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We're born to sing.

brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,017
in Other Music
We've talked about singers on some threads here lately and it got me to thinking...
Unless truly incapable, I really do think we are all born to sing.  I think it's mildly unfortunate that some people don't sing because the think they can't. As far as I can recall, I don't know that I've met anyone who can talk who can't sing (And big apologies to anyone who can't talk. Though not that one for me, I do understand having limitations).

Not everyone is great singer, but some of may favorite singers are not technically excellent singers, and yet I love their singing and they sometimes even poke fun at themself- J Mascis has done so, Leonard Cohen sang of himself in ways that might be interpreted as self-deprecating: "I was born like this, I had no choice/ I was born with the gift of a golden voice.*"  I love  the way both Cohen and Mascis sing!

My wife is also a good example.  She has said a number of times, "I can't sing", but that doesn't stop her from doing so, and I love her quirky singing voice.  Totally endearing!

I don't have a "great voice", but the more I do it, the better it gets.  And at my age it's definitely a "use it or lose it" situation.  Bit oh well- as you get older, you adapt.  Look at Willie Nelson- old as dirt, but a voice that resonates with experience and deep feeling.  I love old Willie's singing!

So what do you think?  Do you sing?  If you dont, have I prodded you gently enough to try it?  Seriously, go for it.  We were born to sing.


* From Cohen's song "Tower of Song"
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













Comments

  • HughFreakingDillonHughFreakingDillon Posts: 36,965
    I am a singer, but I can tell you, I politely disagree that not everyone can, or should. LOL. You don't have to have a good voice to sing, but you do need correct pitch. 
    new album "Cigarettes" out Spring 2025!

    www.headstonesband.com




  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,017
    HughFreakingDillon said:
    I am a singer, but I can tell you, I politely disagree that not everyone can, or should. LOL. You don't have to have a good voice to sing, but you do need correct pitch. 

    And I'll bet you are a good singer!
    As for everyone singing, I don't mean professionally.  More often than not, people can sing just for the fun and joy of it.  
    Also, though not everyone can sing on key immediately, almost everyone can learn how to do so.  In fact, this article says everyone can learn to sing in tune:

    "Yes; learning to sing in tune requires patience and commitment, but it is attainable by everyone. To learn how to sing in tune, you need to develop your inner ear through practice and repetition. However, to do this properly, you need to make sure you’re practicing the right things."


    Sorry, bud, sticking with my premise!  :smiley:

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,351
    Certain notes I can hold and then others I fall to shit...

    My singing days are over.
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,017
    tempo_n_groove said:
    Certain notes I can hold and then others I fall to shit...

    My singing days are over.

    As I get older, I have trouble with some pitches.  So what I do is try a different octave or sing in a different key.  It's kind of fun actually- sort of like interpreting a song.   When you do this, you make it your song.  There are lots of great singers who have done that very thing.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • HughFreakingDillonHughFreakingDillon Posts: 36,965
    brianlux said:
    HughFreakingDillon said:
    I am a singer, but I can tell you, I politely disagree that not everyone can, or should. LOL. You don't have to have a good voice to sing, but you do need correct pitch. 

    And I'll bet you are a good singer!
    As for everyone singing, I don't mean professionally.  More often than not, people can sing just for the fun and joy of it.  
    Also, though not everyone can sing on key immediately, almost everyone can learn how to do so.  In fact, this article says everyone can learn to sing in tune:

    "Yes; learning to sing in tune requires patience and commitment, but it is attainable by everyone. To learn how to sing in tune, you need to develop your inner ear through practice and repetition. However, to do this properly, you need to make sure you’re practicing the right things."


    Sorry, bud, sticking with my premise!  :smiley:

    fair enough. yes, with practice anyone can sing, just like any other instrument. I just mean there are people who really shouldn't, especially drunk at concerts. LOL
    new album "Cigarettes" out Spring 2025!

    www.headstonesband.com




  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,017
    HughFreakingDillon said:
    brianlux said:
    HughFreakingDillon said:
    I am a singer, but I can tell you, I politely disagree that not everyone can, or should. LOL. You don't have to have a good voice to sing, but you do need correct pitch. 

