When I Grow Up

6/16/2017

I've often written about inspiration and how important it is in the Arts world. The other day I was travelling to Cork by car with my fiancé John. As much as he loves listening to the radio I convinced him to let me put on an album and I chose one that I actually hadn't listened to in years. As I sang along, almost word perfect, to each track, I was brought back to a time when I initially fell in love with music.
The album we were listening to was the 'Grease' soundtrack. I can't tell you the exact date when I first saw that movie, but I can remember how I felt. I felt uplifted and excited by all the singing and dancing and I vowed that when I grew up I would be 'an actor, singer and dancer'. I rented that movie for months on end then on the morning of my 5th birthday my parents surprised me by presenting me with my very own copy. I couldn't believe I now owned this piece of magic that I had completely fallen in love with. I continued to watch this movie along with 'Grease 2', 'Staying Alive' and 'Dance Academy' on loop for many years. My childhood friends and cousins can attest to the fact that I was obsessed with these movies as I would regularly subject them to 'show rehearsals' using these movies as our soundtrack.
I hadn't thought about my very first musical inspiration until this weekend. Can you remember what initially caused you to fall in love with music or art or dance? Did one line in a poem or song inspire you to one day grow up to be an artist? Are you now the person you wanted to be when you grew up?

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Are we human or are we singer?

6/12/2017

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I have always been more drawn to the lyrics of a song than it's melody. My father and my fiance both feel the opposite but for me, unless I can feel some sort of connection to the lyrics, I can be left cold by a song.
This often leads to a heated debate when watching talent shows on TV in my house. The singers who I would describe as 'Powerhouse' singers have never really done it for me. I can certainly see that they are very talented and they have a very strong instrument, but, I often find all the belting and vocal acrobatics a little tiresome. I must make it clear that this is simply an opinion.
When I am working with a student I always tell them that you must take the listener on a journey. Years ago someone told me,"You don't give them starter, main course and dessert all at once. You give one course at a time". I loved that analogy and still use it today. In my eyes a song is a heightened way of telling a story. The combination of words and music can often get a message to travel right to the heart of the listener. I think I like singers like Glen Hansard and Damien Rice because they are not afraid to sing a story in a very stripped back manner. They have moments where they sing notes that some may say are rather harsh and ugly, but the story at that part of the song requires that.
As singers, do we sometimes hide behind our vocal prowess? Do we lose the story in our attempt to impress? As singers WE are the instrument but we are also the human behind the story in that moment. Do we prefer our singers to be more singer or more human?

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Fear Will Not Win

6/2/2017

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'What have we done to the world? Look what we've done'. Those are the lyrics of the late and great Michael Jackson and, in today's world, they have never been more relevant. When I heard about the terrorist attack at Manchester Arena I was, like everyone else, absolutely sickened.
This new brand of attack does not target the powerful but instead targets the innocent and most vulnerable. They are aiming to instill fear into the hearts of everyone as you just don't know where they will strike next. Those poor concert goers were there for the taking. I'm sure for weeks and months fans of Ariana Grande planned and dreamt about going to her concert. They would have been singing her songs for weeks. They would have been planning outfits, hairstyles and makeup. The vast majority of the singer's fans are very young and so this particular act of terrorism has hit the world very hard. Innocent people who had gathered in song were left running for their lives and for some it would be the last time they would ever sing again.
It is so utterly heartbreaking to think of those people who one minute were having the time of their lives, and the next, their lives were changed for good. I will admit that I started to wonder if it is safe to go anywhere. I myself am going to see Coldplay in concert in Croke Park and I began to feel fear grip at me. But we cannot stop gathering in song or in sport or in any way where we come together as one. Fear will not win. So continue to sing like no one is listening. Dance like no one is watching. Love like you have never been hurt.

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When I Grow Up

Are we human or are we singer?

Fear Will Not Win

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