The Traveling Saleswoman

Today is a day that ranks up there with my graduation from college, my wedding day, and the birth of my son. No kidding!

Today I received the most wonderful package in the world in the mail: fifteen pristine copies of my first ever self-published book, Ten Weeks to a Better Voice!  Now I know I wrote about the eBook a few blog posts ago, and while I'm definitely glad that the eBook is available for people who want it, there is just something about holding my dream in my hand.  Thumbing through the pages I spent so many hours researching, testing, and writing.  This book has been a labor of love for the past three years, and I'm glad to say that it can finally take on a life of its own.

Now, the name of the game is getting this book into the right hands.  It is available on Amazon, so it reaches a wide audience, but I want people to know that it's out there.  A short singing resource that will help the average Joe become a better singer.  Or the seasoned performer who needs some tips on caring for her vocal cords in the best ways.  This book includes those things.

So in honor of the new book, for the next ten blog posts, I will be writing brief summaries of the chapters, covering all ten weeks.  Then if you want more information, you'll be able to pick up a copy of the book or download the eBook on Amazon.

I once read about a woman who always kept a few copies of her own book in the trunk of her car.  That way, whenever she had the opportunity to sell one, she was prepared.  You can bet that I will be doing the same!  I called myself the "traveling saleswoman" on Facebook today, and I'm ok with that title because I truly believe in the product I'm peddling.

Those of you who have read my previous blog posts or know me can hopefully tell that I am passionate about singing and singing well.  The mission of Ten Weeks to a Better Voice is to help anyone learn to sing better, with or without a voice teacher.  So if you know of a singer who could benefit from the book, please share this post!  Or better yet, buy them copy of the book (shameless plug)!  The easiest way to find it is to go to Amazon's website and type in "Ten Week Voice" in the search engine.

On a sincere note, thank you to everyone who has already purchased the book, read it, or reviewed it on Amazon!  I could not live my dream without your help!

As always, Happy Singing!

(Here I am, cheesing it up with four copies of my book!  One of these could be yours! Thank you for your support.)

Celebrate the Little Victories

Happy Memorial Day, everyone! I hope you all are enjoying this beautiful day, spending it with family and friends, and thanking those citizens who have sacrificed so deeply to bring us the freedom we have today.

I was going to write a post on Saturday night, but I kept getting an error message every time I tried to open a new post window. I had been reflecting on a voice lesson I'd just taught on Friday with one of my students whom I haven't taught in a couple of weeks. While listening to her work on some new material, I noticed a stronger presence in her voice that hadn't previously been there. She stopped singing and fussed for making a mistake with the words, but I was so impressed by her improvement that I encouraged her to keep going.

Not only in singing, but in every area that we're trying to improve, we've got to celebrate the little victories. You can't just make a goal of losing 100 pounds and berate yourself each week when you've only lost 2 pounds. Big victories never come overnight, but they eventually come from the hundreds of little victories that add up over and over again. That's why it's so important to celebrate each little milestone you have.

Maybe you can't sing an entire Mariah Carey song you've been working on, but you can nail that one lick you've been practicing religiously for days. Celebrate it! Eventually, you will be able to sing the whole song, if you just keep at it!

I am one of those people who believe that if you work long and hard enough at something, you will eventually be successful at it. So, if you haven't found your big victory yet, maybe it means you haven't logged enough hours yet or shed enough sweat and tears! I'm serious, though! Your odds of success must increase the more you put your mind to any matter, like improving your singing.

So, I hope on this beautiful Memorial Day, you will find a small victory to celebrate in your own life, all the while, keeping your eye on the major prize that will inevitably come your way! Blessings!

Living the Dream

Several posts back, I blogged about the new show The Voice, which currently airs on NBC. I think the reason I love this show so much is because many of the singers have told the host, Carson Daily, that they are doing this singing competition because music is their life and they couldn't lead a happy, fulfilling existence without singing. The first time I heard a contestant say that, it really resonated with me because that is exactly how I feel about music. It will always be a major part of my life because I feel it's what God created me to do.

As of next month, my sole income will come from performing and teaching music. This is huge for me because I've always had side jobs that had nothing to do with music to help support me and my family. But I feel that the time is right and I'm about to take the plunge into living the dream-- my dream, to be exact.

To be completely honest, I'm scared to death! I've always had the heart of an entrepreneur, but never enough guts to act on it in a full-time capacity. However, after much prayer (and trepidation), I feel that now is the time to push for my dream. Each year brings me closer to the age of thirty, and I don't want to enter the next decade of my life having not put forth a major effort to do something I love and make a living at it!

Every time I feel fear, I receive comfort in some way. It may be through a Bible verse or just a word of encouragement from a close friend. Every book I've read in the past month has been about living an exceptional life by making your deepest needs and dreams a reality. I am feeding my spirit and my mind with information that will only affirm what I'm trying to do-- take a giant leap of faith.

Also, I pray often and really talk to God. This may sound strange to some of you, but yesterday I decided to make God the CEO of my new business. He gets to make all of the executive decisions and I'll just go with them! You can't imagine the pressure it relieved when I realized that, No, I'm not really in charge, never will be, and never was, as long as He holds the reigns on my life.

As a result, people have literally come out of the woodwork asking about piano and voice lessons. Two weeks ago, I had two phone calls out of the blue asking if I would teach lessons. This week I've had an additional two people again ask me about lessons. I am so excited for this new season of my life and the chance to show my clients my heart.

The purpose of my post today is to encourage you to live your own dream. It may have nothing to do with music, but everything to do with your core beliefs and values. I can tell you from experience that you will never be fulfilled until you try to make your passion a major portion of your life. If you can't quit your day job quite yet, what little steps can you take each day to get you closer to your dream life? What project can you start, or finish? What hobby or volunteer job can you call for information about today? Carpe diem! Seize the day!

You may ask, What about the possibility of failure? Of course, I'm concerned about failure. Who isn't? But at this point in my life, I'm even more afraid of not doing what God's called me to do. And if I do fail, at least I can say I made a die-hard effort!

Be blessed and encouraged to live your dream in whatever way you can today! Thanks for reading!

(By the way, stay tuned for Vocal Secret Weapon #2, coming up next time!)