Choir Disaster

I really like to sing. If I am by myself. I used to want to be a singer, when I was younger... and then I realized that I have extreme, and I mean EXTREME stage fright. I don't even have to be on stage... just having someone around me freaks me out. Even Luis hasn't heard me REALLY sing. Only my children who ride in the car with me! I can sing at church, because there are tons of voices. I sang in church choir in San Antonio with Mom... and realized it is a very frustrating experience. Here is the thing... I have an alto range but I don't know how to read music and I can't sing alto if I am around supranos singing the melody! I just can't make my voice NOT sing what the supranos are singing! So since then I have avoided choirs. Our ward choir director is a little old lady and she called me up on Saturday night and guilt-tripped me into agreeing to sing in the choir for the Christmas song next sunday. UGH! I couldn't say no! Sure enough, it was a disaster. I started out with the supranos, because I knew even though I can't hit all the high notes at least I would know the part. Fail! So I moved down to the altos... Disaster again. I tried my best to listen to Lisa, who has a beautiful alto voice, and follow her. But I couldn't! How embarrassing! I just hummed and fake sang my way through 30 minutes of practice! Luis was kind enough to help me practice at home last night, and I think I will have to practice every night... but I still can't do it very well, because he is there! Isn't it sad that I can't sing in front of my own husband? The frustrating part is that if I am by myself I have a decent voice! As one of my young women in excellence projects I am trying to relearn piano and I think I am going to throw in there learning to sing in front of others. Wish me luck!