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The Karaoke Queen

"Just after I was born, a gypsy told my mother her daughter would be surrounded by music. We put this down to Mum's fondness for playing Led Zeppelin whilst ironing my socks and left it at that.

When I went to school I found I was the odd-one-out. I desperately wanted to be good at something, especially music. This is the Land of Song after all.

I was surrounded by talented debutants who learned to read music early on. I was the only one in the class who couldn't.

I did try. I wanted to belong to this elite club where a mysterious, magical lingo was used... but I was unremarkable, seemingly un-teachable and got an 'E' in my music exams.

Somehow, it didn't look like I would be following in the footsteps of my great-grandfather. He was a well-known double-bass player in South Africa and my uncle had dabbled with bands. I put away my musical aspirations until one day there was a sign.

Some might say the karaoke is the inevitable result of beer and a microphone. I'd say it's the best thing to ever come out of Japan. For some it brings great pleasure; for other unspeakable horror. It's very simple...

A lady pushed a microphone at me and I sang along to the tune. I didn't recognise the voice that came out, so I stopped. Was that really me?

Suzanne signing: "All that I have is all that you've given me. Did you never worry that I'd come to depend on you..."

It was like turning on a tap and every bad feeling, every insecurity I had ever had, was transformed into pure sound and flowed away.

I had found my talent by tapping the emotional language that is in all of us. It came as a complete surprise to everyone, except perhaps for one wise gypsy."

Please tell us a little about yourself.
I'm 27 years old and live in Monmouth. I've had some varied careers but am currently unemployed. The digital workshop gave me an opportunity to express myself and be creative, which is something I was really missing in my life.

What's your story about?
On the surface it's about my addiction to Karaoke, but on a deeper level it's more about finding out how you can do things you never thought you'd be able to do.

Why did you choose to tell this particular story?
On a personal level, it was the one moment in my life where I felt I'd 'found' myself. I wanted to use my experience to tell people not to underestimate themselves. I have strong feelings about the nature of music and how it is classically taught to people: sometimes people feel that they are not musical at all, but my point is that musical ability is inside everybody, you're born with it.

What did you find most rewarding about the workshop?
I found out lots of things about myself during the process, it was psychologically interesting, you might say. It was very good for my sense of self-esteem and identity. As a mental exercise it was really satisfying to have a project to complete, for posterity. I made many friends (from all walks of life) on the course. There was a tangible community spirit. I really enjoyed learning to use the video editing software. I'd like to continue digital storytelling in some shape or form because it was a brilliant experience in all aspects.

Your comments

"That was amazing. It's wonderful how music can transform people's lives... and this was a prime example." Pier, San Francisco, USA, Sept 2007

"I was so pleased to find Suzanne had found something to transform her life. You sound wonderful too. Another way of seeing how music brings us all together, whether its performed well or terribly. Well done you!" Sian, Barry, Sept 2007.