Reading the Rockumentary boys' recap from their recent super-fun gig-trip to P-Town, I heaved a mighty sigh. If only I was in a band, I could go on fun trips like that too. I'm not even a band-girlfriend anymore, so I really have no reason to tag along. It's too bad that it's not more socially acceptable or common to go on weekend trips with a bunch of friends. I mean, it is, but not when you're over 30 (just barely over 30, boys!) it seems.

But listen, I can sing a little; maybe some punk band would have me. At shape-note singing Tuesday, the woman sitting to my left, one of the people who know all of the songs by number, said that I had a great voice and that she was glad to have had the chance to sing next to me. Wow! I really have no idea how I sound there most of the time, unless I screw up - and since the group was really hepped up last time, with lots of fast and loud tunes, my strained voice kept cracking and doing things I did not want it to do. I only hear my wrong notes because they're out of step with the rest of the altos. Thank god I can tell when things are in pitch. I am learning how to better control my voice, mostly by backing off on the volume when it feels like my vocal cords are about to start rebelling. Surprisingly (to me), I think my voice has been improving over the past year in tone and quality. It's very exciting.

This may be due to the fact that it's now spring and I'm single, but I am also suddenly in love with the entire (all male, all ages) bass section of the singing group. They just have great voices, all gruff and low and forceful yet jaunty and kind of funny with the enunciation they do, and they usually have to jump in first during the fugues, so you can hear them really well. Some of them will kind of shout a high note when it's at a climactic part of the song. I know this all sounds incredibly dorky, and if I was reading this and hadn't written it myself, I would be rolling my eyes. But you have to believe me. They are all lovely.