A Lesson in Voice

I am a fan of great music. I especially love acapella music, that wonderful blend of voices that create an entire symphony at times. NBC has a show called "The Sing Off", and one of songs they had to sing last week was a current hit. One group, Afro-Blue, is the acapella jazz ensemble at Howard University. They usually never do pop or current songs, so this forced them out of their comfort zone. But as part of their desire to stay true to their voice, or their sound, they created something amazing. Listen as they "jazz" up "American Boy" by Estelle:

They took a song and made it their own, using their own "words" if you will, to share the story. No one can deliver a story like you can. Don't try to be anyone else. Use your words and your viewpoint. Even if the "plot" is tired and familiar, the way you deliver it is your voice. As long as your story "sounds" like you, your voice is there.

Don't get discouraged if not everyone likes it. That is subjective territory, and you can't make everyone love you all of the time. So BE YOU! Be true to your own voice and in the end you will make beautiful music on the page.