Today turned out to be a fun day.  It is another example of when I’m tired and don’t feel like doing something I should always do it! (Remind me of that the next time I am  feeling lazy).  Monday’s are always hard for me.  Even working from home the weekend never seems long enough.  There is so much to do and so much work to get caught up on that it can feel overwhelming.

To add to my normal Monday mood today I had a voice lesson followed by our summer recital. I sang Let Me In from the film Rigoletto (not associated with the opera aside from a similar storyline but updated). Its a beautiful, haunting song that most people are unfamiliar with, so I really enjoyed singing it.  Its also one I know very well so in my busy open water season I didn’t have to worry too much about it (although I did fumble the words in one spot.  Nerves!).

After the recital I had tickets to see Bill Medley of Righteous Brother’s fame at the Scera Shell in Orem. I get season tickets every year because they are such an insane deal. 10 events (3 plays, 7 concerts) for $75.  Less if you are a student.  I’ve had tickets for most of the time I’ve lived in Utah and each year they get better acts and more polished theatrical productions.  The big draw this year was Josh Turner in July but I am also looking forward to Richard Marx at the end of this month.  I have seen him once before at Scera and really enjoyed it.

Anyway, I had tickets but I felt exhausted just thinking about the recital let alone the concert.  I offered them to my friend Rachel but she didn’t want to go and then on my way to the recital she changed her mind and encouraged me to go so I agreed.  It ended up raining through most of the show but we had a good time anyway.  If anything it made it more memorable with the rain (and for $7.50 you can hardly complain about a concert especially by a Hall of Fame singer!).

All in all it ended up being a good day, which I am grateful for.

Here’s the video of my song. 

The end got cut off and I flubbed a line of lyrics but I think it turned out pretty well.  (I’m not a professional singer.  I just dabble at it for fun).  The other day I added up what I have spent over the years on voice lessons and it is kind of staggering; however I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  It has given me confidence and provided a creative outlet from the hum-drums of my sometimes all too unexciting life.

If you can learn anything from me cultivate what talents you have.  Try new things.  Be creative.  I love what President Uchtdorf says about creating things.  It is one of our deepest yearnings and we all need to find our own ways to make our mark on the world.  Even if it is just dopey little recitals every couple of months, it is creating something:

The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.

Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.

Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty—and I am not talking about the process of cleaning the rooms of your teenage children.

You might say, “I’m not the creative type. When I sing, I’m always half a tone above or below the note. I cannot draw a line without a ruler. And the only practical use for my homemade bread is as a paperweight or as a doorstop.”

If that is how you feel, think again, and remember that you are spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the universe. Isn’t it remarkable to think that your very spirits are fashioned by an endlessly creative and eternally compassionate God? Think about it—your spirit body is a masterpiece, created with a beauty, function, and capacity beyond imagination.

I couldn’t have summed up these 7 years of voice lessons better!