November 16, 2025 • 35 mins
What would happen if you turned love into a song—and dared to sing it out loud?
In this moving episode, Aideen shares the story of Caryn, who—at nearly 60 and new to singing—decided to record a love song for her wedding. Inspired by an Instagram clip of a groom hearing his bride’s voice for the first time, Caryn set out to learn, record, and reveal her heart through music in just two months.
Together, we explore how she moved from perfectionism to presence, finding her voice not just in melody but in life. You’ll hear:
🎵 How to choose a song that fits your story (and your range!)
🎵 Why the right emotion matters more than hitting every note
🎵 How regular lessons and practice create confidence
🎵 The emotional shift from “Am I good enough?” to “This is my truth”
Caryn’s story is a reminder that meaning beats mastery and brave beats perfect. Her voice became a mirror for courage, reshaping how she shows up in love, family, and work.
If you’ve ever felt it’s too late to start something new, this conversation will remind you: it’s never too late to free your voice and follow your heart.
Thanks for listening! To book a free consultation with Aideen visit https://www.confidenceinsinging.com/contact/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Aideen Ni Riada (00:03):
Welcome to the Resonate Podcast with Aideen.
I'm Aideen Ni Riada, and myguest today is Caryn Rinaldo.
I'm so excited to introduceCaryn.
She took the brave step tolearn to sing and record for her
wedding all within just acouple of months.
Caryn joins us from Seattle inthe USA.
(00:23):
Hi, Caryn.
Hi, Aideen.
So we've been on an amazingjourney together.
But tell the listeners whatinitially inspired you to take
this journey?
Caryn Rinaldo (00:36):
Uh well, I am a I was a first-time bride at
almost 60 years old.
And I was fiddling around onInstagram, and when you're
looking at wedding things, allof the other wedding things pop
up.
And there was a video that cameup, and there was a a woman who
had recorded a song and she itwas being played as she walked
(00:59):
down the aisle towards hergroom.
And um the the caption said,showing his face being really
emotional, uh, that he was justrealizing that it's her singing.
And I was just really touchedby that.
And I thought, oh, that's kindof cool.
Aideen Ni Riada (01:17):
I wonder if I could do that.
Yeah, that was, I mean, it'ssuch a beautiful aspiration.
But what was it the emotionalelement?
Like it was it the the way thathe was responding.
It wasn't because you love tosing and that you were wanting
to show off your singing.
No, not at all.
Caryn Rinaldo (01:35):
It was the look on his face.
He he was kind of rocking backand forth and he was biting his
lip and he was trying to holdhis emotion in.
And my now husband is that kindof guy, you know.
I've never seen him cry, anduh, you know, I don't know.
I just wanted to to to give himsomething that would really
touch his heart.
Aideen Ni Riada (01:57):
That's beautiful.
And I mean, I I I know a lot ofpeople know this how different
music can communicate theemotions.
It's like a deepercommunication than just words
alone.
Caryn Rinaldo (02:12):
Yeah, I um I it's interesting you say that
because I'm not a big musiclistener.
I didn't grow up in a homewhere my parents listened to
music.
I think they had one album thatwas played on the record player
on occasion, and it was ABBA,the first ABBA album.
Um, my folks didn't listen tothe radio in the car.
(02:33):
Um, so the music really wasn'ton.
My dad did sing with us in thecar.
Uh, he'd sing all kinds ofcrazy stuff from the 50s and you
know, teach us silly songs thatwe we really liked.
But it wasn't music, it wasn'ta big part of my life.
And um this was the wholeexperience was really a lesson
(02:55):
in just how profoundly music cancan express um express your
emotions.
Uh, it gave me also a lot morerespect for musicians themselves
and just how how challengingthis is.
I think we talked about andlaughed how um how in the world
(03:16):
does Beyoncé dance and sing atthe same time.
You know, I certainly wasn't uhgoing to do a live performance
that was too intimidating.
I needed something where, youknow, my mistakes I could go
over and record it again.
Aideen Ni Riada (03:31):
So you knew you you weren't going to do it
live.
Um, but somewhere in the backof your mind you thought, if I
could do it as a recording,there's some there's a way that
I can do this well enough thatit will be good enough for your
wedding.
But what kind of background didyou have with singing?
What made you believe thatmaybe that might be possible?
Caryn Rinaldo (03:51):
Um, so I didn't come really from any singing
background, but at some pointsomeone told me that it is very
rare that people are actuallytone deaf.
So I think when a lot of ushere, if we happen to catch
ourselves singing on arecording, and then we go, oh my
gosh, I'm tone deaf.
It sounds horrible.
(04:12):
Um, that was that piece ofknowledge that it was rare for
someone to be tone deaf washelpful to me because I thought,
well, I'm probably not just byodds.
So maybe I can learn to sing.
But the other thing that reallyhelped is it was a surprise for
my fiancee.
And I just thought, if itdoesn't turn out, well, I don't
(04:33):
have to do it.
I don't have to play it.
You know, there was plenty,plenty of other songs I could
play.
Um, but as the process went on,I certainly began owning it
more and I wanted it to work.
Aideen Ni Riada (04:45):
Well, I was so happy that you decided to take
that journey with me, Karen.
And I had actually that page onmy website that says, you know,
sing a song at your ownwedding, because to me it was
about that emotion and aboutthat um sharing of your heart
through a song, which is what Ilove to help people to do.
(05:07):
Um, and you really were sobrave.
I really admire that you werewilling to give it a try.
