Sing, sing a song

Yes, I know, it's been a while. Cherie just wrote a wonderful entry about our kitty babies. Yes, they are babies to me and Cherie. They are great. I was sitting here at work, though, and listening to the radio. Snow is coming down and so they are announcing accidents on the roads and to be careful when you go out. What a day! I do love snow - just not the mess. Anywho, as I was listening a song came on that holds some memories for me. It's the song by Shania Twain, "From This Moment On". Well, I was asked to sing at a wedding several years ago. Before teh job I am at now, I worked at a cable company in Auburn, IN. I loved my co-workers and we had a great time with each other. I guess I bragged a bit too much about my singing and so I was asked by my boss' daughter to sing at her wedding - that song. I bought the instrumental soundtrack to it so it would sound more professional. Everyone I worked with was coming. Now, I have to say that I have sung quite a bit over the years - I've sung at church, in California on my mission, at BYU - and even tried out for several things there, including the Young Ambassadors (which I did not make, by the way). So, I was pretty confident about this. WRONG! You always hear how someone has one of those times when something they are pretty good at goes wrong? Well, this was mine. I had practiced quite a bit for me, which is unusual, because I'm usually ok off the cuff, but I dont' usually sing to pre-recorded background music. So, at the rehearsal, it got to the point where I was supposed to do my part. They handed me a microphone and nothing would come out. I am not kidding! I was just off key and could not get the right notes. It was so embarrassing and it really threw me off badly. I mean here I am, the only musical number and I'm also singing while they go up and light a unity candle! This is supposed to be a beautiful moment. I was also playing the organ for the ceremony. The organ this church had was a keyboard - quite elaborate, too. It could do anything. It was one of those where you just stand and play, too - kind of like Laurie Partridge on the "Partridge Family". So, I was a bit out of my element there, too. Plus, I couldn't get the organ to sound the right way for me. I was a nervous wreck. I never did make it through my song that night. The next day was the wedding and I was sure I'd do better. Bad rehearsals usually have meant a good performance in the past for me. Not this time. I did manage to get the right starting note, but my voice was shaky and I missed several notes that were higher. In my opinion, it was awful. We had the guy who made our commercials locally doing the video-taping, too, so I'm sure there somewhere on Becky's wedding video is the worst version of "From This Moment On". Don't ask me why I chose to re-live this, but everytime I hear that song part of me cringes. It was by far the worse performance I've ever had. I have wondered since then was it because I was intimidated by the people I worked with and so I wanted desperately to make a good impression? Was it the music itself? I had remembered Greg, our video guy, saying that when he taped local pageants that a lot of the contestants who used pre-recorded music sounded awful. Maybe that did it. Plus, I knew how they had razed those who had done so poorly in pageants and things. I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be talked about. How wrong I was. I have never been so glad to have a wedding be done. I even messed up the organ music while they exited. I mean I was shaking. My hands, my voice. I could have just sat down in front and cried, but there I was like Laurie Partridge, standing there playing that dumb keyboard and trying to look cool and composed. Wow, what a day. Eight years later and it still haunts me. I love to sing and I love music, but that was one day that could be easily forgotten. Just thought you'd like to know.