A Great Vocal: How Long Does It Take? How Bad Do You Want It?

I've been in the studio a lot lately and have become freshly aware that new people are frequently freaked at how much effort it takes to capture a truly great vocal performance.It's harder for men to understand this, but it's kind of like having a baby. The "labor" can be truly intense, but when that "baby is born", you are so proud of your labors you hardly remember the toil! (Well, OK, you might remember but you'd do it all over again!)

First, ask yourself: how bad do you want to land that great vocal?

My son's cat, "Hayes" demonstrates the intense determination you need to muster if you want to land the big fish- a performance you can play back for days with a big grin on your face!
Don't settle for less than the prized goal, given time and money constraints (or a hooded glass aquarium).

OK, then, Prepare for your recording date:

• Train your voice to optimal condition at vocal lessons and vocal exercises.
  
• Practice your songs so you know them like the back of your hand. Experiment with phrasing, melodic variations, keys.
• Record worktapes of your efforts and playback.
  
• Memorize your lyrics, reading them will be like a wall between you and your audience and will negatively affect your performance in other subtle ways.
  
• Sing at full performance voice level for at least two or three hours every day for a week before your recording.
  
• Drink plenty of water the day before your session.
  
• Eat a non-mucus forming healthy, protein rich breakfast and/or lunch before you sing.
  
• Keep your mind stress-free, peaceful and calm on the morning before you sing. Don't get into arguments, long phone conversations, don't watch TV, etc.
  
• If you think this is like preparing for an Olympic event, you're right.
  

Now that you're ready, how long should it take to capture that incredible vocal?

• If you are doing a demo or a budget project, I usually recommend figuring on from one to three hours per vocal. 1/2 an hour is possible, but I wouldn't count on it. Don't put that violin, 4th background vocal, oboe or second guitar on it if that means sacrificing lead vocal recording time.

• If you are trying for master vocals (vocals good enough for radio airplay) two songs a day is a good goal. Be sure and dress comfortably; if possible, have someone producing your vocals that you trust knows how to get the best out of you, and who empowers you personally. Schedule your recording time when you are usually awake, warmed up and at your vocal best. Noon or 2:00pm is a good start for me, but there are morning folks who sing great at 10:00am. To thine own self be true.

• Warning: Yes, there is effort involved but know when you're beating a dead horse. You can coax, wait for and give time for, but you can't force a great vocal. For master quality vocals there should be enough budget that if you are sick, not in best voice or mood on the day of recording, you stop, pay the studio for the time and reschedule your lead vocals for another day. That's right, just eat the recording money for the day and chill out. It just kills you to do this but, as I know from experience, you'll come back and be able to get a better vocal in much less time than you ever would by trying to MAKE it happen on a bad day.

Hayes does not give up. He may go eat a snack, sleep or torment the dog. But to this day, he has not given up on landing the big one. Neither should you!

Singers: Wipe that smile out of your voice...

...unless you're singing a smiling song!

A hallmark of a master vocal stylist - whatever the genre - is that the emotional color of the tone of voice chosen matches what the heck the lyric is saying. Can you imagine Bonny Raitt singing "I Can't Make You Love Me" with a big smile on her face and in her voice? Those lyrics contain ANGST - and if the tone her voice doesn't contain some kind of quiet but powerful angst, the listener would feel betrayed by ... vocal fraud. Yes, I'll go that far.

That doesn't necessarily mean you need to sound angry. There are many, many emotional colors between "happy" and "angry". What about:

• Sadly accepting (I Can't Make You Love Me)
• Seriously sarcastic (Just Another Picture To Burn)
• Comically empowered (Man, I Feel Like A Woman)
• Powerfully reflective (The Dance)
• Determined (This Is A Man's World)
• Deeply thankful (Amazing Grace)

OK, I think you get the idea.

One of the biggest mistakes I hear amateur singers make is that of singing a lyric without the right emotion in the voice - and many times smiling all the way through the song like it's a popularity contest is the mistake.

