Ah, yes. My old friend Unprepared. Unprepared and I, we go back a looooong way.
You see, as a young singer who was very naturally talented, it was seductively easy for me to just show up and sing. Especially as I was powered by ambition and hunger for that hot, sweet spot somewhere smack bang in the middle of stage left and stage right.
But there’s a catch – as a singer, you have to do what is affectionately called “note-bashing”.
This is the act of forcible holing oneself up in an enclosed space with a keyboard-like instrument and pounding various black and white keys until the Notes. Stick. In. Your. Brain.
Note-bashing is an inescapable part of being a professional singer. Without notes to sing I am merely potential noise.
Ah, my other old friend, Potential. Potential and I, well we’ve known each other for yeaaaaaars.
So I would frequently flirt with Unprepared, safe in the cushy knowledge that Potential would always be there to bail me out.
I got addicted to the adrenaline rush that being with Unprepared would give me. The shot in the arm of “Shit I need to do some work!” actually energised me to a point. Until, inevitably, Potential got fed up with my antics, shouted “I’ve outgrown you!” and left me. Of course.
The day I got dumped by Potential was the day I realised that being prepared is actually the Most Important Thing, Ever. continue reading…
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