Sing Your Song

I grew up around music and was constantly singing to the radio or vinyl recordings as a youngster. From 1974 to 1994 I was chronicling my life’s journey in song. I started playing professionally in nightclubs at a very early age. Overhearing instructions by the nightclub owners, “You can only play songs that are BMI licensed,” and seeing musicians being sued over music rights in the news put the fear of the music industry in me.

Dave Michael Valentine with acoustic guitarSo, I thought the only way not to get sued for playing music, was to write my own songs (originally fear-based songwriting). As I embraced the process, these songs became my musical scrapbook, the soundtrack for the stories spanning twenty years of my life.

I always knew – even as a young child – that I had a message and a mission, and though it has taken many forms along the way, I have stayed active and true to my life’s calling; and sometimes my message is sung. I never claimed to be a proficient singer or songwriter, only a man with a message burning inside, aching to get out in any way possible and I didn’t let my ability (or lack of ability) keep me from singing my song.

You came to this planet with a song So singYou came to this planet with a song to sing. What is your message, your song? Your message/song is unique to you. No one can tell you what song you should sing because it is your song, and your song alone.

Managerial structures that govern the publicly accepted views revered by our earth’s inhabitants would like you to think it is okay to sing a song, as long as it isn’t too radical or upsets the status quo. Plus, just like anything else, only individuals “qualified” should participate in such activities.

This underlying philosophy will keep most of the individual song-singers in check and when you’re trying to find or sing your song, you may start to interrupt yourself due to doubt propagated by the idea that

  • I’m not good enough
  • I’m not educated enough
  • I’m not strong enough
  • I’m not qualified enough
  • I’m not a good singer
  • I’m not from a musical family
  • I’m afraid to sing in front of people

And any other barrage of self-doubt and excuses to keep you from singing your song. If you don’t sing, they win; your message is stifled, your candle light is snuffed out and the community at large suffers.

Believe me, there is someone who needs to hear your song. I have countless stories of people who were moved by particular songs that I’ve written and/or performed… some have truly amazed me. Because even though I wrote a song with a specific subject matter or purpose, the listener was moved in an impactful manner; and when they explain to me how the song spoke to them, I can’t even imagine how they could have interpreted the subject in such a way.

Obedient sharing will bless others in ways you could never expect

It’s like being obedient to sharing your message, will bless others in ways you could never expect.

If someone is drawn to you, they may need to hear your song… If you are singing, the universe will bring people to you to hear your song. It may be only one person, a small group of folks or thousands of people; it doesn’t matter.

What matters is that you sing your song. So sing.

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