I have also known professional jingle singers who've made a fortune singing commercials but cannot get arrested as artists. This is because they have made a career out of selling product in 30 or 60 second bursts of song. If you're selling a product, you usually do it with a friendly smile. You also do it with lots of energy... which gets tiring for the listener when 60 seconds turns into a 3 1/2 minute song. The lyric, unless it's punk rock, usually needs varying emotional dynamics to sound like an authentic message to a human being.

Next time you listen to a playback of your voice, ask yourself if the emotional color you're using matches the lyric and the music. And unless the song is something like "I'm A Happy Girl", it might be best to loose that fake smile. (Think of this as tough love from your coach here, dear friends)

What do you think?

Vocal contests... how to "win"

I did a favor for Wynne Adams, a friend and business associate of mine, this week that I don't normally like to do: I judged her talent contest: "Galaxy of Stars Premier Talent Search" Yep. I know, I tell you how much I hate em. But I agreed because, unlike too many talent shows these days, this one:

1. Wasn't rigged.
2. Judges weren't pre-scripted to say mean things to make people cry for ratings.
   
3. It wasn't "live"... no drama! We judges watched video submissions and only judged talent, not video quality.
4. We were specifically asked to couch criticism in ways that would be constructive, not destructive, and -
   
5. We were asked to make comments that would give them accurate, objective assessments and help them with their weak points.

So... I gave away a lot of free voice lessons :) And the other judges gave lessons based on their expertise (judges included a video company staff member, a veteran session singer & songwriter, a D.J., manager of a famous Nashville nightclub, and me). It was really quite cool; we felt at the end of the (loooong) day that we had given them valuable advice they could act on pretty easily.

Afterwards, I thought about what helps people win contests.
As a judge, I was favorably impressed if the contestant demonstrated:

1. communicative skills and stage presence, active eyes and natural body language
2. no or minimal vocal strain
3. good pitch, sense of rhythm
4. a good song choice that fit the age, vocal range and tone color
5. a stage outfit that made the artist stand out but was not selling sex.

I was less than favorably impressed if the contestant demonstrated:

1. numbness in performance, disconnected from the audience and/or song
2. vocal strain - (HATE THAT!)
3. pitchiness, getting out of the groove or losing their place rhythmically
4. song choice with inappropriate lyrics or too much range for vocal ability
5. stage wear that either looked like everyday nothing special going on or selling sex.

We were all very impressed with Wynne's focus on the well-being of her contestants. She cares. She knows that the most important thing she can do is to help her people get better. She's passionate about helping would-be-artists from Nebraska be prepared for what it really takes to make a successful commercial career; not just be a "Jerry Springer" reality-TV moment victor or victim. I think she'll get one- a big one- and soon.

So, how to win a contest?

1. Know going in what spirit is behind the contest. If you smell rigged, just take the judging with not even a grain of salt, be OK with having fun no matter what the outcome... or don't audition!
If you avoid getting jealous or resentful of unfairness, YOU WIN!

2. Most of the time, the only good you get in a contest is experience singing. If you audition for this reason, YOU WIN- because the more you sing, the more comfortable you get with performance.

3. Be truly kind to your fellow contestants. It's really too bad we compare talent to each other, the only one you should be competitive with is yourself. A talent show is a great place to show friendship and support to strangers. Anytime you make yourself helpful to others, YOU WIN!

4. If you are using talent contests correctly, you're going to try out again and again..just for the sake of learning and getting better. If "losing" the judgement it's a serious blow to your self-esteem, ask yourself why. Take the challenge and dig into stinking thinking that might stand in the way of the freedom of your spirit and of your true creativity. Get better at your craft... YOU WIN!

5. If you thought you were going to win but didn't, and it helps you obtain a bit of humility to know you might need a little help, YOU WIN!

5. If you happen to win the judging, IT'S ICING ON THE CAKE! and congratulations! (But don't get the big head :)

Anybody have thoughts on talent contests?

June 30 Benefit for Eating Disorders Coalition

If you're in the mood for some Monday night music in Nashville... for a great cause...

