Jun 01 2009
How to lend your voice to a cause, Part 1
I have had the honor of lending my voice and my sweat to raising millions for education and artistic programs. I am a huge fan of the arts for many reasons, not the least of which is that I made music my career from the time I was in high school. More importantly, I did so because music was a place I found early on that fed my soul.
Every artist can tell you a story about how their art “saved their life.” I know it sounds dramatic, but I feel strongly that this is a true statement. When I was in fourth grade, my dad was job hunting and my mom was ill. SInce he was gone a lot, we kids had to take care of Mom. In my school, they encouraged students to start an instrument in fourth grade, so when it was time to choose, I chose the violin. I often call it “my first love,” because I was enamoured of that instrument for years, holding it close to my heart as I played and practicing for hours. I am pretty sure that one reason it became so important to me was my mom’s illness.
Now, years later, I’ve had a career as a singer and a voice coach, and seen many, many people choose singing because of the need for something beautiful to inspire them or lift them up, or give them a reason to go on. I’ve seen audiences moved to tears by a line that reminds them of themselves, and heard people yell at actors who portray heartless characters. I’ve seen my own children stay out of potential trouble because they were involved with a theatrical production, and too busy to go to the mall with their friends, thank God!
So, when I get up to talk to people about the importance of arts education, I am speaking from the heart. This is the first rule of lending your voice to a cause. Speak from the heart. It doesn’t really matter if others completely agree with you or not. They will feel your passion, and it will touch their own. And everyone is passionate about something.
