The fear of failure was overwhelming, and yet she couldn’t help herself. She stepped to the microphone, tried not to look at the spot light, and prayed she would remember the words. It was quiet yet she could hear the ambient noise all around. Glass’s clinking, people in hushed conversations, hostesses still taking orders, and the last few people trying to find their seats.
She looked back and saw the drummer starting to work his brushes over the snare drum in little circles, it made a soft yet comforting sound. The stand up bass came in low and the beat was formed. The crowd became still and her voice became steady. With the first line of the song out, she could finally relax. She smiled and her voice began to rise. Suddenly all eyes were on her and she was a star.
This was a jazz bar near downtown and felt like something out of the sixty’s except for the smoke, there was none. No smoking in a jazz bar just seemed wrong, but that was the world they lived in. The room was dark except for the three spotlights above the stage. Kelly could hear and feel that the room was full but couldn’t see anyone beyond the first two rows. By the end of the first song, she had gone from scared to death to totally at home.
Kelly had been singing since she was eight years old, but always in her room with CD’s or the radio turned up. On several occasions her mother heard her singing but Kelly would stop if the door opened. Her mom tried to encourage her but she refused to sing with anyone watching. Kelly’s mom eventually gave up, but she would stand outside the door and listen whenever she could.
By the time Kelly was in high school she had become a really good singer, but nobody except for her and her mother knew it. Even though it sounded good in her head Kelly didn’t think she sounded at all like the people she sang along with on the radio. In fact she didn’t, her voice was little raspy and deep, but still very good. She continued singing, but always in private. Evan her best friend didn’t know Kelly sang.
After high school she moved to the city and got a job at a real-estate office. She cold type and file and quickly picked up the admin skills she was tasked with. She got along with everyone but became good friends with one of the agents. He was just a few years older than she was, and they just clicked. Not romantically, just real good friends. One night after work he took her to a jazz bar around the corner from the office. Kelly had never been exposed to jazz and didn’t think she would care for it, but she did love live music, so she gave it a try.
That night changed her life. From the opening note she was hooked. There was a female singer her tone and voice was similar to what Kelly thought her voice sounded like. Before leaving the club Kelly had made a promise to herself that she would do this one day. She would get on stage and sing and if she failed she could always crawl in a hole and never do it again.
In the months that followed she made enquiries on chat rooms and went to different clubs and eventually she had put a band together. They started practicing after work and the others quickly realized what a talent Kelly was. They practiced hard and had a good time doing it. After they had ten songs (covers) down pat, they took a recording to some clubs and got their first gig. It was a non-paying gig but a gig just the same.
They were booked at the same jazz club her friend had drug her to months before. The set was great, the crowd loved it, and when the house lights came on after the show, Kelly realized her secret was out. At a table just outside her view when the lights were out, was her friend from work standing and clapping, and beside him was her mother crying uncontrollably. What Kelly had spent a lifetime doing in secret, was a secret no more.
— N. L. Skjonsby
She looked back and saw the drummer starting to work his brushes over the snare drum in little circles, it made a soft yet comforting sound. The stand up bass came in low and the beat was formed. The crowd became still and her voice became steady. With the first line of the song out, she could finally relax. She smiled and her voice began to rise. Suddenly all eyes were on her and she was a star.
This was a jazz bar near downtown and felt like something out of the sixty’s except for the smoke, there was none. No smoking in a jazz bar just seemed wrong, but that was the world they lived in. The room was dark except for the three spotlights above the stage. Kelly could hear and feel that the room was full but couldn’t see anyone beyond the first two rows. By the end of the first song, she had gone from scared to death to totally at home.
Kelly had been singing since she was eight years old, but always in her room with CD’s or the radio turned up. On several occasions her mother heard her singing but Kelly would stop if the door opened. Her mom tried to encourage her but she refused to sing with anyone watching. Kelly’s mom eventually gave up, but she would stand outside the door and listen whenever she could.
By the time Kelly was in high school she had become a really good singer, but nobody except for her and her mother knew it. Even though it sounded good in her head Kelly didn’t think she sounded at all like the people she sang along with on the radio. In fact she didn’t, her voice was little raspy and deep, but still very good. She continued singing, but always in private. Evan her best friend didn’t know Kelly sang.
After high school she moved to the city and got a job at a real-estate office. She cold type and file and quickly picked up the admin skills she was tasked with. She got along with everyone but became good friends with one of the agents. He was just a few years older than she was, and they just clicked. Not romantically, just real good friends. One night after work he took her to a jazz bar around the corner from the office. Kelly had never been exposed to jazz and didn’t think she would care for it, but she did love live music, so she gave it a try.
That night changed her life. From the opening note she was hooked. There was a female singer her tone and voice was similar to what Kelly thought her voice sounded like. Before leaving the club Kelly had made a promise to herself that she would do this one day. She would get on stage and sing and if she failed she could always crawl in a hole and never do it again.
In the months that followed she made enquiries on chat rooms and went to different clubs and eventually she had put a band together. They started practicing after work and the others quickly realized what a talent Kelly was. They practiced hard and had a good time doing it. After they had ten songs (covers) down pat, they took a recording to some clubs and got their first gig. It was a non-paying gig but a gig just the same.
They were booked at the same jazz club her friend had drug her to months before. The set was great, the crowd loved it, and when the house lights came on after the show, Kelly realized her secret was out. At a table just outside her view when the lights were out, was her friend from work standing and clapping, and beside him was her mother crying uncontrollably. What Kelly had spent a lifetime doing in secret, was a secret no more.
— N. L. Skjonsby
Comments
Post a Comment