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I've decided to start taking voice lessons this summer. This is something I've wanted to do for a while. I work with singers all the time, after all, and as a result I've learned a lot about the repertoire and the singing process. I know a bit about technique from sitting through hundreds of hours of other people's voice lessons and master classes, but it's time I had some experience with it myself. I think I won't really understand sound production until I've tried it.

I know a few things about my own voice. I can hear it crack if I'm tired. I can hear if I'm out of tune. I know I can sing rather high, but it sounds unrefined, like a shriek. I know I can sing loud, but it's not pretty. I've always been better at singing new music at sight than sight reading at the piano, despite two decades of training in the latter. (Though now I'm actually pretty good at sight reading piano, finally.)

I'm really not sure what my end goal is here. I don't want to be on American Idol, or even have a small part in a local musical production (did that in high school already). I'm generally shy about singing in front of people and I have no desire to perform in public. I mean, I've led hymn sings and sung in plenty of choirs, but there you have this giant, living security blanket made of lots of people singing in a group around you. I guess I just want to learn and I'm not getting any younger, so I might as well start now. Plus, I know this really great teacher in town and she's happy to take me on.

I am looking forward to singing in the car, though. I don't think my family knows what they're in for.