Olivia Newton-John and Exploring the World of Song

Do you have a movie from your childhood that made an impact?

I remember the waves the movie Grease made as it came out. It was 1978 and I was ten. I was in forth grade in school as I headed to the movies and took it all in.

Back then I wasn’t focused on John Travolta. To that I must add, he is someone I deeply appreciate. I like Travolta immensely. He seems like such a terrific person. Loving and wise. Always choosing a sunny attitude through life’s challenges. And yes, he sure is a hottie too. Here is a performance from 1976, two years before Grease was released Let Her In.

But the character Travolta plays in Grease didn’t act in a way that would peak my interest. Too immature. With that said, Grease was actually created as a parody of corny 1950s teen musicals. The very thing it is celebrated for embracing.

The characters of Travolta and Newton-John are meant to be satirical clichés.

Also, the movie isn’t necessarily aimed at kids. It is a satire for grown-ups.

The satire was lost on me. All my wise ten year old girl attention was on Olivia Newton-John. Like many girls my age I was intrigued by her character. Innocent and pure-hearted.

I watched the whole 1950s American High School thing displayed in the movie. A colorful world different from what I knew.

For the next weeks me and my best girl friend back then, Marie V, danced in her mum’s bedroom, when her mum was away. We pretended to be Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta in the song You’re The One That I Want.

I had fun taking on the role of Olivia Newton-John. With a confident look on my face, a self assured strut in my step, I was tripping around on my toes, pretending I was wearing high heels, feeling immensely sophisticated and grown up while doing so.

We didn’t know English well enough to understand the lyrics. We confidently and loudly sang: ”Yo betchi bopp.” Not having a clue the lyrics actually were ”You better shape up”.

Olivia Newton-John stayed on in my life. I always liked her. I looked a lot like her and back then, when I needed a photo for an ID for the bus, to save the time getting my own photo taken, I used her photo that I cut out of a magazine.

A record I truly enjoyed was Olivia Newton John’s album Totally Hot released in 1978. I played the record over and over. I knew every song by heart. I still do. The multitude times I played these songs seems to have forever engrained them into my memory.

I sang alongside Olivia Newton-John on the Totally Hot album. Every single song. Over and over. I glowed with joy reaching all the high notes in the song Please don’t keep me waiting. The part at the end of the song. I was thrilled to sing those high notes.

I enjoy Olivia Newton-John in the intensely 70s style looking record studio in A Little More Love, with her cool studio gear in Deeper Than The Night and her confident moves in Totally Hot.

I love singing to this day. I have such fun exploring my voice. Feeling into my voice. Trying out different sounds. Exploring high notes. Being in the flow of the music. One with the sounds. Exploring the long sounds, when you float through a range of notes in one long beautiful flow. When you feel like you are floating on a otherworldly stream of sacred sound.

Singing opera is a grand thing. To me, it has such a deliciously rewarding range.

I am a soprano.

A favorite part of my week, is when it’s time for my weekly singing lessons. I take professional singing lessons for pure joy. I can warmly recommend voice training. Singing is such a colorful world to explore. The voice such a delightful tool for expressing oneself.

Never to be silenced or diminished.

Vittoria, mio core, by Giacomo Carissimi, one of the great Italian composers of the 17th century, is a piece I’m singing at the moment.

What do you like to explore? What makes you feel eager, confident and unapologetically you?