I will be playing keyboard for Jenni Schaefer Monday, June 30th for a "Songwriters in the Round benefitting the Eating Disorders Coalition of Tennessee. At this point, Jenni is scheduled to open the show with a song she and I wrote called "Life Without ED" (Eating Disorders).

Jenni Shaefer has been speaking all over the country with insight and information on how to defeat the epidemic eating disorders which are sucking the life out of so many. Major media such as Dr. Phil and top magazines such as Elle and Cosmo have featured articles on her. She and I have a co-written article on how eating disorders affect the voice which has been reprinted and quoted all over the web and at various events.

Details on this "Songwriters in the Round"

Artists: Sarah Buxton, Rivers Rutherford, and Dave Berg
With special guests
Dylan Altman, Matt Warren, Jenni Schaefer and Caroline Mitchell Lusk

Date: Monday, June 30
Venue: 3rd and Lindsley
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Tickets: $10 at the door

We would love to see you there!

Charity event for "Melodical Hearts" tonight June 3rd

For those of you interested in the charity I'm playing for today (Tues, June 3rd, 6pm) the website is here:
http://www.myspace.com/melodicalhearts

We're playing from 3pm to 11:30pm... my set is at 6:00.

Venue: Earnest Tubbs Texas Troubadour Theater 2416 Music Valley Drive (near Opryland Hotel)

Tickets: $12 at the door - which will help fund a very worthy charity.

Here's the lineup:

3:00 3:20 Donny Anderson
3:25 3:40 Brenda Mullen
3:45 4:05 Jack McVey
4:10 4:30 Angela Siracusa –
Walter Egan
4:35 4:50 DeeRay Garcia
4:55 5:25 David Church/Terri Lisa
5:30 6:00 Jack Green
6:05 6:25 Judy Rodman
6:30 6:50 Brian Glenn
6:55 7:15 Carolyn Martin
7:20 7:25 Terri Lisa Church
7:30 8:30 David Church-Tribute to Hank Williams

8:35 8:55 Carlton Moody
9:00 9:25 Tracey K Houston/Rollie Stevens
9:30 9: 50 The Roys
9:55 10:15 Emma Mae
10:20 10:35 Jeniffer Windom
10:40 11: 00 Cody McCarver
11:05 11:20 Van Preston
11:25 Zach Hacker - Nashville Star

Hope you can come out and join the party!

Getting the magic of live performance in the studio

There is a frustrating disconnect with many people who are great in live performance but can't seem to get that same great vocal in the recording studio. Here are some tips to help you bring your live sound into your recorded sound:

• Create the ambiance you need to "do the scene" as you deliver the song. Ambiance creating suggestions:
  

1. Make sure the music stand is back far enough under the mic so you can stand in such a way that you don't need to lean forward.
   
2. Don't read lyric sheets, or if you do, park the music stand way off to the side.
3. Ask the engineer if it's possible NOT to point you facing directly into the control room.
4. Ask for your vocal booth lighting, and if possible also the control room lighting, to be turned down so you can focus your mind on the story.
5. Some people are helped by "props" ... Light a candle, put a picture near, plug in a lava lamp... whatever it takes to get you into the scene!
   

• Play with your imaginary friend(s). Sing TO someone to whom the song is directed. Try to make that person feel something from your communication of the message... just like live.
  

• Don't sing to anyone in the control room. They are there to judge your performance and edit you. Listen to them, then go right back to sing-talking to the object of your message (lyric).

• Use body language! You won't believe how using eyes, hands, legs, expressive body language can cause the song to take on amazing life. Ditch your inhibition (and possibly your pride) and physically get into your delivery.
  

• Use "Studio Hands" - This is a technique I use- put your fingertips together and push them into each other to help you with breath control.
  

• Use a dummy mic! Try holding a dummy mic or similarly weighted object in your hand. Put the dummy mic up to your mouth and sing into it like you would live, but position yourself close enough to the live mic to make sure it picks up your voice.

