Woody Guthrie's American Song kicks ass. CD recommendation of the night.

I've talked about how much I love Old Town School of Folk Music -- great classes, and a great community. You can take everything from Tuvan throat singing to Aztec ceremonial dance to jembe drum to accordion to tin whistle to... well, you get the idea. Plus they have kick-ass guitar classes, private lessons, workshops (yodeling! digeridoo!), ensembles, concerts and more. It's a great place. Almost every class I've taken there is incredibly energizing and fun.

Almost.

I just dropped a Torch Songs class, first because I'm soon to be unemployed and don't feel like spending the money, and second because the class just wasn't quite right for me. It's for people who want to perform more than people who want to sing. The teacher played us three or four versions of a classic torch song (Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered by Ella, Sinatra and Julie... someone) and asked us -- as a group -- to work on the stylistic quirks from each version. But not everyone actually knew the song, and not everyone, to be honest, could actually carry the tune. I'm more interested in the substance than the style, and this class was all about style. It's not the teacher's fault -- she's great; I had her for vocal harmony 1 and 2. It's just the focus of the class is one sounding original and unique rather than actually singing. Not my idea of a good time.

That's not to say I would be disappointed to sound like Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughn, but going into it trying to sound like them is missing the point, I think. You don't sing like that, you imitate, and it's probably going to be a pale and/or piss-poor imitation at that. I'd rather get to the point where I feel like I can really sing before I start trying to develop a style.

So, sorry Brian and others who I'd told about this -- I'm afraid I won't be singing Someone to Watch Over Me or I Want a Monster to be my Playmate at the bar in June. I'm sure you'll live.