Whatever they call us, I'll tell you, nothing will quiet a room better than a beautiful voice, singing a sad, slow song all alone. The term musician doesn't begin to describe this.

Maybe singers are to storytellers what instrumentalists are to writers. You tell someone you are a storyteller and you probably get no respect. Ah, but a writer, that implies talent. It doesn't matter that the storyteller carefully crafts his story and then performs it.

It's taken me a long time to even be able to define myself as a singer and I still probably downplay my talent. Maybe because singing is so personal. And my body is my instrument and fickle. Our voices can be affected by so many factors. Instrumentalists don't have to worry about as much. And I still dread the people that say, "Oh, you're a singer, sing me something!" People don't ask an artist to paint them something, or a ballet dancer to do a pirouette.

Geez, I guess I'm a bit touchy on this. I even feel myself that I'm "just a singer." I guess I should learn the guitar...

Emily