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Start to make a sound?

Posted by R. Berg on August 31, 2003

In Reply to: Start to make a sound? posted by sphinx on August 31, 2003

: : : NORAH Jones had a sleepless night on February 23. The 23-year-old American jazz singer, who found her voice in the small clubs of New York, dominated the 45th annual Grammy Awards - the music industry's most prestigious award ceremony.

: : : "find one's voice" means:

: : : a. Her experiences in those clubs helped her realize she was a good singer?

: : : b. She started to sing in those clubs?

: : : c. Her experiences in those clubs helped her develop her singing style?

: : It's closer to c. than the others. All musicians (and writers, and painters, among others) begin by imitating others. They hear recordings or read books of people they admire, and they (consciously or unconsciously) try to be like them. When they mature and develop, assuming they are truly creative and gifted, they "find their own voice" and develop a style of their own. It's why Norah Jones sounds like Norah Jones.

: it's my dictionary's definition. so maybe B is closer?

No, C is closer. The dictionary offers too literal a meaning to fit the context in the quotation about Jones and the Grammys.

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