The Birth of the Billy Goat

My long-time readers(all three) will have noticed some changes to my blog, including the address.  I got a little bored with the same look and name.  I decided to rename it “Life as a Billy Goat”, as a take on my nickname.  My favorite nickname at that.  This blog post is the story of my nickname(and an explanation of why I’m always writing ‘Mehhhh’ on FaceBook).

My dear Tishmeister and I had just begun our journey of wasting each others time on a regular basis(Augustish), and I mentioned that I had begun to notice some vibrato in my singing.  Our family and vibrato have a complicated relationship.

My mother is picky about the singers she listens to.  She likes small-range, minimum vibrato.   I grew up w ith the mindset that vibrato is something to be feared.  Vibrato is what society considers opera singers different from “normal” singers.  This is not true, but still contains some truth.  Opera singers have vibrato.  It is natural.  Unfortunately, it can sometimes border on a “wobble”.  Wobbles are bad.  No one wants to listen to a wobble.  I have a deathly fear of wobbles.

So, here I am, barely 14 and hearing vibrato.  This vibrato actually turned out to be something else, but that is immaterial in this story.

I mention to Tishmeister this vibrato, and the fear of becoming a becoming a “billy goat” singer.  She apparently thought this was hilarious and a great blog nickname that she’d been looking for.  Thus, Billy Goat was born. 

I do have vibrato now, but it is healthy and natural.  I still love being called Billy Goat. 

Mehhhhh.