Diversify! Diversify!.....imagine that said with the voice of a Dalek.

The title of this post makes it sound far more sinister than it actually is. I just thought it would sound funny. Plus, I can legitimately write "Doctor Who" in the tags thus attracting a whole new audience, albeit an audience with little or no interest in the inner workings of a soprano's brain. Although you never know. It's always good to broaden ones horizons which is, kind of, what this diary entry is all about.

So, apart from my foray back into the world of musical theatre during the summer, I have not been performing much over the past couple of years. Not through choice, you understand, I absolutely loved my time in the big tent on the seafront in Frinton. Just imagine a Great British Bake Off sized tent, though not worth £25 million (or is it £75 million), 200 seats but no gingham or Mary Berry. Anyway, this small blip, or temporary stagnation, in my singing career has got me thinking of different ways in which I can pay the rent. Of course, I can think of many ways I could easily pay my bills, unfortunately most of them aren't legal or moral so I am not prepared to embark upon them. However, there are a few things I am capable of doing without throwing my good name in to disrepute.

As regular readers of my diary know, I teach singing to the unsuspecting of Croydon (and Chatham). I teach privately but I also teach at a couple of kid's theatre schools. I have come to realise recently that I have become a little complacent over the past year. I would love to not have to teach at the schools anymore and be my own boss (not because I don't enjoy it, I do! In case anyone I work for reads this, I am not leaving imminently!). I want to be totally in charge of my own destiny but this takes legwork.

I have a friend who also teaches singing privately and she has more than enough students to pay her bills and keep her food cupboards fully stocked. SO, what am I doing, or not doing, that is holding me back?

Part of the problem is she is far more the go-getter than I will ever be. I tend to live in a dream world, hoping that fabulous things will land in my lap. I am a little bit of the mindset, if I think it, it will happen even though I am intelligent enough to know that this is codswallop. Nobody ever got anywhere by day-dreaming in bed. Well, except Angela Lansbury et al in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" (if you don't understand the reference, look up the film, it is amazing). Anyway, all that is set to change. I have already updated my teaching website, and then re-updated when another friend pointed out everything wrong with it, I have put up flyers in my local area and am now waiting for the phone to ring. It hasn't yet but I am hopeful it will.

In the meantime I am also putting into action plans to start an adult choir (that makes it sound a little kinky, it's not, unless you want it to be). This isn't going to make my fortune, and it isn't meant to, it is more a way to become a bigger part of my local community. Being an actor/singer waiting for the next job to come along can be a lonely business. You cant go out meeting friends as much as you would like because this normally costs money. Money you haven't got when you aren't working and with such an uncertain future you have to save every penny possible. Which is why so many actor friends come to realise that you have to have something else on the go in order to get by between jobs. So if I can add to my teaching portfolio with a choir and meet like minded people in my local area it has to be a good thing. At the moment my best friend is Netflix and nobody should have to say that.

I have never been a hugely proactive person but as time rolls on I think this has to change. I therefore apologise in advance to my Facebook friends and Twitter followers as I intend to inundate my Facebook timeline and Twitter feed with posts about my business. Please understand, as a person who tends to apologise for her very existence, this is the final time I am going to apologise for this!

For more information about singing lessons in South Croydon click on The Singing Stars.

The final Diary Entry of 2013 so I think it is about time we discussed ABBA.

I started writing this a couple of weeks ago and totally forgot to post it so I thought I might as well share it now. I have a lovely little piece about SuBo and everyone's favourite, Katherine Jenkins, coming but I don't want to rush it so it will be the first Diary Entry of 2014. Only SuBo and Our Kath are worthy of this accolade. But for now let us turn our attention to Sweden and 4 people who were definitely instrumental in my increasing desire to be a singer as a child. I apologise for any typos regarding names. I have checked and double checked but I may have used the wrong resource to get definitive spellings.

I started writing this having returned home from a kicking night out in Croydon (in truth it was a dirty Chinese meal and a couple of chocolate Bailey's with me mate Helen but for me that is quite kicking). I turned on the telly box to find ABBA Live in Concert on Channel 5 and I thought they deserved a mention. 

I have always loved ABBA, not just because of their ability to put together an infectious, cheesy pop song (I love that too) but because of the quality of their vocals. In particular Agnetha Fältskog. Agnetha was always my favourite girl and Björn Ulvaeus my favourite boy. It seemed so magical, even at 6 years old, to think that these two beautiful blonde people were married. I was distraught when they split up.

As a child I had a fascination with blonde people. I think it was because my hair was, and still is, SO brown. I befriended lots of blonde children whilst at infant school. One girl had very fine, almost white hair that I coveted so. I preferred Jenna to Cally in "Blake's 7" (possibly the greatest TV series ever produced) all because of her beautiful blonde hair. 

I am no longer a huge fan of blonde hair (fickle, some might say). I must tell you I would not now swap my thick, dark brown hair for anything but I always find it odd that I was so anti-brunette as a child. To the point that I actually hated (a bit strong maybe) Anni-Frid (the other girl in ABBA) but Agnetha could do no wrong. As it happens I do still prefer Agnetha but as a singer not because of her hair colour. Her range is incredible and effortless. It seems like she can sing anything. During the programme they showed a bit of the girls warming up before a concert and they were both doing scales like an opera singer. Up and down, seamlessly through their ranges. It is something I try and encourage my musical theatre and pop students to do. Warm up your head voice before you try to belt and it will last an awful lot longer. 

I think Agnetha's vocal ability is the main reason that people find it so hard to cover their songs. I don't think I have ever heard anyone sing an ABBA song anywhere near as well as the group themselves sang them originally. One song that many girls would have a bit of trouble with, I reckon, is "It's got to be rock and roll". In the middle of this top tune Agnetha soars up to a top B. Not in full belt but a very convincing mix. I know very few who could do this in the way she does it (I know there are other girls who can do it but can they do everything else this super human singer can do? OK, yes, probably). I think the thing that impresses me the most about this blonde goddess is that she makes it sound SO easy. When you hear "Dancing Queen" it sounds so simple so you sing along. You then realise it is trickier to hit the notes like the ABBA girls do and end up basically shouting (or is that just me?).

So I think we have established I am a bit of an ABBA fan. A party would not be complete without a couple of ABBA songs. They are the perfect pop group right down to the cat suits they all used to wear. As you undoubtedly sing along to one or more ABBA tunes while heralding in the New Year take note of how easy or hard you find it to emulate their sound. I am pretty sure you will agree it is not as easy as you think (unless you are my mates Julie Stark or Alison Jiear, they would probably have no trouble rising to this challenge). The only thing that would make ABBA more perfect to me now is if Agnetha were to dye her hair brown!

Happy New Year!

Ps it is only fitting I leave you with a little ABBA gem to see you into 2014. Click here for a blast from the past.