This Child Can Sing.

This Child can Sing

By Anquinette Miller

February 23, 2021

One thing is certain, everyone has a voice, every baby born, alive, has a scream, a yell, yelp, a squeal, raspy, low, high, different sounds, soft, loud and all in between, for many parents they feel a Star is born.

Mama’s precious baby, Daddy’s baby girl. How would the world sound without, the voice, the music, the song, it has to start somewhere.

Parents are so exciting when the infant makes a sound. Inviting friends and family to listen to their baby, cooing communicating in their own way, crying, screaming, gibber jabber. As babies get older and try singing along to songs on the radio, TV or mimicking other children and adults, what a joy it brings to all involved.

Music can calm you or get on your last nerve. Can everyone “sing”? Everyone has a voice. Whether you like it or not. It may be wonderful melodies or tinkering noise to you. When you think about it in all the world, on every Continent, someone can SING!

While many people are afraid to sing, or are told they have a nice voice, but will deny it. The singer, or singing doesn’t become memorable until it touches your heart. In the King James Version of the Bible, the scripture says, Ephesians 5:19 – Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spirituals songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; So whatever melody you can hymn or sing, it is a song.

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History finds the names of thousands, upon thousands who could sing, were songwriters and touched the heart strings with their lyrics and voices.

Somebody had to learn it somewhere, how to sing, right? I mean who taught the first somebody, male or female how to sing. The birds, lions, gorillas, who…? Are we self-taught, or just our inner spirit yearning to express our tender emotions? I sing, because it makes me feel good, I hear my voice and you hear your voice.

Let’s remember all the unique voices that we have heard and the people who became famous, paying a price for that voice, some were emotionally, mentally, financially, physically abused. I grew up listening to Patti Labelle, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald and so many more. My mother could sing, her name is Vivian Woodard. She is 74 year old now and enjoys hearing all her grandchildren and great grandchildren sing. She was offered a singing contract in the early 60’s but my Grandpa, Rodges Woodard, refused. He said, “No”. My mom seemed devastated by that decision. My Mom and Dad, Eddie Wayne Reed met singing at a talent show, as the story goes.

My Grandfather, Uncles, all my sisters can sing. In fact, singing runs in my family. I can sing, but never made any money from it.

Question is….Should I try to become famous and rich while singing? Will singing make me rich and famous?

It was in 1990, I birth a baby girl, love child, an agreement with a man, “Do you want to have my baby?” With dreamy eyes and a fool’s heart I said, ”Yes.” I humbly surrendered and 9 months later. A screaming baby girl was born. Where was my man? Daddy? The man I pledged my heart and body to. My mom was at the birth, watching as I pushed the last time to deliver the baby.

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My heart pounding, my face dripping with sweat. No luxury of gender reveal party….just one look at the doctor…”What is it?” It’s a girl! Well that man, came to his senses, saw his beautiful baby girl. He caressed her, “This is my baby, he smiled, “She will sing”. Everyday, he was hugging and talking to his baby, “Sing baby girl” like the birds, tweet, tweet. He would sing in her ear.

Is this how the great vocalist got their start and/or seeds of greatness planted in their heart by a Mom, Dad, relative or friend? Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Mahalia Jackson, Natalie Cole, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blidge or Lauren Hill.

Music can come from hardship, sadness, anger, illness, being hopeful, joyful. You can feel every emotion in music. Music can never be neutral. The voice always commands an audience.

My daughter Sasha R. B. Moore, has inspired me even when she was a child at 3 years old, singing her first solos in church. She sang at weddings, funerals, memorials before the age or 14 and yet, she was only known by the “Church folk” belting out songs like Mahalia Jackson’s, Every time I feel the Spirit, and other gospel songs, clapping shouting, laughing and learning. She loved to sing hymns and spiritual favorites, using her soft voice and yet so powerfully rendered to the audience.

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Everywhere she went as a child to sing, she always had perfect pitch. she sang with her brothers, even playing other instruments, clarinet, piano voice, while her brothers played piano, guitar, violin, drums. They were a group, she was mostly the lead. I would be in the background, playing piano and making them practice late into the night.

Is she famous? On television? Does she have a yearly concert for all her fans? What about all the awards that celebrities seek after, the financial gain? No, not yet!

After I enrolled her in College at age 13, she was recognized in the College newspaper and became famous at Los Medanos College, where Professor Sylvester Henderson recommended she sing in the Chamber Choral, College Choir, and Learn Classical, Show Tunes, R & B, Pop, Jazz, you name it, she can sing it. I kept the concert programs to prove it.

I am very proud of her and her vocal development. She became famous at many church programs, revivals and church services, funerals and memorials.

She taught voice lessons at Antioch Music Academy when I was an instructor there in piano and voice. At age15, my daughter was hired with me to give voice singing examples. After a few weeks, she begin to teach her own students and prepare them for recital. There is so much more I can say about her singing. I am sure there are so many people who have encouraged family members, sang at special occasions and left a legacy of joy. But I am not talking about them and I don’t know them. I am speaking of history in the making of a child that I birthed.

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Recently on a cruise to Mexico, while waiting to go into the rooms, she was asked to sing randomly by one of the crew members….she was mesmerizing, singing her favorite song, Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You. She sang at the Karaoke bar, people so were so impressed, they greeted her throughout the trip, telling her how they loved her singing.

She is now 30 years old and still when I see someone from mission churches, or friends, they ask about my singing children, and especially Sasha. The brothers have made CD’s and she is on their tracks, the church she attends gives her solos and lead songs. But her Angelic voice has caused others to cheat her from a win on singing contest. The jealousy will spark. She is like a star, the excitement and joy she brings when singing can move you to tears. Some have said, go to the Voice, go to American Idol auditions you will win. But the time and effort it takes to do that, is not always to right way for all, or everyone would do it.

She has used her gift of music at the bedside of many a dear saint, as their closed their eyes for the last time before passing. She rejoiced in song at Convalescent hospitals and senior homes all before she was 14 years old and as an adult.

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After the birth of her first child, she seemed to have lost her voice. I was there when she took one strong breath and sang a high soprano to relieve the pain of childbirth contractions and a baby girl was born. Took her voice away. She could not sing loud or breathe properly, it seemed, all was lost, but could sing, softly, in her baby’s ear, “Sunshine, you are my sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are gray, you never know dear how much I Love you, please don’t take my sunshine away.

If you ask me, I would say, why is my daughter not famous, or singing on the latest CD, or a back up singer or making money? Many people have said, “Sasha, you have the voice of an Angel”. “The power of God is all over that child.” with so many expressions of encouragement.

I don’t know what the future holds for my daughter, but I can say, I admire her and wish her the best. I hope that someone can hear her wonderful voice and apply it to their soul and feel at peace, just like I do when I hear her sing. Is this really the baby I delivered and nursed at my breast? Yes! Sasha R.B. Moore, my daughter can Sing, she can Sang. Sing Sasha.

At every Family gathering, “Sing, Sasha, sing.”, all attention on her. So beautiful and lovely. Winning Contests, after contests, but it was just not meant to be, yet….You can hear her sing at her church Christ the King in Las Vegas, Nevada and on Facebook, and background on her brothers CD’s.

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She teaches her girls to sing and they sing beautiful harmony together, they sound like their mother. So singing runs in our family.

I’m proud of her and look forward to her reaching her goals. This child can sing, just like her Daddy said.

Sasha R.B. Moore