INSIDE MUSIC
by Rosemary Conte
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Planting and
Harvesting Music!
As a man soweth so shall he
reap. What a person holds in his
deeper mind powerfully influences his musical expression. In
that subconscious storehouse lives
fodder for melody and harmony,
color and form; impressions based
on everything you’ve experienced
with your five senses as far back
as the womb. From impressions
come feelings--the ingredients of
symphonies, hit songs, and great
performances.
The voice is the original, organic
instrument to deliver music. It’s
vulnerable on many levels because it’s played with the mind.
It can be impaired by self-doubt
and fear, as in the case of my 52
year-old student Sherry, with a
voice to die for. She suppressed
her desire to sing all her life.
Sherry’s mother was a frustrated
singer who never realized her
New Jersey Stage
dream and couldn’t tolerate her
talented daughter’s singing at
home. Sherry grew up believing
her mother: “You sound terrible
and shouldn’t sing!” That was
echoed by an older cousin whom
Sherry idolized, and who grew
jealous of Sherry’s talent. The cruel critique of those whom Sherry
trusted as a child formed the belief she carried around all her life
and extended beyond singing.
Sherry believed she couldn’t do
anything.
Sherry’s self-esteem suffered
from the abuse of her mentally ill
mother and others. The computer
analogy is good to explain how
Sherry’s software and hardware
had been damaged. She was
obese and had difficulty breathing. The constant stress of fear
and lack of confidence disrupted
Sherry’s immune system and she
September 2014
pg 114