Don't put your daughter on the stage........

My mother fondly recalls the incident when I, much impressed by a Church Nativity, ran up the aisle and stood at the front adopting the "Angel Gabriel" pose - aged about 3.  You might think, then, that my current obsession with and not-at-all-secret fantasy about becoming a professional opera singer is not that surprising.

In fact, I am discovering that I am actually a bit shy about really being myself with people (on stage or off), and that I resort to humor instead (I realise that I am now just inviting sarcasm from those of you who know me plus abuse of the "Oh, you were trying to be funny" variety!) not to mention a healthy dose of pretending I'm fine, whether I am or not!

But I'm learning that in the context of performing and singing you just have to let go and let it all out!  And actually it is a bit of a revelation - liberating (terrifying). I am now finding that I can't really sing if I am bottling anything up - it just takes the stopper off the bottle! And that is great.  Parenting and marriage both provide plenty of opportunities for simmering (should only be done with food), brewing (ditto alchohol) and festering (just should never be done), and I say that in what I call a happy home (and so would Mr Life After Law - well, he'd better...........) let alone facing anything out of the ordinary (well, not tooooooo far out).

I didn't sing as much while I was a Lawyer but I can heartily recommend it as an ideal stress-buster whatever you are doing with your life.

Which is why, whether I ever make it onto the stage at La Scala (why is my phone not ringing) I will keep singing and I will keep loving every note - and you can too! Whether you sing in the shower or at Sydney Opera House (again, no phone calls) just let it all out and enjoy it.

As for my progeny, I have two budding singers on my hands one of whom can do a terrifyingly accurate American accent (thanks to High School Musical, High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3).

For my children the mystery of theatre is no longer a mystery:-

"Mummy, I think that lady with the pink hair (panto dame) is really a man in a dress".......
"Mummy when there was that big splashing noise (actor thrown "overboard")  is it really the sea because I don't think it would fit"
and finally: "Mummy, when you were supposed to be all dead and a ghost, I think you should have had your face more white because you didn't look dead enough!" (the younger, by the way, commented "Oh NO, what's happened you face??"

Don't put your daughter (or of course, as the case may be, son) on the stage? Well I don't know, but I hope they'll both discover the joy of singing for themselves and I hope you do too!

La la laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa............................