I write tons of lyrics and I sing all the time... when I'm alone in the car or at home. I've been doing theatre since I was four years old. I took voice lessons for 4 years. My mom is a music teacher. My dad loved singing. A lot in my life has revolved around music... still, somehow I had a really hard time singing in front of people alone.
This Thanksgiving break, my friend Tony forced me into playing piano and singing for him. I was terrified and couldn't start. I just kept playing the same eight notes over and over again until he pushed me hard enough to just start singing. I did, and I survived! It wasn't my best- my voice was shaky, my high notes were cracking, but I did it. Tony forced me into doing it again but to sing my heart out. So I did.
You might be wondering what this has to do with poetry. Well, to me, it has a lot to do with poetry. Anyone can sing a song (whether it's good or bad, they can still sing it), but for someone to knock down their big brick walls that guarded them, and to really belt out a song, good or bad, takes a lot of courage. It also takes a lot of self-honesty and awareness. You have the ability in yourself to be brave, and you have to be honest with yourself and aware that you can do it. In poetry, the same thing is true. It's easy to write "Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and whoop-dee-doo". It's not so easy to write something honest and beautiful and painful and visceral, but it can be made easy if you're brave enough to knock down those big brick walls and let it happen. You have it in you. Be courageous enough to knock down that wall. Be aware enough to see it, hear it and feel in it. Be honest enough to believe in it.
I want to thank everyone this semester for giving me the chance to read my poems in such a safe environment. I feel like I've received some feedback that I can handle. I feel like by reading my poems I don't have to hide anything anymore. I can be really proud of what I've found within myself and around myself. Thank you all so much.
As for the future, I plan to still perform at an open mic night this year in some way, shape or form. As for you, please do me a favor:
Next time you're in your car and your favorite song comes on the radio (you know that one bone-chilling song you love?), sing.
And when you stop at a red light and someone pulls up next to you and sees you singing, DO NOT stop singing. You might be scared because you think they'll assume you're nuts. Do me a favor. Sing louder.
-Becca Wemesfelder
Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteThis blog post was inspiring and I can relate to it a lot. I admire your ability to have conquered that fear and broken down the wall that existed or still may.
As far as that new year’s resolution, I think it would be really neat if some of us from our class went together and picked some pieces to read.I'd also love to hear you perform I think that would be really neat if you did that. It might help to have familiar faces in the audience, and would be neat to say we were able to read our poetry to other people outside of the classroom. I've been to open mic night a few times and the crowd is accepting of everyone who performs so there really wouldn't be anything to worry about.
As for my new year’s resolution- it is simply to write more. I feel like I've lost touch with writing nonfiction and that is something I truly enjoy doing. I hope to continue it and find that all it takes is a reminder that all I really need to do is sit down with a pen and paper and write, it’s that simple.
Thanks for the inspiration, and good luck in the future!
- Taylor Achin