The Sound of Your Song

Guitars have always been my favorite instrument. Really top tier if you ask me. Even though it’s not essential for a band, it definitely elevates the musical experience. You know the instrument I hate? Saxophones! Can’t stand them. If I hear one in the background of a song, I’m turning it off. Sorry to anyone who plays, but…no thanks. Back to the main character: * Guitars* They have the ability to be “loud and noisy”, but a musician knows how to control the instrument to create the required sound for each song and match the energy.

I had an acoustic guitar. Got it for my 23rd birthday. I wanted to be the next India Arie. I taught myself how to play “Chasing After You” by Tye Tribbett and you couldn’t tell me NOTHING! I set up lessons with my Music Professor, went to one lesson and never went back (LOL!). And as I think about it now, I can’t even remember why I stopped going. It wasn’t bad and I do remember my professor telling me that I had little hands and short fingers so that might make it harder for me to play certain chords. Although, he did also say that his teacher had little hands too and played like nobody’s business.

I would continue to keep the guitar in the corner of my room. Pick it up here and there, pluck around on it and put it back to continue collecting dust. It was just decoration at this point. A reminder of what I wanted to be and could be if I just gave it a chance, disciplined myself and really sat down to learn it. Sounds like what we do with a lot of things in life, right? We get inspired to do something, start the process, lose motivation and then only revisit the thought every so often. Just me? Oh ok…

If there’s nothing else I know I do well, singing is one of those things. I’m not the best however, I know that God has given me the gift. Much like the guitar, my voice has the potential to be loud and noisy. If not controlled, it can clash with the music, overpower the background and even the words that need to be heard. But with discipline, practice and listening to instructions clearly, I too can know what the sound is for each song and match the energy. What do I need to say? Is it a loud volume? Are we quiet and calm? Is it wordy or repetitious? Runs or straight notes? What is the sound of my song?

The musician is in control. They control the instrument, the chords, the intensity of the plucking and the tempo. The vocalist is in control. They control the vibrato, enunciation and their volume. I am in control of the way that I respond to what is going on in life. And when I say life has been GOING ON, I mean just that. I am in control of the decisions that I make and how I decide to show up in each season. All of these things contribute to the sound of my song and I must always make a conscious effort to stay right where I need to be so my song can have the effect it was meant to. I can’t say I haven’t sang some off notes, my voice hasn’t cracked and I’ve always sang the right words. But I managed to find my way back to how the song was intended to be delivered.

These posts are revelatory for me as I write them. Like literally a diary entry. Not only do they reveal, but they heal as I both write and make the decision to post. They are a part of my song.

What does YOUR song sound like?