Bethany Richards

Artist Statement

I love to sing. I always have and I probably always will. What I love about singing is that you can literally sing whenever and wherever you want. Whether it is in the shower or in the car with my friends, I get to sing wherever I want. What I am focusing on right now is being able to sing harder songs well. What I mean when a piece has turned out really well is a piece that first has obviously all the correct notes, rhythms, dynamics, etc. But what I also think what makes a piece turn out really well is if the singer knows it so well that they can switch it up a bit and have it come out so naturally that if you didn’t know the song, you wouldn’t be able to tell it wasn’t supposed to like that. I think that’s what makes a piece pretty special, is having it be your own. I begin a piece by starting out with the basics. Sometimes just a pencil and paper is all you need to begin. I also think it is important to begin a piece when you are inspired and to not just start a piece to get it done; otherwise it begins to feel like work and I don’t think doing something you love should feel like work. I know a piece is done when, like I said, you know it so well from beginning to end that you can change it up easily and make it your own.

Generally, for me, there does tend to be a pattern in how I work. I typically start at the piano just playing series of chords until I find a structure of chords that I like. I then start to think about how I would want the piece to be structured as a whole and I start thinking of other chords for things such as a bridge for example. Once I feel that I have planned out a piece, I start to hum out a melody that would go with the chords. Once that is complete, I think about the vibe of the song and that will inspire lyrics. I have yet to complete a full song yet, but I plan to. The lyrics is generally where I get stumped but I think that there is a place that is hard for everyone, and that is just where I tend to get stuck. When my work is going well, though, I am filled with a sense of accomplishment. I feel proud of myself because I am not the greatest at writing songs. I feel joy.

Something that I like best about what I do is the joy the singing brings to not only me, but to other people to. I just love to make people smile and when I can do that with my voice, it makes me so happy. When people read/hear/listen to my work, I'd like them to be brutally honest with how I sound because I know that even if I tried my absolute best in a

performance, there is always something I can improve on. So it is crucial for people to be honest about how I am doing if I want to improve. Something I do differently from the way I was taught is honestly not singing classical music. I have had my fair share of different voice teachers and they all taught me classical music. Although I do like singing some classical, it is just not me. It is not what I love. I love singing mostly pop music which is almost completely opposite from classical in my opinion in how you have to sing. I try to do what makes me the happiest and singing classical music doesn’t.