And like you said, you didn'thave to necessarily give it to,
you know, use it on the day ifit didn't turn out well, but you
I think you must have deep downknow that there was there was
something in you that wanted toto take that journey, that maybe
(05:29):
there was a part of you wantedto sing regardless of whether it
was for the wedding or not.
Is that true?
Caryn Rinaldo (05:36):
I think deep down, um, because one of the
most surprising things about theprocess was that I was missing
an artistic outlet in my life.
There was there was a part ofme that just almost was like a
plate full of food that I justcouldn't stop eating.
It was just kind of addictive.
And I think what it did was ittook me off my normal, my normal
(06:00):
thinking track and my normalfeeling track, and it put me on
a on a different, it's just adifferent way of seeing the
world.
And I think artists would belistening to this and going,
well, of course.
But to me, it was completelyforeign.
And so it was it was almostaddictive to have that that
outlet that was a something verydifferent that I was doing
(06:22):
during during my days.
Aideen Ni Riada (06:24):
Yeah, because you come from the a corporate
background, you worked as anexecutive assistant, you're you
know, working to deadlines,you're always organizing, and so
that's a part of our brainsthat's the linear, more logical
side.
So do you feel like when youstarted singing, it awakened a
different part of you?
Caryn Rinaldo (06:44):
It did.
I remember specifically and uhfrom our first few lessons, you
were you were constantly reelingme back in in a gentle way of,
you know, don't analyze the heckout of it.
And after a few lessons, Ithink I stopped doing that.
Aideen Ni Riada (07:00):
It is really hard not to do bring your
analytical mind to it.
So that's what you were doing,is you were trying to do the
creative thing, trying to do theplayful journey of learning,
right?
Right.
But your adult, critical,linear mind was picking what you
were doing apart, and that wasslowing the process of learning
(07:24):
down.
Caryn Rinaldo (07:25):
Definitely, yeah, definitely.
When I learned to to kind oftrust your coaching and just go,
okay, do what she says, justdon't even think about it.
Because I could see, you know,week after week, it was it was
getting better.
I would be singing to myself inthe car, and I'd think, oh my
gosh, that was a sweet note.
It was actually sweet.
(07:46):
And um that excited me.
I couldn't believe that noisewas coming out of me.
Yeah, I'm so glad.
Aideen Ni Riada (07:54):
The this, I'm kind of wondering what you would
say to someone who has a madhatidea like yours to learn to
sing in a short period of timefor something like their wedding
or for another occasion.
What would you say to them?
Caryn Rinaldo (08:11):
I I would say, I mean, if that if that is if that
is a seed that seems to begrowing in you, don't hesitate
to do it.
Um for me, when I listened tothat Instagram video, I've told
you this before, but I wasreally glad that I didn't notice
who the singer was when I firstlistened to it.
Because I listened to thevideo, I got excited about it, I
(08:33):
Googled learn how to sing asong and record it for your
wedding, and your website cameup.
And you're from, you know,you're from way across the
country.
We did this completelyremotely, and I got into it in a
couple lessons, and then I wentback to that video and I was
already committed.
And it turned out that thatsinger was someone from The
Voice.
(08:54):
And the saddest part of thewhole thing is if I had seen
that that was a singer from TheVoice, I probably would have
just thrown the idea out.
It literally was, um, I thinkit's one of the most um
groundbreaking things I've donein my life to put this element
into it where I have an artisticoutlet.
(09:15):
And and don't get me wrong, I'mnot gonna not gonna go on the
road and quit my day job.
It's it's literally, you know,it's like a painting for me.
People shouldn't shouldn'thesitate.
And, you know, even if somebodylooks at you and says, Yeah,
but you know, I've heard yousing, you're not good.
Don't, don't, don't let them,don't let them tell you that
(09:37):
because it's amazing how you cango from hearing a recording of
yourself at at the beginning,and then the things you can do
through lessons like with you tochange that.
I mean, the the quality of howI sang at the end was kind of
night and day.
(09:58):
Yeah.
I mean, and it wasn't it wasn'ta big huge stretch, I don't
think.
It was really getting my mindout of the way and allowing
allowing my body and my myemotions and my feelings to come
through.
Yeah, as you well know, we'regonna continue these lessons.
Aideen Ni Riada (10:16):
Definitely, and of course, the song that you
chose is very heartfelt.
Tell us a little bit about thatsong.
Caryn Rinaldo (10:24):
Well, it's actually the song that was on
the video uh that I watched theInstagram video.
It was the initial song, and Iimmediately went out and I
thought, well, maybe you couldsing it.
Um, and I found the originalartist, her name's Ruel.
The song is I get to love you,and tried to sing it along with
(10:46):
her, and uh it was a bit of astretch.
Um, but in the end, you know,what happened was, you know, you
guys helped me get backingtrack that was the right, the
right um key for me, and um thatall worked out.
But that song, it was funny.
I mean, I I looked at othersongs because it wasn't just I
(11:09):
thought, well, I'll just doexactly what the video was, but
there were so many words in thesong that um that touched me and
the the concept of I get tolove you, uh this being the
first time I've been married, itdoes feel like I get to love
him.
You know, finally I get thisthis person, this wonderful
person in my life to partnerwith for however long we have
(11:32):
left.
Aideen Ni Riada (11:33):
Yes.
And there's a beautiful line inthere, you know, that I prayed
for you.
And what other lyrics in therewere really meaningful for you?
Caryn Rinaldo (11:44):
Uh, I think one of the ones that grew on me was
um, I get to love you, it's thebest thing that I'll ever do.
At the beginning, when I waspracticing that, I kind of
stumbled over that concept.
I'm like, really?
