Singing in the Key of Me
Over the years I have written for many other people and organizations. This is a space for my own voice, ideas, and words.
The title was inspired years ago by the controversial actor/comedienne Rosie O’Donnell whose sheer exuberance in her own singing was undeterred by wrong notes or not quite reachable high notes. As she launched into a spontaneous song on a late night TV show, the band leader, trying to be helpful, asked, “What key do you sing in?” Rosie shrugged and replied, “I dunno. I just sing in the key of me.“
Joy of Sightreading
…nothing lifts my mood like grabbing a random book from the shelf and sight reading just for fun. There are no expectations about singing it perfectly or for an audience. The joy is in the doing and mistakes are part of the process and dopamine rush. Sightreading, for me, is temporary, spontaneous, and liberating. Like a “table read” in theater, sightreading is also a precursor for the practice, repetition, ensemble, and memorization needed to prepare for performance. Take a moment to enjoy that first read before worrying about the finished product!
Don’t be the nice judge
Adjudicators for student vocal competitions or auditions usually fall into one of three categories: The Nice Judge. The Mean Judge. The Neutral Judge. For years, I prided myself on being the Nice Judge. I greeted each singer warmly and tried to give them my full attention and energy. I smiled like a proud mom at a kindergartner's tee ball game. Sometimes, after an audition, I'd overhear a singer in the hallway talking to friends. "Oh! There's the nice judge. She really liked my performance." I'd feel a twinge of guilt if I hadn't passed that singer on to the next round of competition. At the end of the day, after exuding all of that "You've got this!" niceness, I'd be exhausted.
“The gift of working with Cynthia is something every artist should get to have at least once in their lifetime. She has an incredible ability to see the person and well as their talent and help for both simultaneously. She will push you to grow as a person and a singer, in a way that makes you feel supported so that you can be successful. She is capable of helping those just beginning in the same way as she is with those who are years down the road. She makes every student feel as if their lesson is the most important thing she could be doing at that moment. She will listen to your concerns and desires and map out a plan to help you achieve the things you want out of your time with her.”
—Sarah Moody, adult student