..................................................................August 2010 (form/lyrics)
8. I Used to Play Guitar..........Oct 2006 (form); Nov 2010 (form); Dec 2010 (lyrics)
9. Penance...................................................June 2010 (form); July 2010 (lyrics)
10. Demigod...................................................................June 2010 (form/lyrics)
11. Monorail (Infinity Beers)...09/2010 (form); 12/2010 (form); 01/2011 (form/lyrics)
12. Dogwalker (The Winds of Solitude Roaring at the Edge of Infinity).......08/2010 (form); 12/2010 (lyrics)
13. Change the World/Rule the World...............November 2010 (form/lyrics); January 2011 (lyrics)
14. Legos................May 2009 (form); July 2009 (form/lyrics); August 2009 (lyrics)
15. Concussed.................................November 2009 (form); October 2010 (lyrics)