Singing (to) the Blues

I was driving to work this morning and Webber's Pie Jesu came on the CD, so I started singing along. Something seemed to click from past voice lessons andI thought I sounded much better than I remember doing before. I hit repeat and was singing at the top of my lungs on 84, cars were whizzing past, and I got honked at. Then I realized I was driving in the tempo of the song (slow) and way below the speed limit.

But it felt so good to be able to sing that I just pulled over and sang away. I was amazed at the operatic depth and the smoothness of tone even of the high B flats! Maybe my voice has matured at last. Shortly after I pulled over, a police car pulled up behind me, the officer in dress blues came to the car window. "Is there a problem?"

"No, sir. Its just that I got to singing to a song on my CD, and I wanted to be able to sing without causing an accident." It was an open invitation to a clever retort. I recognized that as soon as I said it. I wondered what his comment would be.

He thought for a few minutes (no expression on his face at all - I was beginning to fidget uncomfortably) then said, "Well, don't let it happen again," and walked off.

I laughed most of the rest of the way to work. I wonder if he was trying to figure out what sort of ticket he could write -

"Driving in the wrong tempo?"

"Illegal parking to sing?"

"Insane diva gone awry?"

I wonder if I am now one of those stories about crazy people that police share when they are one-upping each other.

It was a great start to a Friday, I must say. I have sung lots of styles, but never so well as to attract the blues