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Sometimes, not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of good luck
Written by Charlotte
Since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a writer. I wanted nothing more than to grow up and be a world-famous novelist, so I dedicated many years to my quest. In this time, I wrote one complete novel, and two half ones. Unfortunately, all three of my compositions are now sitting in a shoe box under my bed, quietly gathering dust. Why? Because they just weren’t good enough to get into print.
My failed attempts at being a published author made me somewhat blue at first. What was I going to do now? Writing was the only thing I felt passionate about and enjoyed. And it was this state of doom and gloom that prompted me to look for some light relief to take my mind off things. I thought about taking an art class, then changed my mind. I thought about doing Salsa, then went off that idea too. Then, one day, when at home alone, I found myself singing along to a video on MTV. When the song ended, I sang along to the next one, and the one after that too. Twenty top hits later, I suddenly realised how happy singing was making me feel.
That evening, two of my best girlfriends came over for dinner. ‘What’ve you been up to today?’ They inquired. ‘Oh, you know, just singing along to about fifty songs, that kind of thing,’ came my reply. They looked at me, then they looked at each other, then they looked at me again. ‘We didn’t know you could sing!’ they cried. There was silence. My stomach lurched, I knew what was coming next. ‘My God! Will you sing something for us now Char? Go on, please, please!’
I rolled my eyes thinking what a twit I was, but somehow, by the end of the evening, they’d managed to persuade me to give them a rendition. I think the three bottles of wine we drank had something to do with it.
So, I sang for them. But I made them shut their eyes, AND face the wall first. I couldn’t bear to have them look at me because I was so shy. When I finished, they didn’t say anything. I suspected the worst, that was until one friend slowly turned around and opened her eyes, while seeming to peer right into my soul. ‘You sounded like an angel. I can’t believe it was you!’ Was that really you?’ She said.
‘No, I don’t think so!’ I laughed. ‘It doesn’t exactly sound like me does it! I mean, where’s my Yorkshire accent gone?!’
The following day, I booked my first singing lesson. By the end of the following month, I was in a recording studio, laying down tracks with my teacher, a couple of months after that I’d joined this wonderful Abubilla Music group, and for the first time in a long time, I felt happy. So much happier than writing had ever made me feel.
So, maybe writing about my singing journey is the way forward? It certainly has been a brilliant journey so far, and I’ll keep you posted on any developments!…now I’m off to the studio to record my next song with my friend Johnny Lucas. Full report coming up on our progress!