Is that the best thing I'llever do?
Not that it wasn't great, but Ithink it took me singing that
(12:07):
song and the lyrics and thenthinking, yeah, this is super
important.
There's nothing more importantthan this relationship.
Opening up and loving someone.
Yes, and and in that deephusband and wife partnership
way, it helped me understandthat even though we're not gonna
(12:28):
have kids this late day, we area family, the two of us, and
and we're going forwardtogether.
Aideen Ni Riada (12:36):
It is different when you I mean, I also got
married a little later in life,age 44, and you know, we become
less flexible sometimes as weget older.
Um, we think we know what worksfor us, and there's certain
things we maybe have decidedthat are things we won't
(12:57):
compromise on.
And then when you And wehaven't had to up to that point,
we haven't had to, we havehaven't had anyone challenging
some of these notions that wehave, and then when you really
love someone, it's like, okay, Icould, you know, I can choose
to make a big deal about thislittle thing that you know I've
decided is important, or I canchoose to be more relaxed and
(13:22):
and try and see it from theother person's point of view.
So there is it's a beautifuljourney that you we go on, you
know, finding love at any age,is a beautiful journey.
But as when you're older andyou are understanding that, it's
like you watching yourselfdoing that and changing life as
a person, you change in order tolet more love in.
Caryn Rinaldo (13:46):
Yeah, and I think that's a concept that our
society, at least from my pointof view as a woman, you know, I
kind of got told I was the 80swere the my high school college
years, and those were the yearsthat you know women were picking
up their briefcases and goingout into the corporate world,
you know, and you know, it wasthe message was from then on,
(14:12):
you know, don't compromise.
You shouldn't compromise.
Um, but you can't have arelationship if you don't
compromise somewhat.
So uh back to those words, Iget to love you, it's the best
thing that I'll ever do.
That's really humbling becauseit it turns your head and
focuses it on look, this is thisis the most important thing.
(14:34):
No matter what's going onaround, this is the most
important thing.
Aideen Ni Riada (14:40):
Describe that moment when you were walking
down the aisle, hearing your ownvoice filling the air.
Caryn Rinaldo (14:46):
So it was summertime, August wedding.
I put some folding fans on eachof the chairs, and there was a
small note card about two inchesby two inches, and the outside
said shh and open me.
And they opened it and it said,you know, shh, don't tell Rick,
(15:07):
but I learned to sing a song umto show him uh my love on our
wedding day, and this is a songthat we'll be playing as a
recording uh as I walk up theaisle.
And Pastor Dan will be tellinghim just before that happens.
And so, and that's exactly whathappened.
(15:29):
Dan, Pastor Dan leaned in andhe said, Hey, Rick, he said, the
song that she's walking up theaisle to is a song that she
learned to sing and and hadrecorded.
And I had predicted what Rickwould say, and that is, but she
can't sing.
And um, so Dan just smiled andsignaled the guy and started the
(15:51):
music.
And when I first heard themusic, you have to remember I
sang this song probably hundredsof times.
A couple that hundreds, yeah.
A couple thousand.
I mean, I was singing in thecar every day on the way to
work.
I was singing in the car everyday on the way back.
We had two lessons a week.
I mean, I never stopped singingthat song, it was just
(16:13):
constant.
So when it started, I um I wasso busy trying to stay in the
moment of remembering what itfelt like to walk down the
aisle.
And I also wanted to glance offto the right, which is where
all the chairs were, because Iwanted to just kind of see the
people, those loved ones thatwere there, and just plant that
(16:34):
in my head.
And I'm really glad I did thatbecause I have that mental
picture now.
But then I turned and looked athim, and when I got up to him,
um the song was still playing,and we were gonna go light these
memorial candles um for ourfathers and broth, my brother
who's uh who are deceased.
And um he his eyes were just soso teary, you know, very
(17:00):
watery.
And um he just he just had thesoftest smile on his face, and I
think he was just overwhelmed.
Aideen Ni Riada (17:07):
And it's overwhelming enough, you know,
getting to that point in yourlife and standing there at the
just before you're gonna sayyour vows.
Caryn Rinaldo (17:16):
It's yeah, and this was extra, extra
overwhelming.
It was, and it it was it was soso worth it.
Um, and even if the song hadn'tturned out even half as good as
it did, I still would haveplayed it because by that time I
was I was just owning it andattached to the idea, and I knew
(17:38):
that the people that were at mywedding or people that loved
me, and you know, if there werea couple of sour things in
there, they you know, they wouldhave thought it was sweet, and
they and they did, you know.
So um it it was it was the oneof the best things I did for the
(17:58):
wedding.
And Rick told me this morning,he said, had you not done that,
he still that it still wouldhave been a beautiful wedding.
He said, but you know, handsdown, it was it was the biggest
highlight for him.
Aideen Ni Riada (18:11):
That's beautiful.
Caryn Rinaldo (18:12):
Yeah, so it yeah, anybody who wants to try it
should absolutely try it.
You can take comfort in, hey,if it doesn't work out, you
learn to sing a little bitbetter and you don't have to use
the song.
But I think you have to go intoit not thinking you're gonna be
the singer from the voice, youknow.
Yeah, just to be yourself.
(18:33):
Yeah.
Um, and and remember, you know,most people are not tone-deaf.
So, and when I sing, I still,when I sing now, I'll sing
something to the radio in thecar, and I'll hear, you know,
places it doesn't sound good.
And I don't any longer think tomyself, oh, that's awful, you
shouldn't sing.
