Nicola has a distinct advantage over me as she is a fiddle player, but then I have played a little bit of guitar and have more time on my hands for practise.
Now, I'm not saying that after 3 days I'm as good as Mr Formby, but I can rock a mean version of Sweet Child O' Mine. If you've never heard a bit of Guns & Roses played on the ukulele then you haven't lived!
On a serious note, I'm actually rather surprised at myself. It's been a long time since I felt like playing music. I've forgotten so much that I haven't really bothered over the last few years.
A few months ago I sang at an open mic in a pub (it's the pub where we go knitting on a Thursday so I know a few of the regulars). I got a great reception. Comments like ' I didn't know you could sing' and 'you're a dark horse' and my most favourite comment was, 'are you a professional?'
That afternoon I was reminded that I've spent most of my life mastering a craft that I'm very lucky to have. A lot of people tell me how they would love to be able to sing and that I have been given a gift. (I wonder if it was Gods way of making up for the RA!)
I always thought that everyone could sing and that you could teach anyone to discover their own voice but maybe I'm wrong. The voice is an instrument that we all share but we can't all use it. I think that some are born with something that makes a singing voice extra special. In the same way others are good at cooking or art or sport or French. (I'm rubbish at ALL of those things by the way!) Maybe it's all programmed into us before we're born.
Mmmmm food for thought me thinks!