How does this work for you?

Auditions for new CBS show "Jingles"

Someone at CBS must have read my post on singing jingles:) Just got this emailed to me... another crazy reality show, but it could be an opportunity you might have some fun auditioning for it if you're into jingles. Here's the blurb they sent me:

CBS and Mark Burnett Productions have teamed up to find the greatest undiscovered marketing genius for a new show, "Jingles"! We are looking for teams of (preferably) 2-4 people to write and perform product jingles. A team could be anything from a brother/sister team to a singing comedy duo or a barbershop quartet!

Do you think you could use your quick mind, great sense of humor, and musical skills to wow Fortune 500 companies with your talent?

We are looking for fun, high energy performances mixed with a competitive spirit. Minimum age 13.

Please email Jonathan at jtanzman@markburnettprod.com for more information.
We will be casting in Nashville late May.

Auditions coming up for Footloose (Nashville production)

I just got this in from Lynda Hawkersmith... thanks for the heads up, Lynda!

Nashville Auditions for Circle Players' Production of Footloose

Vocal and cold reading auditions---Saturday, May 31, 10a.m. - 3p.m.

a.. E-mail directorSaraYO@hotmail.com to sign up for an audition time
b.. Prepare 16 bars of an up-tempo song in the appropriate show style
c.. Accompanist and CD player provided

Dance auditions and callbacks---Sunday, June 1, 2p.m. - 6p.m.

a.. All auditionees are required to attend the dance audition
b.. Please come dressed to move-no jeans, flip-flops, skirts.
c.. Callbacks will begin immediately following the dance audition

Audition location for both May 31 & June 1 Circle Players' rehearsal space in Madison - 801 N. Gallatin Pike in the back of the Madison Square Shopping Center

Approximately 20 roles are available for teenagers through adults.

Footloose will be directed by Sara Youngblood-Ochoa, choreographed by Jose
Ochoa and music directed by Thom Garrison

Production dates are July 25 - Aug 10, 2008
Looby Center Theatre
2301 Rosa L. Parks Blvd, Nashville

Does anybody have recommendations for headset mics?

Quick tech question from my client Jenni Schaefer...

Does anybody have recommendations for specific headset mics like, or ones to avoid?

Click "comment" to respond. - and thanks!

How to get work as a background singer

I got another question I thought you readers might be interested in from my website today.

The question:
"How does one go about getting started if they are interested in singing bgv's (background vocals)? Thanks!"

My answer: To sing background vocals you need-

1. vocal training to be able to perform the feats of what I call a "stunt singer". It takes more stamina and control to be a great background singer than to be a lead singer, because you will have to trace and blend with another voice perfectly, taking on the lead voice's tone, personality, rhythm, phrasing and accent, or adding whatever different texture of voice the producer wants to offset the lead singer's voice.
2. to be able to change your voice at the producer's request.
3. to be able to hear and create harmony parts.
4. experience singing background parts with live performers and/or backing vocals in a recording studio. No matter what kind of training you have, there's no substitute for actual experience. It's a catch-22; you need experience to get experience, so take whatever opportunity you can possibly find or afford to get in front of a stage or recording studio mic.
5. a demonstration (demo) recording of your voice. This can be a simple guitar or piano/vocal, a karaoke track with your voice recorded over it, or can be full instrumental tracks created just for you. Just make sure that your vocal performance is the most important thing you record. Don't spend money on tracks without budgeting enough time for great vocals. duh.
6. referrals from people you've sung with and sung for.
7. networking, networking, networking. This takes time and persistance; people skills are very necessary. Go to writers nights and to concerts, hang out with musicians and songwriters you know. If you know any session singers, you might ask them to sing with you and assess how well they think you do.
8. to realize that you may need to keep your day job. Background work is very competitive and usually has a great deal to do with being at the right place at the right time. Sometimes when someone else can't make a session, an untried singer will get a chance. However, it is important to be generous of spirit, to support and recommend other singers trying to get work as well. Undercutting your fellow session singer will come back to bite you. It usually takes years to break in to regular session work. Make sure you build the right reputation.

