For
eleven years, from the ages of fourteen to twenty-five, I took voice lessons,
and practiced at least an hour a day. I was always the lead singer of my band,
doing a few shows a week, getting as much real-world experience as possible.
The whole time, people kept tel ing me I was just not a singer—that I should
give it up and find a real singer.
When I was twenty-five, I recorded my first album. When I gave it to someone
who was a real mentor to me, he gave it a focused listen and then said, “Derek,
you're just not a singer. You real y need to stop trying. Admit you're a
songwriter, and find a real singer.” But I bounced away from that meeting
unfazed. I knew I just had more work to do.
At twenty-eight, I started noticing that my voice was getting good! I recorded a
few new songs, and for the first time, I real y liked the vocals!
At twenty-nine, I had done it. After fifteen years of practice, and about a
thousand live shows, I was final y a very good singer, at least by my own
standards. (Someone who heard me for the first time then said, “Singing is a gift
you're either born with or you're not. You're lucky. You were born with it!”)
Point is: It's not that I wanted to get it done and have good vocals. It's that I
wanted to be a great singer.
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