For people who don't think they can sing well or sing at all, I'd like to share a few of my experiences. I used to hide in my folk song club, singing only on choruses. Then I went to a workshop by Jeff Davis, where he played recordings of screechy 70 & 80 year old Appalachian singers. He spoke so enthusiastically about certain aspects of each of their singing, & marvelled over how unique they all were. I thought he was crazy, but I kept thinking of what he said in the workshop, & I finally realized if there's something wonderfully unique in each of their voices, there must be something wonderfully unique in mine. So I bravely attempted to lead a few songs in my song circles, to varying degrees of "success".

After dozens more workshops on singing, I finally had the courage to take voice lessons. During my first lesson, I kept thinking "this poor woman, what she has to put up with to make a living, listening to people with such pitiful voices". I now know she heard me as a sculptor might look at a piece of clay. She carved away things that were in my way, & she shaped what had been hidden. And most amazing of all, she taught me how to experiment with sounds, so that I'd keep learning on my own. After only 15 or 20 lessonss, in less than a year, I started getting complements on my "new voice."

It took another couple of years before people would actually request me to sing a song they'd heard me sing before, & that kind of stuff. I'm constantly amazed at how my voice keeps improving. I've got a long way to go, but I never in a million years would've believed that I'd be singing in the kinds of situations I'm singing now. I doubt if I'll ever be paid to sing, but the joy of singing, sharing songs, inspiring people who are now where I was just a few years ago - that's the best payment in the world!