Fame (Part 1)

I suppose to understand this particular blog, you may need to read the one I did yesterday. I was thinking a lot last night about what I wrote, and ended up wondering (as it's something I seem to do on a regular basis - a bit like Winnie the Pooh....) what is Fame? How is it measured?

You see, in my previous post I wrote about performing with an orchestra. But, to most people when they think of orchestra's, images of the National Concert Hall or an opera house come to mind with 'hundreds' of seriously experienced musicians playing with such precision. Of course, this would be fantastic to say the least, to have this many musicians of such high calibre accompanying you, and to be even considered at their level. But, of course there are also many smaller orchestra's too who can create fantastic sounds. Two that automatically spring to mind are the Donegal Chamber Orchestra and the Donegal Youth Orchestra so, would Fame also be performing with one of these and being recognised for it? Herein lies my questions..... What is Fame and how is it measured??


I am a musician, a classically trained soprano (which can actually strike the fear of God into some, by the way) and like most other creative artists would love people to experience my work - which in my case is my voice. If I was a painter or a sculptor I would love people to see my exhibitions. I suppose artists are a curious breed as there is no point in us having a talent and keeping it all to ourselves, what would be the point? We have that need to share our talent, and to 'give it' to others, so that they too may enrich their lives with something that we can sometimes take for granted. Likewise, if I was a writer, I would want people to read my books as there's no point in writing just for myself!

For some people being recognised for the work they do in a local area is a form of fame - they may be a volunteer, a care worker, a local musician who plays on a Saturday night in the local pub - everyone in the community/town knows them so therefore they're famous. Of course, there's also those that decide not to live by the laws of society, and they become famous too ! I am known in my county for singing and performing so I suppose, yes I am famous. But I keep thinking about the orchestra thing that I mentioned earlier - how 'famous' would I have to be for that to happen? Honestly? I don't know!

For me fame means that I get to share what I do with an audience who'll hopefully appreciate it (that's always the tricky bit). When I think of the word 'Fame' I don't think money, notoriety, big cars etc. etc. I just think of singing to an audience wherever that audience may be and that they'll like what they hear, and want to hear more. So possibly my measurement of fame is quite small or minimal. But I am ambitious, will I get there? Yes, I will. When? Ah, now that's the million dollar question, and I intend to enjoy the journey and see what happens when I get there.

Finally, sometimes when I mention 'classically trained' the reaction is quite amazing. What some people don't realise is that when a singer is trained they have learned to use their voice in the correct way - it doesn't in fact mean that all they sing is one genre e.g. opera. Granted, I may have difficulty singing a Cheryl Cole number but I guess that some pop singers may also have difficulty singing Mozart or Gluck.

When I grow up.......

I often ask myself the question 'what is stopping me.......'? the blank could be filled with anything really. I could be talking about something as mundane as ironing, making the dinner or other general household chores. But there are also times when I ask the question in relation to much bigger issues, and I'll refer to that phrase that we all used as children 'When I grow up I want to be....'.

Nowadays, when this question is asked, even of my own children, the answer usually includes two very specific words i.e. famous and rich. This I fear is the product of the 'X Factor' generation, a generation who see that by going on a talent show all their prayers will be answered. The closest thing to a reality show in our day was 'Jim'll Fix It'!

Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoy reality TV shows as much as anyone else (except the ones where people have to eat spiders etc.....) and it was when watching the semifinal of X F tonight, that I thought about what I was going to write.

When I was a young girl I wanted to do EVERYTHING .... yep, everything. I wanted to be a teacher, a business woman (only because a lady that lived near us wore lovely suits and drove a fancy car), a singer, a mother and of course a nurse. Sure every little girl when they're about 7 wants to be a nurse, save the world and be like the late Mother Teresa, and help all the children whose pictures appeared on the Trocaire box every Lent. I wanted to do all that. Of course, I didn't have a reality show to tell me how to go about it, with a team in the background who would work with me and show me the way. No, I had to learn all by myself exactly what I was made of and what I was capable of. Jim'll Fix It didn't even answer my letters.

Like so many growing up in the '70s and '80s we didn't have all the opportunities that today's generation have. We certainly didn't have the internet to see what was going on in the world, or have cheap flights to explore the world. We had our own world - the communities we grew up in. Even the TV only had about 6 channels. Only as I got much older did I realise the importance of choice, because that's what my children and the next generation have. Choices. Probably too many some may say, and getting them to focus on one or maybe two is going to be the hardest choice. Making a decision is easy - it's the process leading up to it that is difficult.

So where is this blog going, well it brings me back to the opening line ..... "What is stopping me...?" The fact is that the only thing stopping me from doing what I really want to do is ME. And yes you're probably wondering what the hell does she want to do, well, like so many little girls I still have my dream to sing with a full symphony orchestra behind me. I don't think it's a huge dream, I think it is achievable, but..... and there's always a but..... caused by that great big doubting cloud that hangs around us all at some time or another, you know the one, but you just can't quite put your finger on it.

However, when I look at the list above of all that I wanted to do when I was little, I've actually done or achieved four out of five, and in my book that's not bad at all. And, because 90% of the time I reckon my glass is half full - I believe that somehow at some point I will achieve my ultimate dream. And don't go spoiling it on me and start talking logistics or musicians, I may be 60 when it happens, but who the hell cares ha ha ha ..... dreams are the sugar candy of our imaginations, they can be anything you want them to be, but to achieve them, I think you have to have belief in yourself. And the first step to that involves two very important words that mean so much....... I CAN !

4 December 2009

I'm a new blogger and decided to title my page Music and Life. There are no commas and no parenthesis, so it could be understood as 'music and life' how one interacts with the other, or it could be taken as two totally separate topics 'Music' and 'Life'. It's really up to you how you decide to interpret the heading. My own thinking on it is that one most definitely interacts with the other - so why didn't I use puctuation marks ? because sometimes, one can overtake and consume the other, one can go hand in hand with the other and of course for some, there isn't one without the other.

For me as a musician, living with other musicians both young and slightly older (!!!) there are days when life takes a back seat. This recession reality is forgotten as is the miserable rain pouring down outside, as the flute, guitar, piano and other instruments take over. This is where life becomes music and what it can do for the soul and the mind no doctor could prescribe.

It is wonderful sometimes to turn off the t.v/radio and listen to the scales being practised complete with the hesitancies of youth. No embellishments are needed to hear the effort that the musician in question is placing on this very delicate exercise. Imagining the small fingers carefully moving on the flute, or positioning themselves on the violin or even trying to sing a scale with ease, brings with it a great sense of pride. Sure, there are 'wonky' notes or phrases but these can be mastered through time. Tone will develop and precision will eventually be automatic. And so I sit and take it all in, my children. My pride.

I suppose the fact that we no longer have Sky and don't possess an XBox, Wii, or PlayStation helps. They have a DS, but that's it. They have never asked for any of the above and so I'm happy to leave it that way. Thankfully when they play, they still like bikes, skateboards, roller blades etc. For that I am very grateful.

But of course, all good things must come to an end, the silence is usually broken with the sound of "Maaaa-mmmmmm........., why I do keep getting this one wrong"???? and so those few precious moments of listening now turn into moments of comforting and encouragement. The next generation now go through what I once did as a child (and still do as an adult)..... learning by my mistakes.

When we fall down, we get up wiser, and take the knowledge learned with us.