This is my "Oatmeal Story"

Imaginations on! Lets go back to a time when you were "eager to learn". You are now in my handy-dandy time machine and ZAP, you are one year old. You're sitting in your highchair and up until now you've been spoon fed, due to helplessness. Today, you are going to "Do It Yourself."

For the first time, the spoon is in your hand. You grip the spoon and then you drop it...but without self-judgement. Your primary motivation is hunger, and you are delighted that you have this new and exciting opportunity.

The dish of oatmeal is right in front of you. You awkwardly motor the spoon to the dish, but the spoon is upside down. You manage to get the spoon from the dish to your mouth, but there's no food on it...your first test run. Momma helps you turn the spoon around, and this time you manage to scoop up some oatmeal. As you move the spoon towards your face, the oatmeal falls down on your lap. You don't notice this, but as you put the spoon in your mouth, you realize there is nothing on it and you are still hungry.

Again, you put the spoon in the dish, and scoop up some oatmeal. You move the spoon toward your mouth...and hit your cheek. Gooey oatmeal is running down your cheek. Spoon back to the dish, and this time, lo and behold, you can scream BINGO! You got a mouthful. You are overwhelmed with joy. With smiling eyes, you look proudly at Momma who mirrors back to you your joy of accomplishment. Each time you got closer. Each time you improved. This is learning.

Not once did you judge your performance. Not once did you smack yourself on the forehead and say..."I can't do it." Not once did you give up. Like the energizer bunny, you kept going and going, and you happily munched down that first spoonful of oatmeal. GROOVY!

This is how we unlearn judgement. We reconnect with our "eager to learn", non-judging selves and we bring this "self" with us to singing lessons. Then, we practice two things: not judging, and self-encouragement. It is a well known fact that whatever we practice, we get good at. If we continue to practice judgement, we get better at it. If instead, we practice self-encouragement, we get better at that. Which would you prefer to practice?

Mary Anne Epp is a writer / singer / songwriter / performing musician / recording artist and resident Bel Canto Instructor in K-W.

For instruction in Bel Canto technique / Positive Thinking:

call Mary Anne
(519) 569-7086