If a portal to the universe is ever uncovered and plug-and-play anything possible, the first thing I’m ordering is an Undo Kit. I don’t need the bells and whistles of a full-on remote. Just the one feature will do.

Makes a great gift too.

I don’t worry about making mistakes. I’m fine about that. Bring ’em on, it’s how you learn. What bothers me is being incompetent or unprepared and putting that out there. That’s far less forgivable. It says you didn’t take the time to get it right. You just went ahead and did it. That’s different from a mistake.

Maybe this post was a mistake, I don’t know. I guess I’ll be made aware of it by someone.

But it’s okay. I’m prepared for it.

I sang at Carnegie Hall a few months back. Happened out of the blue. I was just supporting a friend, visiting a rehearsal. Next thing I know I’m ushered in with the tenors and I’m sharing a book.

Huh?

It’s all in Korean, mind you. And I don’t speak a word. But still they welcomed me in like a brother and fully expected me to join them on stage in a week (with just one rehearsal left).

Did it shake me?

Well no. I mean I can hold my own singing. But the language part?

Well lucky for me on that next (final) rehearsal I happened to sit right in front of the strong solo tenor (who knew?). And I was clever enough to come armed with a micro recorder. That 1+1 equaled a very happy Drew. My tenor friend gave me all my notes, and I came home with a book. I had great study material. (And he turned out to be a cool guy, and we did become friends too.)

I spent the next few days marking up that book like a Christmas tree. I had multi-color highlighting everywhere. I was not getting lost.

The way I approached it (and it worked brilliantly) was I just had to make the same general sound as everyone, and sing all the notes at the same time. I’m certainly accomplished enough for that. Certain sounds were trickier, like T’s. But I just backed off a bit if necessary.

I know the guy in front of me was wondering what the hell I was saying, but I don’t think anyone out front could pick me out of a hundred other voices. I was quite at ease with my method. I believe I blended well.

“Yeah, you blend.”

In the end, the evening was as grand as you could imagine. I mean, c’mon…Carnegie Hall.

And little old Drew, invited last minute, had the best seat in the house.

Top riser, center.

So if anyone would ask how to get to Carnegie Hall, I’d just have to tell them how I got there. E train from Continental and walk a few blocks.

It’s easy.

When ya’ gonna do it
if you don’t do it now
Never is the time that it’ll be
‘Cause if you don’t get to it
You ain’t never gonna do it
And doin’ it’s a better place to be