Chris Nightbird states

>>>The Louvin Brothers? If you can do their harmonies, I'm sure no one will have a problem letting you join in! <<<

Well, For the mere fact that I could automatcially do harmonies, I was always the designated harmoniser from the time I was about 8 years old all the way through my twenties, when I sang with my very large family or with my sister. It actually caused some friction because I was never permitted to take the lead, EVER, even when the song demanded a higher voice. My sis is an Alto and I was a soprano until I injured my voice in Grad school. I was trying to tackle a very demanding American Opera we were performing selections of (THE PARIAHS by Leonard Kastle) and I came down with a strep throat but kept rehearsing. I'm not quite sure what I busted , but my range has never been the same and I have a slight "burr" in my voice.

I kept singing for years, but stuck to no higher than Mezzo and tried to stick with Jazz whose audiences tend to forgive voice quirks but since I moved to California and got married...I have had very little opportunity to sing folk. Although I'm 40, my friends and associates within comics Publishing and science Fiction tended to be much older than myself and as a result, what opportunities I had to sing were usually around a piano with folks in their 60's and 70's or older. We sang everything from American Music Theater....Moss Hart..Jerome Kern..Gerwshin... Berlin... all of it. Great times.

We had a blast until sadly several of them passed away, the most recent being my very dearest friend and constant companion, Julie Schwartz of DC comics. (Julie is a guy BTW for those who don't know of him) Julie's favorite songs was "Someone to watch over me" and I swear I must have sung it to him a thousand times in just about every major American city and several small ones too! Gil Kane and his wife Elaine were big into music too. On my first big date with my husband, we double-dated with Gil and Elaine to see Mel Torme at the Hollywood Bowl and he sang "Spring is here" which made us all cry except my husband who had to ask people at his office who Mel Torme was the morning of the event! In fact, Julie and I used to go and see mel every year at Micheal's Pub in NYC. It was our private tradition.

Now that he's gone and I have nobody to talk to about music (he died in February), I started spending time compiling a family album of words and chords to all the folk music my family performs together. My uncle Johnny ( the guy who was at the Pentagon on 9/11) is now the Pater Familias of our clan when it comes to music and I've been trying to get everything together in anticpation of a visit back east to see everybody up in the Adirondacks. I'd help if I could sing some.

Oh yes, the louvin Brothers....anytime you have two siblings who harmonise..they come up and my sis and I did sing "If I could Only Win Your Love" and others. My favorite is "My Baby's gone" the one that starts with:

Hold back the rushing minutes
make the wind lie still
Don't let the raindrops fall
upon the lonely hill
Dry all the raindrops
hold back the sun
My World has ended
My baby's gone

It might take me a few eveinings to get back up to speed and to get my voice in gear, but I'd just burst if I could find some locals that don't mind having someone who can't bring an instrument. I can still play if I have too but it's not wise. I have Ehler's Danlos Syndrome and it's very painful. Playing aggrevates it to the point where I can barely stand the pain.

I live in Los Angeles, near West Hollwyood. I don't mind doing Celtic music at all since that's also my background. Aything would be fun. Bluegrass, Irish, "Roots" whatever.. I'd just like to get out again. Can't add an instrument but can add harmony.