I have a baritone voice. It’s too high to be called low and too low to be called high. Singing in my speaking range is awkward because few singers, at least the ones I’ve heard, sing in my range.

As I got older, my voice deepened, but I couldn’t always invoke it as it deepened.

I read a book by Barbara McAfee about voice. She broke down voice into natural elements (wind, water, earth, fire, metal) and explained how we misperceive it.

I began to pay attention to my voice and what affected it. Food is one thing. A heavy meal raises my voice’s pitch and makes it sound husky. Warm beverages warm my voice, but if there is not enough water, my vocal cords can’t vibrate. Cold water is soothing, but too much shrinks my voice.

A couple of years ago, I started going to church. And the worship director and director of music implored the congregation to sing. The pastor spoke about why singing was important. And I tried. Learning the words is hard, but learning the tune is a start.

After singing on Sunday mornings, I found myself singing in the car midweek and as loud as I could in the radio booth at KSYM 90.1 FM. Now, I find myself listening to songs and practicing them at my desk.

I can sing now. It’s a change. It’s unexpected. And the past two nights, I’ve been singing Lou Reed and Canine, among others.

One night, I went to a friend’s house, and we sang karaoke in front of the TV. We held the remote as a microphone. I wailed out REM’s “Everybody Hurts,” which I had only sang alone. I thought I did okay. I figured I was ready to take it public.

A month later, I’m with coworkers I’ve only known for a season. We’re doing karaoke together. After a few funny songs by my coworkers, I grab the microphone. “Everybody Hurts” begins, and I ask my coworkers if they’re hurting—let me see a show of hands.

And I belted that song out. It wasn’t perfect, nor did it have to be. But it was courageous and bold and unexpected. That’s not a song that shields the singer behind a veil of camp. It’s a song of vulnerability. My coworkers knew the chorus, and we sang it together. After all, we’re not alone, so the song goes.