Molecule Mover


Molecule Mover

I don't do it for the acclaim. Clapping or comments like "What a lovely voice she has" echo in my ear, but they're not what pushes me to perform. It's not sound at all, as paradoxical as it may seem.

No. It's my vibrations that align with yours that I'm aiming for. Does my singing jingle a cell inside of you? Does it resonate with some memory, making you pause to listen?

What is it that makes someone listen? What is the sound that literally strikes a chord which travels up to their eyes? 

What sticks in my memory is this: a woman staring at me the whole time I sing "Hallelujah". Her eyes get progressively red and she is saying the words with me. During a musical break she puts more money in my hat and then sits down to listen to the rest. Her wobegone eyes have painted a lasting picture in my head–it's not the money that matters.

Another vision: a lovely, vibrant little girl dancing as I sang. She is swaying with me, following my hands, my every movement. She is totally with me, and I am totally with her. She searches my face with so much joy that I am bursting inside.

This is why I do it.

Someone once said that I have the power to move molecules. I hope it is true, because that's what I'm striving for.

I once sang on a tv program. It was a pushy, disorganized experience that I wouldn't repeat...except for one moment. The last night of recording was with a live audience. I was singing "Don't cry for me Argentina" from Evita. I really felt like Evita speaking at a podium, so I raised my hands to emphasise my point. The audience responded by cheering.

The director of the program didn't get it, however. "But you weren't even singing at that point!" he said afterward with a baffled expression.

He had underestimated the power of molecules. I had reached them and they had reached me. As simple as that. As powerful as that.


Text: Kristen Mastromarchi

Photo:"A Starburst with the Prospect of Gravitational Waves" by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

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