I posted a few months ago my before and after two months on my singing practice. People I talk to have heard me talk about how much I’m growing to love singing, not that after only singing a few months daily I’ve caught up to a skill level a lot people probably got as children. I just barely sang before.

Any art allows us to express ourselves in new ways, especially our emotions. Until practicing, I never notice that singing is probably our most accessible and most expressive. Nearly all others require practice, technique, or equipment just to start, like a paint brush, a pencil, an instrument, a script, a block of clay. Off the top of my head, only singing and dancing anyone can just do. Yet, like any art, we can reach any level of mastery.

I was caught off guard when my voice started quivering and the tears welled up seeing the Statue of Liberty last time. I was also surprised to discover the value of flags when practicing the Star Spangled Banner.

I’m also finding many conversations about music and singing with people. People who sing or play instruments tell me about music theory or how to improve my practice. It’s reassuring to find people who haven’t learned to sing well showing the insecurity and deflection I used to. I enjoy throwing a few sung words in conversation and seeing how it lightens things. On more than one occasion someone has complimented me on my singing, which blows my mind. I had presumed everyone could sing better than I could. Now I’m seeing that a large fraction of the population view singing as I did, with anxiety and fear. I’m not going to pay for studio time to record an album, but I’ve learned to find joy in it.

With daily practice, I’m rediscovering that we overestimate what we can do in one day and underestimate what we can in a year. I predict that by the end of my first year, I’ll find a way to sing publicly and at least one person, thinking I sound great, will ascribe my achievement to being born with something.

I’ll be glad to have recorded the “before” I was so scared to record so I can show I started from nothing.

I can’t call the habit a sidcha because it’s not challenging. It was at first, but now it’s too joyful. My minimum is only a song a day, though most days I sing more. I still have to start doing exercises.

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