    And I'll bet you are a good singer!
    As for everyone singing, I don't mean professionally.  More often than not, people can sing just for the fun and joy of it.  
    Also, though not everyone can sing on key immediately, almost everyone can learn how to do so.  In fact, this article says everyone can learn to sing in tune:

    "Yes; learning to sing in tune requires patience and commitment, but it is attainable by everyone. To learn how to sing in tune, you need to develop your inner ear through practice and repetition. However, to do this properly, you need to make sure you’re practicing the right things."


    Sorry, bud, sticking with my premise!  :smiley:

    fair enough. yes, with practice anyone can sing, just like any other instrument. I just mean there are people who really shouldn't, especially drunk at concerts. LOL

    No argument there!  :lol:
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • curmudgeonesscurmudgeoness Posts: 3,988
    Brian, my family is the exception to your rule. My husband turns heads at concerts for all the wrong reasons.

    My poor husband might have the worst voice on earth -- the rest of us aren't much better. I'm not great but I'm a very shy singer; maybe childhood teasing scared me off, but I very rarely sing, and my range now is just 3-4 notes.

    My younger son is a classical musician. He's "blessed" with a very deep (and not very good) voice -- a challenge in sight-singing class when much of his range seemed to be lower than the piano's keyboard. Anyway: when he was very small, he liked to have me sing "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" to him at bedtime every night; so I did sing, for my very small audience. But one night, I was sick and my husband offered to sing the Rudolph song at bedtime. He had just gotten started when my son climbed out of bed, put his hands over my husband's mouth, and said, "No, Daddy, you don't sing." Yes, it was an order. My husband's that bad -- heads turn in church bad, heads turn in arenas bad. Some people are born to listen, I guess.
    All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish it.
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,017
    edited August 2023
    curmudgeoness said:
    Brian, my family is the exception to your rule. My husband turns heads at concerts for all the wrong reasons.

    My poor husband might have the worst voice on earth -- the rest of us aren't much better. I'm not great but I'm a very shy singer; maybe childhood teasing scared me off, but I very rarely sing, and my range now is just 3-4 notes.

    My younger son is a classical musician. He's "blessed" with a very deep (and not very good) voice -- a challenge in sight-singing class when much of his range seemed to be lower than the piano's keyboard. Anyway: when he was very small, he liked to have me sing "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" to him at bedtime every night; so I did sing, for my very small audience. But one night, I was sick and my husband offered to sing the Rudolph song at bedtime. He had just gotten started when my son climbed out of bed, put his hands over my husband's mouth, and said, "No, Daddy, you don't sing." Yes, it was an order. My husband's that bad -- heads turn in church bad, heads turn in arenas bad. Some people are born to listen, I guess.
    "my family is the exception to your rule. My husband turns heads at concerts for all the wrong reasons."
    All I can say is, "A time and a place," lol.  

    Of course, I think in general, unless the band's singer encourages it, singing along to the band has become too much of a thing.  In my early concert going days- Hendrix, early years of The Who, early Santana, CSNY, etc, I don't think anyone sang along with the band.  Everybody was too  busy passing joints and freak-out dancing.  :lol:




    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • HughFreakingDillonHughFreakingDillon Posts: 36,965
    a lot of the 70's acts were also difficult to replicate vocally. they were considered gods. 
    new album "Cigarettes" out Spring 2025!

    www.headstonesband.com




  • DarthMaeglinDarthMaeglin Posts: 2,604
    “Music the great communicator/Use two sticks to make it in the nature.” - Anthony Kiedis

    (For those who don’t think they can sing, lol. Just a beautiful truth, IMO.)
    "The world is full of idiots and I am but one of them."

    10-30-1991 Toronto, Toronto 1 & 2 2016, Toronto 2022
  • goldrushgoldrush Posts: 7,531
    I only sing if there’s nobody else around! Or if I’m in a crowd of thousands where no one would notice.  =)
    “Do not postpone happiness”
    (Jeff Tweedy, Sydney 2007)

    “Put yer good money on the sunrise”
    (Tim Rogers)
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,017
    goldrush said:
    I only sing if there’s nobody else around! Or if I’m in a crowd of thousands where no one would notice.  =)

    Much the same for me although for some reason, my wife likes it when I sing.  Crazy!  :lol:
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













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