I just sit and think, oh, well,that's one of those things you
(18:55):
just kind of work with and youfigure out, you know, whether
it's through a teacher or onyour own, how to would how to
adjust it so you can hit it.
And the first thing is it maynot be in the right key for you.
Aideen Ni Riada (19:07):
So yes, that's a good good point.
You know, a lot of people don'trealize that not every song is
within the range of notes thatyour voice is most comfortable.
Um, so you learned a hugeamount about that whole process
of going through, you learnedabout you know, timing, about
you know, melody, about harmony,and you know, as well as like
(19:30):
how singers produce the words,which is quite different to how
we say the words.
Oh, it's totally different.
And I know from the journeythat we took that you know, it
wasn't just about singing thatwe were talking, you know.
There, you know, you would youwould be arriving at the lesson
and something might be going onin your life because sometimes
(19:51):
it's very hard to sing when weare feeling emotional or when
we're feeling angry or whenwe're under a lot of stress.
What did you like?
Did you find there was uh uh atype of kind of friendship that
grew that you know you could youwere able to share how you
really were, other than just uhhow your voice was, other than
(20:15):
just how you were going to beable to sing?
Caryn Rinaldo (20:18):
Yeah, absolutely.
I think I think you are a veryeasy person to have that kind of
relationship with.
I don't think it wasnecessarily something specific
between you and me.
Um I I think that I think thatthe biggest lesson from from all
(20:40):
of that was just how much myemotions affect my output.
And I don't mean just withsinging.
Um you can come in.
There were days that I came inthat I didn't think I was upset
about anything, and it wouldkind of spill out, um, you know,
because I'd be having troubleand I'd get frustrated, and then
(21:03):
we'd end up talking about whatwas really going on.
It wasn't something I wastrying to hide from you, it was
probably something I didn't evenknow was upsetting me.
Um and then learning to acceptthat, you know, there were gonna
be days where, you know, I'dhit those things really well,
and you'd say, Oh, that wasgood, that was very sweet, very
(21:24):
pure, you know.
Just, you know, a couple ofnotes that I'd hit there.
Seeing, seeing how, you know,some things were beautiful and
some things weren't sobeautiful.
It was just a just constantreminder of that's just how life
is, you know.
Um, so yeah, and being able totalk to you and then noticing
(21:45):
after I'd talk to you aboutsomething, how I'd gone from
barely being able to sing at allto being able to kind of be
back on track.
Um huge lesson just just foreverything.
Um, you know, my relationshipwith my husband, uh, my
relationship with my mother, myrelationship with people at
(22:05):
work.
Aideen Ni Riada (22:06):
How has it changed how you're dealing with
things with your with yourhusband and your mom and at
work?
Caryn Rinaldo (22:14):
I um I think I am able to more readily be less
defensive and own own my part ofyou know what's what's you know
not going well at that time,um, being able to, you know,
apologize with sincerity, beingable to take a little bit of a
(22:35):
risk and look and go, I'm reallysorry, that was that was my
fault.
And there's no buts about it.
That was I shouldn't havespoken that way.
Just when you when you sing andyou're singing in front of
someone, and that was you, youreally have to lay it out and be
(22:58):
vulnerable.
And I think really what washappening is well, if I'm being
vulnerable with this person who,you know, I haven't known for
very long, you know, who I'venever met face to face, why, you
know, why wouldn't I do that,you know, with my family
members?
And, you know, instead of Rickand my mom saying, yeah, you're
(23:20):
right, you were totally wrongthere, they just are, you know,
graciously accept the apology.
And it doesn't make me feellike, yeah, I was, you know, it
makes me feel I was forgiven forbeing a butthead.
Aideen Ni Riada (23:33):
You know, so I were you more of a perfectionist
before?
Is that the thing that'schanged?
Caryn Rinaldo (23:39):
Yeah, I would say so.
And I don't know if it's howmuch of it is this the the music
helped and the singing helped,and also just I'm getting older,
but I've noticed that there areother people who are my age who
still are caught up in so Idon't think it just naturally
comes just as you get older,where you go, hey, you know
(24:00):
what?
Things don't always go well,and you should just give it a
shot and uh, you know, and taketake what you get, and if you
want to improve on it, try, tryagain, you know.
Um it was the process oflearning to sing that really
helped that wisdom come for you.
It did.
I think I think it was comingon its own.
But like I said, it doesn'tcome.
(24:20):
I don't I see people all thetime, and it that doesn't come
for them.
You know, I know people thatare my age or older, and they're
still just, you know.
So I think it was a seed thatwas there and the the singing
and having to do what I wasdoing to to see if I could
create this thing that wasreally important to me for the
(24:41):
the wedding.
I think that watered that.
Aideen Ni Riada (24:45):
Um wisdom is an amazing gift.
I mean, I remember one of mymeditation teachers, if you
said, if you want to pray forsomething, pray for wisdom.
Yeah.
And I've I've done that and umbecause I and I think that
that's been the biggest blessinguh for me in my life is that to
(25:07):
I can see the growth in me byjust being able to see things
from a different perspective.
Because you have to see thingsfrom more than one perspective
in order to be wise.
Um you have to be very open toum to changing your mind.
Caryn Rinaldo (25:22):
You know, and I think I think it's hard to do
that, to be open to changingyour mind when you never let
yourself be vulnerable.
Aideen Ni Riada (25:30):
Yeah.
And you I I always would say tostudents that the message in
the song is more important thanthe singer.
Caryn Rinaldo (25:38):
Yeah.
Aideen Ni Riada (25:38):
And when you can put yourself in that emotion
and that feeling that you arewanting to say something, then
you it takes some of that uhself-uh criticism and that
self-awareness away.
