Finding the Creative Voice in Song

Hello friends! This week I have asked my sister Karen Bradbury, indie singer, maker of things of all media, and imagineer extraordinaire to write about a recent experience of rediscovering and using her creative voice with three of my other sisters (there are seven of us all together). Here we are with our mom a few years ago:

And here is Karen:

Ever since I can remember, I have felt the drive to create. I made clothes for my dolls, made paper, tried embroidery, wrote poems and journals, and later songs. Now, it might be a new recipe with my own twist, a vintage skirt from the thrift store that I’ve re-fashioned, or a workshop table that I’ve built myself. Whatever it is, I have always had the need to “make.” On a good day, when I am creating, it is an emotional feast that feeds my very soul. 

create (verb) krē-ˌāt - to bring into existence

The act of creation is an emotional one for me. When I am successful in moving my ego and self-doubt out of the way, I am transported to some other realm, where time slows and I become one with the process.

And I am frequently inspired by what others have done. When I see something that another creative mind has done, and connect with it, it moves me. That’s the magic for me. How can just seeing or hearing something someone else has done have such a dramatic effect? There may be a scientific explanation or maybe not, but for me the spark I feel is tangible. It’s an “A-ha!” moment.

Sometimes, I am fortunate enough to share the joy of creative collaboration. Recently, I performed at a concert with several of my sisters. We put together a short set of songs from our childhood - songs we used to sing in church, on long car trips to visit our grandparents, or sitting around the campfire. 

The rehearsal process was challenging and even a little surprising. As grown women with children, some with grandchildren, all with obligations and busy schedules, even setting a time to practice was tricky for us. When we did all finally get together, there was the obligatory “catching up” – all the family news. And then, we’d settle down for the music-making: running through songs, false starts (“That key is too high.”), working through harmonies (“Can we take it from the chorus again?”), scrapping songs that just didn’t work for some reason or another. But when the songs did work, there were some amazing sounds. If you’ve ever sung with others, you may know that feeling when the music comes together. And when you’re singing harmonies with voices so similar to your own, the results can be absolutely effervescent!

Eileen, Peggy, Nora, and Karen

Then came time for the performance. I was glad it was a casual affair. It’s been a while since I did much performing and I’ll admit I was a little nervous. But the audience was made up primarily of amateur singers, song writers, musicians, and supporters, so that helped quell my anxiety.

 One of the first songs we performed was “Bye, Bye Love” by the Everly Brothers. After the second chorus, the guitars dropped out and we repeated the chorus a capella. Suddenly, we realized the entire audience was singing along! All the voices in the hall were resonating and reverberating in harmony. It was a “goose-bump” moment – our creation had transcended us and become so much more than the sum of its parts.

resonance (noun) rez-nən(t)s - the intensification and enriching of a musical tone by supplementary vibration.

For me that night, my artistic expression was about the connection with my sisters and the audience who shared that moment, that creation. The emotional resonance was undeniable. Time stood still, for just an instant, and I was truly transported.

Artistic expression and creativity, for me, isn’t about perfection: as Marybeth has talked about here in prior posts, it’s the process that is important. When it’s not going as I expected or hoped, that’s ok. I know I’ll learn something from it if I’m open to it. When it is going well, it feeds my soul and refines my creative voice. And for that, I am grateful.