My mom has always been a very well-rounded musician: she has a lovely singing voice, an excellent ear, and plays the piano beautifully, too. At some point in her earlier life, she picked up the French horn and gave it a whirl; that was where my mom found her niche. She changed her major while she was at BYU to French horn performance and took the department by storm. These are, of course, stories I've heard from her college friends. I didn't get to ever really hear her play that much growing up, but occasionally she'd perform with a symphony in the area and she even made a Christmas CD one year.
Needless to say, thanks to the well-rounded talents that my mother possessed, music was a big part of the Jeffries home. I'm told that I have been singing since I was 2 1/2 years old. At that time, my mom was the director of a performance group chain called Sunshine Generation; the program originated in Utah. My brother and I were both in the group and spent time traveling with my mom and the 20+ performers to various towns and events.
I actually don't know when my parents knew that I could sing. I suppose I should ask them. All I know is that I started taking voice lessons when I was 6 years old.
Regardless of when or how it happened, it's just been in my life for as long as I can remember.
I've talked about my love for Julie Andrews before. I've talked about her class and her voice and her talents in general. I have a deep, deep respect for this woman - not just because of her talent, but because she has lived through my greatest fear: losing her ability to sing.I'd heard stories and read articles and seen snippets of interviews where she talked about her vocal cord damage, but until today - until I decided what I was going to post about as today's tribute - I didn't really dig deep to hear it all. I spent hours researching the tragedy, and it resulted in so many tears being shed.
I remember when The Princess Diaries 2 was released and there was so much talk of Julie Andrews making her singing comeback in the movie. I know I'm not the only one who watched this part of the movie and hurt for her as she sang. Her range in the song was about four notes and she strained to hit even those. She spoke-sang most of the song.I just can't imagine.
In an interview with Barbara Walters in February of 1999, just 19 months after the surgery that changed her life, she said, "To not sing with an orchestra, to not be able to communicate through my voice which I've done all my life and not to be able to phrase lyrics and give people that kind of joy, I think I would be totally devastated."
You can watch the "nitty-gritty" part of the interview here.
She underwent what was assumed to be a standard procedure in removing non-cancerous nodules from her throat and, in the end, was left unable to sing.
Without question, that is my greatest fear. Maybe it seems petty. Maybe. But it certainly isn't something I take lightly. In the last few years, I've become especially dependent on my voice. I think it's because I am recognizing that it is the tool that will help me achieve my dreams. The truth is, aside from my family and my beliefs, my voice has been the one constant I've had. To lose that... well, I just don't know how I'd be able to do that.
(And yet, I know I would have to if it came to that.)
In the 20/20 interview, Julie is questioned with a huge what if. Barbara Walters asked, "Julie, if you can't sing anymore, how would it change your life?"
She paused for a long time before she said it just as I would feel it, "Oh, I think it would change something inside me forever."
Amen, sista'.
So... after turning myself into a blubbering fool, it's important for me to specify what exactly I'm making this tribute about. I feel so lucky and grateful to have the joy that is singing in my life. I fully intend on doing everything I can to keep it around, and I hope to never, ever, ever take it for granted.
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