And anything that we do well issomething that we've done many
times.
Um repetition is a key to anyform of competency.
(26:03):
And I think a lot of peopledon't realize that if they take
up any new thing, any crochet,painting, walking, singing,
anything, if they do it andrepeat that many, many times,
they will get better.
But a lot of adults feel thatif they don't get better very
quickly, that it's oh, it's notfor me.
(26:24):
They don't give themselves thegrace of time to allow
themselves go on a journey withsomething because they yeah, and
you did now, but it still was avery short span, and I kind of
want to let people know that wedidn't do the two months
directly before your wedding.
We started like three threemonths, a little bit over three
months beforehand.
You worked really hard for thetwo months, and we recorded at
(26:47):
the end of the two months, andthen we had that extra you had
that month then of grace be kindof between in between having
done the recording where it wasin the producer's hands, and
they were just we were justgetting the the final track
ready.
And I think that's important.
Caryn Rinaldo (27:03):
I was wondering if you that's so important.
You you basically laid down thelaw.
You asked me, you know, when isyour wedding?
And I told you, and you werecalculating your head, and
you're like, okay, this is whatwe should do then.
And you explained why you'relike, you're like, we don't want
you stressing out running up toyour wedding.
And thank goodness, because Iwas done with my part of it uh
(27:29):
about four weeks before thewedding, maybe five.
And I got in the car after thatfinal recording session, and I
gripped the wheel and I waslike, oh my gosh, what am I
gonna do in the car now?
And this is a little bit of anaside, but I thought, well, I
have to sing the song againbecause this is what I do in the
(27:50):
car.
I'd done it, you know, sevendays a week for two months.
And so I sang the song again.
What was so funny is I didn'tknow what a relief it was that I
was finished with my partbecause I sang that song more
beautifully than I'd ever sungit before.
(28:10):
And it was because all of thepressure was off me.
Yeah.
Now, it might be worth saying,um, we talked a lot about the
recording studio.
That sounds super intimidating.
And you're not physically herein the Seattle area.
So you had instructed me, youknow, we need to find somebody
(28:33):
who has a recording studio inyour geographic area, and you're
gonna want somebody who'sreally, really patient with
beginning singers.
And I think that is crucial.
Yeah.
Because I, you know, I happento find somebody who had a
studio in his backyard, and youknow, he was he was very, I
mean, I almost got the feelinghe likes being with beginners
(28:56):
and stuff.
I mean, he he was um Aidine wason the uh screen, she was uh
like a Zoom call in, so she wasin the studio with us, and um
having that kind of person to doit was really important.
And then the other thing was uhgo twice.
Um, don't don't go just for onerecording session because you
(29:19):
get in there and you're like,what is all this equipment?
And then it also feels reallyintimidating because it feels
like you're in a movie becauseyou're like, you know, and then
you end up holding the holdingthe uh thing just like a really
cool singer where one theheadphones are.
Aideen Ni Riada (29:35):
Yeah, one headset is on, one is off.
Yeah, you had your Beyoncemoment in the studio.
Yeah, yeah.
Caryn Rinaldo (29:43):
So, but going back, I think it was what was
it, like a week later?
Yes, a few days later, youknow, because you guys were
right.
When I walked in for the secondtime, I was less, less
stressed.
Aideen Ni Riada (29:55):
The thing about singing is it's your voice it
will catch and The musclestructure of your throat and
your breathing is very much umdepends on your emotions and
stress.
And if you are nervous, overlynervous, it will affect how you
(30:17):
sound.
So having you go into therecording studio and do the
whole song as if you wererecording it for the wedding,
right?
Um, but then putting thataside, you got to hear it, which
was really great.
So you got to hear, oh, yeah,that's not too bad, right?
And then you had your secondchance at it as well, then about
a week later, when you weremore calm, when you knew what to
(30:39):
expect, you'd met the producerin the studio.
Pierre was awesome.
So having met him twice, um,you know, made a difference too.
Caryn Rinaldo (30:49):
Yeah.
Yeah, all of all of that was soso important.
What an amazing journey you'vebeen on, Karen.
It's it's been uh totally oneof the song says, I get to love
you, it's the best thing I'llever do.
Uh doing the song is one of theone of the best choices I think
(31:10):
I've ever made.
It's um, I think it's it's ait's a pivot, it's been adding
to this pivot point in my life.
Um yeah, you know, you gave allkinds of ideas about how you
can use these types of songslater, you know.
You could go on and you canpractice much, much, much more,
and then you could actually doit live.
You said you had a student whowanted to do her song and she
(31:34):
volunteered to sing for um coinsat a fundraiser.
Yeah.
Aideen Ni Riada (31:40):
And then she's isn't that right?
Yes.
My my great friend and studentMartina Byrne, and now she
raises money with her voice, andshe she creates a space where
she brings in other, you know,inexperienced or local singers.
Um, so I'm really, really proudof the things she's done.
Caryn Rinaldo (31:57):
Yeah, and that's just really cool.
Aideen Ni Riada (31:59):
We can surprise ourselves, you know.
I think that's you know, noneof us knows what's going to be
happening.
But the first, the firstfoundational step in taking
chances in life is self-love andself-acceptance.
And to me, having heard thatthat journey you've been on,
what warms my heart the most isthat you are not a perfectionist
the way you used to be.
(32:20):
You're more open to beingvulnerable and you're relating
to your life and to the peoplein your life, even more
importantly, with a more openheart.