Background singers tend to be hired for the following qualities:

1. They sound great with the lead singer.
2. They learn their parts fast.
3. They can do "head charts" (just come up with the parts in their heads), read the Nashville number system (if in Nashville), and they can read written music (traditional notes). You can get hired without being able to do all three, but you are considered a much more versitile singer if you can work whatever way the producer, artist or group leader wants.
4. They have positive, professional attitudes and work well with others.
5. They can be depended upon to show up on time, every time.
6. They are nice people. The music business is a small world, and it gets to be community where where you like to work with friends and good hearted people.

Some of my best friends in the world are background singers. Good luck... and let me know about any work you get so I can share it in my newsletter!

Friendly holiday reminders for singers

Friendly reminders for singers:

• Getting ready for a road trip? Don't forget to take and pack your immune system enhancers such as Vibe, NRGize, Airborne, echinacea, epsom salts or other alternative medical therapies you've found by experience to work.
• Getting ready for a holiday parties and family reunions? Getting ready for outside games or events? Don't forget to wear something which will protect your ears and your neck. Also... don't forget to bring water and stay well-hydrated.
• Getting ready for holiday feasts? Don't forget to limit mucous-enhancing foods like rich cream-based sauces, heavy casseroles, fatty meat portions, excessive deserts, alcoholic and caffeinated drinks. You CAN have some of these things, after all, even YOU can celebrate, but if you limit these heavy and toxic substances, you will be able to be in better voice. (Also better health). I say this as I wolf down a slice of my mother's traditional homemade pecan pie)
• Getting ready for a holiday performance? Don't forget to warm up your voice with your vocal exercises!

May your Christmas and holiday season be merry and bright, filled with peace, hope and love. If you are having a hard season, may friends spring up all around you to help you carry your burdens, and may you be surprised by the comforting presence of God.

Love and blessing from my house to yours,

Judy

Performance body language- anything but stiff!

Body language is important for vocal communication. If you've taken lessons from me or have read many of my post on All Things Vocal, you know how I stress this. Here's the thing: different styles of music, different personalities of vocalists, and different venue settings require different degrees of OUTSIDE body movement. The important thing is to stay flexible, no matter what.

Examples of the wide range of effective body language would be in performances of Mick Jagger and Jennifer Nettles vs the more subtle movement you see in performances by Allison Krauss and Andrea Bocelli. A Rolling Stones concert would find Mick Jagger all over the stage, with wild facial, hand and leg movements. Nettles definitely communicates with external expression. Allison Krauss and Andrea Bocelli seem to quietly float - ALMOST motionlessly- in place as they sing.

In the case of Jagger and Nettles, the external movement adds to the internal flexibility of breath and throat areas. There is control and purpose to their movements, however. A rock singer can kill the voice by squeezing in the wrong places (throat, ribcage) while trying to be TOO externally physical. Any time you see the head pushing forward and the ribcage caving in, you'll also hear the strain and possibly find concerts cancelled due to voice problems.

In the case of Krauss and Bocelli, oh how effortlessly they seem to ply their craft- but they are also subtly moving. Notice the slight facial movements- especially the freedom of the mouth and the movement in the eyebrows. They also are subtly purposeful in the slight use of arms- even if it's just the hand holding the mic that is helping them keep their ribcages open. Notice they also have controlled power, enabling the incredible smoothness of their sustains (notes held out).

I watched Bocelli on PBS the other night and renewed my awe of his subtle use of body language. I believe he is possibly the greatest pure vocalist of all time. At least for me.

Also on PBS, I also watched the incredible boys choir group "Libera" and was very happy to notice that someone has allowed them to move their faces and, though they stand in place, subtly sway their bodies. They are not stiff! Oh, how I wish choir directors all over the world would take notice and let their choral members get of their body braces and float in place! (One of my soapbox issues, for sure).

