A few simple new year resolutions for 2023

It’s the first week of January and some of us are already bailing on New Year’s resolutions. There are many theories as to why this happens, but my personal one is that most of these are unrealistic and don’t adjust to the realities of life. “Life happens” is a saying near and dear to me. Life is messy and rarely predictable. Other introverts will understand what it feels like to make plans when you are feeling social… and then totally regretting it when it’s time to go out, and sometimes that’s what our resolutions are like. They are always going to the best possible scenario but that is rarely the case.

Before you think about chucking the idea altogether though, studies show that writing down your goals actually makes you more likely to fulfill them. A new year is a good time to take stock of what is important to you. Priorities change and something I’ve found is that my vision of success has changed a lot through the years. Sure it would be nice to sing in Carnegie Hall but at the end of my life a more important measurement is that I made music that was truly meaningful and had an impact, whether just on me during the process or to a hundred million listeners.

This year I’m trying to make resolutions that don’t have a set time limit or require daily effort because you know what, no you can’t run for an hour everyday – injuries are real, sickness too, and let’s not forget that sometimes emotionally we need some down time. So instead how about saying let’s be active this year? That’s a goal you can be successful at and also leaves room for some grace.

Keeping that in mind, here are a few of my music related goals for 2023:

• Just do it. Sing and record more and SHARE it. Don’t hold back because imperfection will always be there. It won’t be the only time you sing a song, the right songs stay with you for a lifetime. Recordings and videos are snapshots of a moment in time, they are not the end all, be all representation of your artistic abilities at every stage forever. To that end, stay tuned for my first single of 2023 coming at the end of this month.
• Try songwriting. There are several lines of lyrics and voice notes hiding on my phone. Maybe they will lead to something or maybe it’s just about getting those emotions out and that’s as far as it goes. Either way I’m ready for that next step of discovery.
• Listen to more new music. It’s easy to get into a rut listening to the same playlists over and over again. This year I’m going to spend some time putting together a new list and making a real effort to keep adding new songs to the mix.
• Write more. Writing was always an creative important outlet but with grown-up responsibilities it’s become more functional – the papers in university and transcriptions of interviews. This column will be one way to get some of the love back for putting words on a page and about the topic I love best. Win, win!
• Allow the voice. There are so many things we are told to do or not do as singers. One of my teacher’s started with the notion of “Allowing” the voice instead. Focus on allowing the good things and let the voice lead. After being trained classically in university, I find my voice increasingly leading towards a more popular (or popular to me) sound. This year, my goal is to allow the voice to guide me instead of imposing on it and see where it leads.

So there are my 5 music resolutions. What are yours?

Natasha Barbieri, Editor

Editor

Creator of Classical Crossover Magazine. For Natasha music has always been closely tied to her faith. At age 18, Natasha made her opera debut playing the part of the mother in Menotti’s ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ with the Eastern Festival Opera. At 20, she was a winner of the 2011 Young Artist Competition at Andrews University. Natasha graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor’s of Music. Natasha has released a series of Holiday singles “A Place Called Home” (2020), “One Little Boy,” and “The Perfect Year” (2021). In 2021, she was nominated for the ‘Future Classic Women Awards’ show on Men’s & Women’s Radio Station. Natasha is the creator and editor of ‘Classical Crossover Magazine’ a venture that has allowed her to interview many of the top stars in the genre including Sarah Brightman, Celtic Woman, Mirusia, Paul Potts, and more. During the covid-19 pandemic, she created an online concert series for the magazine that has seen her perform in the same line-up as Alex Sharpe, Lucy Kay, Barbara Padilla, Classical Reflection, and more on the virtual stage. In 2022, Natasha was included on the charity album “Stars of Classical Crossover: Christmas” in benefit of the Wallace & Gromit Children’s Charity.