I'm a Product of My Childhood

I was thinking about this topic a couple of times today in different situations.

I'm the same person I was when I was 7. That's an over-simplification, of course. But the same things I loved as a child, I love now. Singing has always been one of the greatest loves of my life. It was true when I was 7; it's true now. When I was 7, I wanted to put on pretty dresses and pretend to be a princess or a peasant or an orphan or an heiress and live in a different time period. And it's still one of my favorite things (and one of the things that draws me to acting).

Today at my voice lesson, my teacher told me I have the "perfect" voice for Belle in Beauty and the Beast. (Lyric Theatre is having auditions for that show coming up, which is why we were working on one of the songs.) He said I have that Disney-style mix-belt. At first I thought that was a fascinating evaluation. My second reaction was to not be so surprised. Disney musicals influenced my formative singing years more than any other genre. How many times did I sing "Part of That World" from The Little Mermaid while in the shower? I loved that song! If I had grown up listening to rock, I'd probably have a more rock sounding voice. But I listened to The Sound of Music and The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast and things like that.

And, too, I think a lot of my insecurities and weaknesses are based in my childhood, too.

It's funny to think how I'm officially an adult — and yet I'm still that same kid singing and playing dress up. It's a good thing I adore that kid. :)