My advice: Consider your personality, the venue you're in, the expectations for your music genre. Then choose to communicate with a body language flexibility which is comfortable to you that will both connect with your audience AND free your voice!

PS... if you want to get a great Christmas present for someone (or yourself!) I recommend Andrea Bocelli's cd "Sogno". Effortless resonance personified.

Performance is not a vocal exercise

OK, I'm going back to my novice training in golf (bless my poor husband) to bring out yet another golf/vocal parallel: There is an important difference between vocal exercises and performance. A singer must make this distinction clear to turn a performance into a heart-moving event.

Vocal exercises, like other athletic skills training, do two things:

1. They nurture the vocal musculature, strengthening it, warming the instrument with increased blood flow and enabling greater flexibility.
2. They create muscle memory.

With the flexible and strong instrument at your disposal, and with muscle memory causing an automatic connection to take place between your mind/body/vocal apparatus, you're then and only then ready for a great vocal performance.

Points to ponder:

• Don't think about technique like you do when you are trying to learn a vocal exercise correctly. The time for that is BEFORE you perform.
• Do your vocal training exercises regularly so it's just what you do naturally when you perform.
• Learn how to connect with the audience through the song. That should trigger all the right reflexes, if you've trained your muscle memory correctly.
• Don't worry about being perfect!! I've found that if you just commit to communication (after you've trained your instincts), you can do things in performance even better than in a mechanical vocal exercise.

Consider this: When you are doing vocal exercises, you have to be focused on yourself and on how you're working your voice. This is not, I repeat NOT communication. When you are performing, the truly effective performance moment happens when you are delivering a message. If you scatter your mental focus with too much thought, you'll miss the ball (sorry- golf again- ask me how I know >: )

Bottom line... you have to do both: Exercise and Perform. Just keep them separate in your mind. Voice teacher Jeffrey Allen says the Italians used to suggest taking your technique onstage with you in your little finger". Meaning... that's how much awareness they gave to training when actually performing. It's a paradox that you must also practice performing... make it a regular habit to sing to someone (even a cat or dog will do).

Trust your trained voice and it will reward you with performance magic!

Overpowering Vocals

Overpowering vocals is bad vocal technique because it communicates a kind of power that is counterproductive on several levels, including:

• Yelling is not persuasive communication that invites listening. So if you want me to listen to you, don't yell at me.
• Screaming your melody to the top of your lungs may make me momentarily go "Wow, the singer is certainly trying to be great", but it won't make me go buy your album.
• Over-blowing your vocal cords hurts them. If you value your instrument, you must take care of it unless you intend it to only work badly for a short season.

Watching the Country Music Awards Show last night (just like every other genre of music award show where energy and emotions are high), I saw overpowering in several performances. If you've never done these kinds of shows, they tend to be events where it's hard to hear well. You have a lot of ambient sound swirling round and it's easy to get disoriented, disconnected to your voice. Then, oh my gosh, you have to make such an impact so you give it all you've got.

Mistake.

Giving it all you've got translates to pushing 100% of the breath pressure you have available through your vocal cords- and 100% is TOO MUCH PRESSURE! Doing this always results in a lack of control. Lack of control makes you pitchy, makes your vibrato flutter irregularly or unnaturally, makes you unable to execute vocal embellishments (licks or ad libs) well. It also causes your tone to be too thin or harsh, because it tightens your throat.

You need to do what great sparring partners do... learn to pull your punches. Control what you are giving out and it will be much more effective (not to mention, it won't hurt them or you!). Back off the forward breath pressure until your power seems to be balanced at your tailbone. Then you can actually give more communicative life to your performance.

Here's the magic equation for best vocal performance:
Back off the pressure and add passion.

Country artists who habitually balance pressure and passion just right include Reba (the queen of balanced vocals), LeAnn Rimes, Faith, Trisha, Jennifer Nettles, Clay Walker, Brad Paisley, Randy Travis, Garth Brooks and sometimes Keith Urban (he began pushing too hard at the end of his performance). Notice again... these all give quite empassioned performances. Martina and Gary of Rascal Flatts can also be great and balanced but were, I thought, pushing just a little too hard last night.

