Hi, Janie,
Regarding finding the confidence later in life, for me it was the awareness that time was running out and at 44 I felt like I wanted to take private lessons to know what the greatest potential of my voice could be. I'm 51 now, too, and I just returned from a smashingly successful performance in Great Falls, Montana, for their First Night New Year's Eve celebration. I sang unaccompanied Irish and Scottish songs, mixed with instrumental tunes and accompanied songs, all acoustic with no microphones. I specified that I wanted a venue with natural acoustics and got an old bakery/deli with high old tin ceilings, brick walls. I had the audience hanging on each word as I walked among them singing. I set up at one end of the long narrow room with my son on mandolin and a bodhran player and my old classical Martin guitar (the fiddler in our group couldn't make it). Between instrumental tune sets I sang unaccompanied as I walked about the tables where people were sitting. One of the audience members later told me that it was as if everyone was aware that they were *really* listening again instead of being blasted by music coming from speakers.

I had printed a stack of cards with our band logo and some info about us. The back of the card had five verses of Auld Lang Syne. Through the performance of songs, as I walked among the listeners, I handed out the cards. At the end of the night, they joined me in singing all of Auld Lang Syne. I know it was a great experience for them to be able to be included in the singing, too, and not just on the chorus. There was a woman from Galway in the audience who came up to me at the end of the night and said she was happy to hear real Irish songs. Among others, I had sung Kitty of Coleraine, Easy and Slow, Skibbereen, The Flower of Magherally... I know that when I started taking voice lessons about 7 years ago I had an OK voice, but with the training and practice I learned to have the confidence to make my performing dreams come true.

The experience was just as I had dreamed to some day be able to perform, to sing unamplified, to be close to the people and have a personal connection as they listened. It was great!

Have a wonderful new year and enjoy those voice lessons.

Alice