Caryn Rinaldo (32:29):
Yeah, and it seems crazy that just learning
to sing a song could do all ofthat.
And but it it really has.
It's just been thisfoundational key.
Aideen Ni Riada (32:42):
Um, what would you say to someone listening who
has a dream, whether it's tosing or something else, but it
feels too big or too late tostart?
Caryn Rinaldo (32:54):
It's not too late to start.
If you're, you know, I'm I'mprobably older than most of the
people just because I'm that faralong in the spectrum of age.
It it's not too late to start.
And even if I were to stop doingit right now, that two months,
it was just totallytransformational.
(33:15):
So if you think you have twomonths left in your life, yeah,
you can you can do whatever youwant to do.
Aideen Ni Riada (33:22):
Well, I'm so proud of you, and I'm so pleased
that you took this journey.
It's definitely an honor for meto see how you've opened up and
what how it's affected yourwhole life and your
relationship.
And I think telling your storyin this way might inspire
someone else to take that leap.
And um, I think that'sbeautiful inspiration for
(33:43):
anyone.
And I'm sure people who were atyour wedding or who hear about
it in your everyday life willfeel that inspiration from you
as well.
Caryn Rinaldo (33:52):
Yeah, and you know, if anybody is thinking
about doing it with you, Icannot um more highly recommend
anyone but Adeen.
And um I mean, you wereabsolutely brilliant in the
process, and I do not think thatjust any any teacher can do
(34:13):
that, and it's brought so muchmore balance into my life, and I
think that's that's the why Iwant to continue.
So I never would have thoughtthat singing was was it.
It's brought joy and the thethought of more joy in just
doing it, and that surprises me.
(34:34):
That completely surprises me.
Aideen Ni Riada (34:37):
Thank you everyone for listening today.
It's been an absolute pleasurehaving Karen talk about her
journey.
It's been an honor for me.
We look forward to having youlisten in again at the um on the
next episode of the ResonatePodcast with Aidan.
And please remember that youcan get in touch with me and
that you can take another stepif you know a local teacher or
(34:58):
if you have something randomthat you want to do.
Maybe you want to do theskydiving that Karen Karen
doesn't want to do.
But uh, whatever it is yournext step is, I think both
myself and Karen would just say,look, just try.
Take one little step in theright in that direction, and you
never know where it will takeyou.
Absolutely.
Bye bye.
Welcome to the Resonate Podcast with Aideen.
I'm Aideen Ni Riada, and myguest today is Caryn Rinaldo.
I'm so excited to introduceCaryn.
She took the brave step tolearn to sing and record for her
wedding all within just acouple of months.
Caryn joins us from Seattle inthe USA.
(00:23):
Hi, Caryn.
Hi, Aideen.
So we've been on an amazingjourney together.
But tell the listeners whatinitially inspired you to take
this journey?
Caryn Rinaldo (00:36):
Uh well, I am a I was a first-time bride at
almost 60 years old.
And I was fiddling around onInstagram, and when you're
looking at wedding things, allof the other wedding things pop
up.
And there was a video that cameup, and there was a a woman who
had recorded a song and she itwas being played as she walked
(00:59):
down the aisle towards hergroom.
And um the the caption said,showing his face being really
emotional, uh, that he was justrealizing that it's her singing.
And I was just really touchedby that.
And I thought, oh, that's kindof cool.
Aideen Ni Riada (01:17):
I wonder if I could do that.
Yeah, that was, I mean, it'ssuch a beautiful aspiration.
But what was it the emotionalelement?
Like it was it the the way thathe was responding.
It wasn't because you love tosing and that you were wanting
to show off your singing.
No, not at all.
Caryn Rinaldo (01:35):
It was the look on his face.
He he was kind of rocking backand forth and he was biting his
lip and he was trying to holdhis emotion in.
And my now husband is that kindof guy, you know.
I've never seen him cry, anduh, you know, I don't know.
I just wanted to to to give himsomething that would really
touch his heart.
Aideen Ni Riada (01:57):
That's beautiful.
And I mean, I I I know a lot ofpeople know this how different
music can communicate theemotions.
It's like a deepercommunication than just words
alone.
Caryn Rinaldo (02:12):
Yeah, I um I it's interesting you say that
because I'm not a big musiclistener.
I didn't grow up in a homewhere my parents listened to
music.
I think they had one album thatwas played on the record player
on occasion, and it was ABBA,the first ABBA album.
Um, my folks didn't listen tothe radio in the car.
(02:33):
Um, so the music really wasn'ton.
My dad did sing with us in thecar.
Uh, he'd sing all kinds ofcrazy stuff from the 50s and you
know, teach us silly songs thatwe we really liked.
But it wasn't music, it wasn'ta big part of my life.
And um this was the wholeexperience was really a lesson
(02:55):
in just how profoundly music cancan express um express your
emotions.
Uh, it gave me also a lot morerespect for musicians themselves
and just how how challengingthis is.
I think we talked about andlaughed how um how in the world
(03:16):
does Beyoncé dance and sing atthe same time.
You know, I certainly wasn't uhgoing to do a live performance
that was too intimidating.
I needed something where, youknow, my mistakes I could go
over and record it again.
Aideen Ni Riada (03:31):
So you knew you you weren't going to do it
live.
Um, but somewhere in the backof your mind you thought, if I
could do it as a recording,there's some there's a way that
I can do this well enough thatit will be good enough for your
wedding.
But what kind of background didyou have with singing?
What made you believe thatmaybe that might be possible?
Caryn Rinaldo (03:51):
Um, so I didn't come really from any singing
background, but at some pointsomeone told me that it is very
rare that people are actuallytone deaf.
