I am finding it increasingly fascinating how we as humans are interconnected. Not only with each other and with the world around us, but also within ourselves, like a mini ecosystem you might say. Not so much physically, as in the foot bone’s connected to the leg bone and such, but more, metaphysically. How circumstances or events that we may not consider important effect us in amazing ways, both mentally and physically. A bit like the butterfly effect. And more and more I feel the butterfly effect having an impact on me, in particular my singing and my singing is having an effect on me. I like to call it the musical butterfly effect.

Before I begin to explain how the musical butterfly effect has influenced me, I’d like to very, very briefly explain the Werbeck singing method. First of all, Werbeck believed that singing wasn’t just the voice producing a sound, but so much, much more. It was an expression of the entire human being. And as such, whatever happens to us, physically or mentally, effects us and as such, our voice. In addition, the Werbeck singing method not only aided the voice and the body to sing, but also aided the body and mind to alleviate various problems, both physical and mental. For example, Du always swears by Werbeck singing because it eases the pain in his hips. For me, a day isn’t a day if I haven’t sung. I won’t go on, so if you want to find out more, do visit our teacher Baldo Mikulic’s site: http://www.orpheus.hr/index-english.htm

Now, when I started singing with Baldo over 3 years ago, you could say I was a mess. I worked at “The Firm” which was pushing me to my limits. I loved the people I worked with there and still keep in close contact with them, but “The Firm” was basically making me feel like a pressure pot, ready to blow at any moment. Like most people in the corporate world, I only thought about work, how I looked, how much money I was making and how much money I was spending. Yes, my family, friends and the world around me were and always have been important to me but they very often took a back seat to “The Firm”.

Then I started singing again and found there was more to this world than meets the eye. I began seeing with the heart. To improve matters further, I became pregnant and had to stay home due to complications with my baby (I bled twice from all the pressure at work and at home). As such, I spent every spare moment singing. And the more I sang, the better I felt both physically and mentally.

But the progress with my singing was very slow and sometimes frustrating. I knew that I could sing high C’s and perhaps even higher, but never had that much faith in myself. Until I met my Druyds. And while practising “Magic Wood” one fateful June day, Igor asked me a question that would go down in my musical annals: “Could you sing a high C? It would go harmonise well with what I’m playing”. I laughed at first, then tried it. Nothing but a squeak, actually not even a squeak – more a yelp. Then I tried doing some stuff that Baldo had taught me – like crouching down when I sang the high C, pushing the wall, lowering my forehead. Hmm, a tad better but still not there, not in the least. So I practised at home, endlessly practised, and it got a bit better, but again, still not there. But the boys began to notice how much better it was getting at every rehearsal, which gave me confidence, and even without practising as much, it got better and better until, it was (almost!) a cinch to do, even at live performances when my heart beats like nothing else and my stomach ties up in knots.  I realised that what Baldo had been saying all the time was true: all you have to do is believe.

… last part coming soon 🙂