Did you catch the CMA's last night? Do you agree with my assessments? What did I miss?

Rolling With The Flow On The Road

I performed for a Red Hat Society multi-club party this weekend in Florence, Alabama. I was in a skit, I gave a short voice lesson in Power, Path and Performance, then I sang a 45 minute set. Getting to the gig reminded me how important it is to have a certain all important mindset when dealing with "unexpected adventures" on the road:

Roll With The Flow!

It started out just fine Friday afternoon- I had given my last voice lessons, returned all my phone calls and answered emails, packed the car with my keyboard, music, performance clothes, etc, and all the other stuff I've grown accustomed to taking with me. I had double-checked to make sure I had all my cords, pedals and other gear (oh how I miss having a good road manager!).

I took a deep breath, grabbed a CD of "Runaway Home" song demos in case I had a chance to do some homework (I'm writing the music out so theater groups joining the Runaway Home Alliance who don't know the Nashville number system can learn the songs), and took out southbound on I-65.

I was making good time getting to the final skit rehearsal (a hilarious take-off on "Anything Goes" by the host chapter) and sound check scheduled for 7pm that night; the gig was Saturday afternoon. About half way there my thoughts began to drift along from new song lyrics, vocal warm-ups, script lines, to-do lists, future plans and such. I nonchalantly glanced at my gas gage; it read "full", so I paid no further attention. That is, until my car began to lurch and lunge in the tell-tale "out of gas" dance! I was so completely out of gas I had allowed the gage to get stuck somehow, and it went from reporting "FULL" to completely "EMPTY".

I coasted as far as I could to try and tell exactly where I was, but when I stopped I still couldn't see an exit in either direction. All I knew for sure was that I was somewhere between Nashville and Florence. A sweet family of strangers stopped and gave me a ride to the next exit's gas station and drove me back to my car; I filled itwith a gallon of gas but it still wouldn't start.

I finally made the decision to place a cellphone call to AAA, which always takes at least an hour to get to me (which is why I didn't call them in the first place). The tow truck couldn't start it with more gas, so I called my brother Billy Robbins, who is a master mechanic in Brentwood, Tn for advice. From the back of his Harley (he and his wife were riding in the "Trail of Tears" motorcycle event), he suggested that I have the truck tow me to a gas station, fill my tank half full and tap on my fuel tank with a hammer (don't ask me why!). It finally worked!!

I drove off, a happy camper until I discovered that I'd left my purse in the tow truck. I contacted AAA who helped me met up with the guy again, get my purse and tipped him well! Meanwhile, my sweet sister Beki Ferguson came to meet me and make sure my adventures were over.

About 10:00pm, we finally got to the venue in Florence where my mother was waiting, and I was able to set up my gear. We all had a great, relieved laugh over the whole series of events, and I called my brother to tell him the tow truck guy thought he was a genius! (We all know he is.)

Moral of this story: I have discovered that sometimes the stranger the road problems, the better the gig. My voice was in great shape due to all the time I had to warm up while waiting for rescue. (Oh yeah, and I sang full voice every day for a week before the gig... I had learned THAT lesson!)

If I had let the frustrations consume me, I know it would have negatively affected my performance. Instead, my mother was honored, my niece Gretta, a talented performer in her own right, worked the spotlight and got to see me practice what I preach to her, the sound guys (who didn't know me) were very surprised and complimentary, and Florence mayor Bobby Irons' wife Sara, herself a Red-hatter, told me I could quote her as saying she'd never been to a better concert.

The banquet hall full of scarlet and purple gave me two standing O's - one in the middle of a brand new song "I Believe", which I co-wrote with Alicia and Jessica Yantz, and again at the end of the concert.

All I can say is, Thank you God! I can say from experience - no matter what- it will all work out if we just trust the journey, treat everyone with kindness and respect and Roll With The Flow!

Have you had any "road adventure" lessons lately? Confess!!