So I think when a lot of ushere, if we happen to catch
ourselves singing on arecording, and then we go, oh my
gosh, I'm tone deaf.
It sounds horrible.
(04:12):
Um, that was that piece ofknowledge that it was rare for
someone to be tone deaf washelpful to me because I thought,
well, I'm probably not just byodds.
So maybe I can learn to sing.
But the other thing that reallyhelped is it was a surprise for
my fiancee.
And I just thought, if itdoesn't turn out, well, I don't
(04:33):
have to do it.
I don't have to play it.
You know, there was plenty,plenty of other songs I could
play.
Um, but as the process went on,I certainly began owning it
more and I wanted it to work.
Aideen Ni Riada (04:45):
Well, I was so happy that you decided to take
that journey with me, Karen.
And I had actually that page onmy website that says, you know,
sing a song at your ownwedding, because to me it was
about that emotion and aboutthat um sharing of your heart
through a song, which is what Ilove to help people to do.
(05:07):
Um, and you really were sobrave.
I really admire that you werewilling to give it a try.
And like you said, you didn'thave to necessarily give it to,
you know, use it on the day ifit didn't turn out well, but you
I think you must have deep downknow that there was there was
something in you that wanted toto take that journey, that maybe
(05:29):
there was a part of you wantedto sing regardless of whether it
was for the wedding or not.
Is that true?
Caryn Rinaldo (05:36):
I think deep down, um, because one of the
most surprising things about theprocess was that I was missing
an artistic outlet in my life.
There was there was a part ofme that just almost was like a
plate full of food that I justcouldn't stop eating.
It was just kind of addictive.
And I think what it did was ittook me off my normal, my normal
(06:00):
thinking track and my normalfeeling track, and it put me on
a on a different, it's just adifferent way of seeing the
world.
And I think artists would belistening to this and going,
well, of course.
But to me, it was completelyforeign.
And so it was it was almostaddictive to have that that
outlet that was a something verydifferent that I was doing
(06:22):
during during my days.
Aideen Ni Riada (06:24):
Yeah, because you come from the a corporate
background, you worked as anexecutive assistant, you're you
know, working to deadlines,you're always organizing, and so
that's a part of our brainsthat's the linear, more logical
side.
So do you feel like when youstarted singing, it awakened a
different part of you?
Caryn Rinaldo (06:44):
It did.
I remember specifically and uhfrom our first few lessons, you
were you were constantly reelingme back in in a gentle way of,
you know, don't analyze the heckout of it.
And after a few lessons, Ithink I stopped doing that.
Aideen Ni Riada (07:00):
It is really hard not to do bring your
analytical mind to it.
So that's what you were doing,is you were trying to do the
creative thing, trying to do theplayful journey of learning,
right?
Right.
But your adult, critical,linear mind was picking what you
were doing apart, and that wasslowing the process of learning
(07:24):
down.
Caryn Rinaldo (07:25):
Definitely, yeah, definitely.
When I learned to to kind oftrust your coaching and just go,
okay, do what she says, justdon't even think about it.
Because I could see, you know,week after week, it was it was
getting better.
I would be singing to myself inthe car, and I'd think, oh my
gosh, that was a sweet note.
It was actually sweet.
(07:46):
And um that excited me.
I couldn't believe that noisewas coming out of me.
Yeah, I'm so glad.
Aideen Ni Riada (07:54):
The this, I'm kind of wondering what you would
say to someone who has a madhatidea like yours to learn to
sing in a short period of timefor something like their wedding
or for another occasion.
What would you say to them?
Caryn Rinaldo (08:11):
I I would say, I mean, if that if that is if that
is a seed that seems to begrowing in you, don't hesitate
to do it.
Um for me, when I listened tothat Instagram video, I've told
you this before, but I wasreally glad that I didn't notice
who the singer was when I firstlistened to it.
Because I listened to thevideo, I got excited about it, I
(08:33):
Googled learn how to sing asong and record it for your
wedding, and your website cameup.
And you're from, you know,you're from way across the
country.
We did this completelyremotely, and I got into it in a
couple lessons, and then I wentback to that video and I was
already committed.
And it turned out that thatsinger was someone from The
Voice.
(08:54):
And the saddest part of thewhole thing is if I had seen
that that was a singer from TheVoice, I probably would have
just thrown the idea out.
It literally was, um, I thinkit's one of the most um
groundbreaking things I've donein my life to put this element
into it where I have an artisticoutlet.
(09:15):
And and don't get me wrong, I'mnot gonna not gonna go on the
road and quit my day job.
It's it's literally, you know,it's like a painting for me.
People shouldn't shouldn'thesitate.
And, you know, even if somebodylooks at you and says, Yeah,
but you know, I've heard yousing, you're not good.
Don't, don't, don't let them,don't let them tell you that
(09:37):
because it's amazing how you cango from hearing a recording of
yourself at at the beginning,and then the things you can do
through lessons like with you tochange that.
I mean, the the quality of howI sang at the end was kind of
night and day.
(09:58):
Yeah.
I mean, and it wasn't it wasn'ta big huge stretch, I don't
think.
It was really getting my mindout of the way and allowing
allowing my body and my myemotions and my feelings to come
through.
Yeah, as you well know, we'regonna continue these lessons.
Aideen Ni Riada (10:16):
Definitely, and of course, the song that you
chose is very heartfelt.
Tell us a little bit about thatsong.
Caryn Rinaldo (10:24):
Well, it's actually the song that was on
the video uh that I watched theInstagram video.
