From: Karen Mercedes
To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Subject: Re: Rude Awakening
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

On Mon, 17 Jan 2000, Carol and John Spradling wrote:

> I like your attitude about the tape. But I think that in a few years you
> will be surprised to listen to it and discover many things to *admire* about
> it. Right now you're focused on the negatives. But you'll come to hear
> good things, I promise. Every old tape I have is the source of at least
> some pleasure, but only when it's old enough for me to have some
> "perspective" on it.

I know exactly what you mean. I still get the most pleasure from
listening to the tape of my very first recital, 5 years ago, when I'd only
been studying for a year. The funny thing is, I hear a lot less technical
problems in that tape - though I know darned well I had those problems -
than I do in later tapes when I was much more self-conscious about
technique. In that first tape, I was still totally in love with the idea
of being able to sing at all, and that passion comes through loud and
clear in my performance. Sadly (?) I fear I'll probably never totally
recapture that passion again, or only when I've achieved a degree of
technical near-perfection that will once again allow me to be so
completely unselfconscious in performance.

KM
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There is delight in singing,
tho' none hear Beside the singer.
- Walter Savage Landor
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