Friends of this blog know I have taken voice lessons for 7 years and twice a year we have a recital (one at Christmas, one in May).  At first I dreaded the recitals but they became something I enjoyed, something I was actually kind of good at.  I’m not the greatest singer in the world but I think I’m a pretty good performer.  If I was a better dancer I could probably get a part in a show (something I would love to do one of these days)

Anyway, after 7 years you start to get a little bored doing the broadway cannon of songs and I’ve branched out to Jazz (At Last), Pop (Gravity), Standards (Over the Rainbow, Moon River), and Christian Pop (Blessings).

I have improved over the years and that has given me great satisfaction.  For a playlist of my songs check out https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7wz447AgL4yLi3QunNeb8ivkge07GdRT

What I had never done is try to sing acapella.  Always looking for a challenge I decided to give it a go.  I happened to be talking with a girl on twitter about songs that might be interesting acoustically and I suggested Billy Joel’s The Longest Time, which has been a favorite song of mine for many years. When I was in college a girl had a guy serenade her with the song and I thought it was the most romantic thing I’d ever seen.  (hint, hint boys!).

As I was talking about it I realized it would be the perfect song to attempt acapella because it was written as a du-wop acapella song.  I worked on it and honestly memorizing it was the hardest part because the verses were easily to jumble together.  I had it together to surprise people at master class in April and then worked on it some more in May.

I went on my trip and all the sudden started to feel nervous that I would mess things up.  I even messaged my teacher to see if I should sing Be Still My Soul which I had just performed.  She encouraged me to stick with Longest Time and so I practiced as much as I could and came up with a little percussion using a jar and spoon to help me with the song (and made it sort of a vacation feel I thought).

I was oddly not as nervous as I could stop and start, change things around if I had too.  Acapella may be the improv of singing!

Well, this is how it turned out.  Unfortunately the video doesn’t ever show my face (stupid on my part on who I asked to film and where they were seated).  So just listen and enjoy.

I’m not a professional singer by any means.  It is just for fun so don’t be too hard on me.  Hope you enjoy it!