Webster Art

Sue and I went to the Open Mic at the Antique Sandwich shop in Tacoma. There were at least three very talented singers there in the hour that we stayed. There were also quite a few who were just everyday folks experiencing the thrill of performing before a crowd.

The crowd was very respectful and applauded every performer, regardless of experience or talent. I walked out thinking that it would be a good venue for my modest talents.

Tonight I got out my microphones and recorded myself playing guitar and singing. I knew I needed to get used to the double microphones used on acoustic guitars. When I played it back on our stereo speakers I was shocked. I am off key, creaky, off tempo and generally an all around terrible singer.

Sue has been telling me this for years. I guess I’m kind of like those people who do karaoke. While they are in the moment, singing along in the bar, it feels so good to be the singer. But to people listening to their untrained voice…not so much.

I’m kind of bummed about this. My emotions are telling me that I am singing beautifully, but when I listen to the tape objectively afterward, yikes. Apparently I would need to take voice lessons for a while to learn how to sing. Maybe someday in the future when I have more free time.

A better plan is to switch hobbies and start painting again. It’s almost mid summer and I haven’t touched my easel yet this year.