This past weekend I performed with three other singer-songwriters at a theater in Michigan.
There was Mary, whose bluesy “let ‘er rip” style and at times dirty lyrics often made the audience burst out in laughter (in a good way!).
There was Glen, whose deep resonant voice fit perfectly with her lyrics, often inspired by the landscapes that surround her farmland home in northern Michigan.
There was Matt, whose songs often began with a groovy guitar riff and included especially colorful chords.
Then there was me, and if you’ve ever heard my songs, you know that my intricate finger-style guitar playing and high singing voice are often reminiscent of Joni Mitchell or James Taylor, two of my songwriting heroes.
In short, our styles – instrumentally, vocally, and musically overall – were as different as could be!
And I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
After all, would you want to sit for hours listening to the same musical style over and over, or talk to the same type of people every day?
I know I wouldn’t.
Sure, you’d always know what to expect. It would be safe. But it would never challenge, surprise, or inspire you. It would never push you to evolve and grow.
Uniformity is overrated, whereas diversity is a thing to be embraced, adopted, and cultivated – never feared.
So if you’ve ever felt that you’re different – be glad!
