Straight out of college I was dating a really nice guy who seemed to have lots of problems with the attention I got from performing music. Believe me, I say that humbly.
Again, I was straight out of college working for the State of West Virginia in a miserable internship with inept (understatement) managers.
I sang locally and that was it. NOTHING glamorous.
But this guy’s need for my attention over the music was problematic.
One early evening I was sitting in the backyard with my Mom and my lifetime neighbor, Joyce, talking about it, when Joyce said this:
But if you take the music away from Belinda, then there’s no Belinda.
I can still hear her saying it right now.
And Joyce pretty much nailed it.
If you take away the music from me, I’m not me anymore.
And in all the years since, through the loves and losses, I’ve always held those words.
I sing because I like to sing.
I play piano because I can.
Songwriting is what I do whether anyone else sees a word or hears a note I put down.
I don’t know how to be anyone else.
This is how God made me.
When it all comes down, it matters because it does. Frankly, that’s enough.
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This is me. My mother used to nag me about “doing too much”…the job, singing, songwriting classes and writing. I told her, “that’s my joy, without the music, what’s the point?” Now she’ll say, “well, I would tell you that you are doing too much, but I wouldn’t want to take your joy from you.” 😉