It was the initial song, and Iimmediately went out and I
thought, well, maybe you couldsing it.
Um, and I found the originalartist, her name's Ruel.
The song is I get to love you,and tried to sing it along with
(10:46):
her, and uh it was a bit of astretch.
Um, but in the end, you know,what happened was, you know, you
guys helped me get backingtrack that was the right, the
right um key for me, and um thatall worked out.
But that song, it was funny.
I mean, I I looked at othersongs because it wasn't just I
(11:09):
thought, well, I'll just doexactly what the video was, but
there were so many words in thesong that um that touched me and
the the concept of I get tolove you, uh this being the
first time I've been married, itdoes feel like I get to love
him.
You know, finally I get thisthis person, this wonderful
person in my life to partnerwith for however long we have
(11:32):
left.
Aideen Ni Riada (11:33):
Yes.
And there's a beautiful line inthere, you know, that I prayed
for you.
And what other lyrics in therewere really meaningful for you?
Caryn Rinaldo (11:44):
Uh, I think one of the ones that grew on me was
um, I get to love you, it's thebest thing that I'll ever do.
At the beginning, when I waspracticing that, I kind of
stumbled over that concept.
I'm like, really?
Is that the best thing I'llever do?
Not that it wasn't great, but Ithink it took me singing that
(12:07):
song and the lyrics and thenthinking, yeah, this is super
important.
There's nothing more importantthan this relationship.
Opening up and loving someone.
Yes, and and in that deephusband and wife partnership
way, it helped me understandthat even though we're not gonna
(12:28):
have kids this late day, we area family, the two of us, and
and we're going forwardtogether.
Aideen Ni Riada (12:36):
It is different when you I mean, I also got
married a little later in life,age 44, and you know, we become
less flexible sometimes as weget older.
Um, we think we know what worksfor us, and there's certain
things we maybe have decidedthat are things we won't
(12:57):
compromise on.
And then when you And wehaven't had to up to that point,
we haven't had to, we havehaven't had anyone challenging
some of these notions that wehave, and then when you really
love someone, it's like, okay, Icould, you know, I can choose
to make a big deal about thislittle thing that you know I've
decided is important, or I canchoose to be more relaxed and
(13:22):
and try and see it from theother person's point of view.
So there is it's a beautifuljourney that you we go on, you
know, finding love at any age,is a beautiful journey.
But as when you're older andyou are understanding that, it's
like you watching yourselfdoing that and changing life as
a person, you change in order tolet more love in.
Caryn Rinaldo (13:46):
Yeah, and I think that's a concept that our
society, at least from my pointof view as a woman, you know, I
kind of got told I was the 80swere the my high school college
years, and those were the yearsthat you know women were picking
up their briefcases and goingout into the corporate world,
you know, and you know, it wasthe message was from then on,
(14:12):
you know, don't compromise.
You shouldn't compromise.
Um, but you can't have arelationship if you don't
compromise somewhat.
So uh back to those words, Iget to love you, it's the best
thing that I'll ever do.
That's really humbling becauseit it turns your head and
focuses it on look, this is thisis the most important thing.
(14:34):
No matter what's going onaround, this is the most
important thing.
Aideen Ni Riada (14:40):
Describe that moment when you were walking
down the aisle, hearing your ownvoice filling the air.
Caryn Rinaldo (14:46):
So it was summertime, August wedding.
I put some folding fans on eachof the chairs, and there was a
small note card about two inchesby two inches, and the outside
said shh and open me.
And they opened it and it said,you know, shh, don't tell Rick,
(15:07):
but I learned to sing a song umto show him uh my love on our
wedding day, and this is a songthat we'll be playing as a
recording uh as I walk up theaisle.
And Pastor Dan will be tellinghim just before that happens.
And so, and that's exactly whathappened.
(15:29):
Dan, Pastor Dan leaned in andhe said, Hey, Rick, he said, the
song that she's walking up theaisle to is a song that she
learned to sing and and hadrecorded.
And I had predicted what Rickwould say, and that is, but she
can't sing.
And um, so Dan just smiled andsignaled the guy and started the
(15:51):
music.
And when I first heard themusic, you have to remember I
sang this song probably hundredsof times.
A couple that hundreds, yeah.
A couple thousand.
I mean, I was singing in thecar every day on the way to
work.
I was singing in the car everyday on the way back.
We had two lessons a week.
I mean, I never stopped singingthat song, it was just
(16:13):
constant.
So when it started, I um I wasso busy trying to stay in the
moment of remembering what itfelt like to walk down the
aisle.
And I also wanted to glance offto the right, which is where
all the chairs were, because Iwanted to just kind of see the
people, those loved ones thatwere there, and just plant that
(16:34):
in my head.
And I'm really glad I did thatbecause I have that mental
picture now.
But then I turned and looked athim, and when I got up to him,
um the song was still playing,and we were gonna go light these
memorial candles um for ourfathers and broth, my brother
who's uh who are deceased.
And um he his eyes were just soso teary, you know, very
(17:00):
watery.
And um he just he just had thesoftest smile on his face, and I
think he was just overwhelmed.
Aideen Ni Riada (17:07):
And it's overwhelming enough, you know,
getting to that point in yourlife and standing there at the
just before you're gonna sayyour vows.
Caryn Rinaldo (17:16):
It's yeah, and this was extra, extra
overwhelming.
It was, and it it was it was soso worth it.
Um, and even if the song hadn'tturned out even half as good as
it did, I still would haveplayed it because by that time I
was I was just owning it andattached to the idea, and I knew
(17:38):
that the people that were at mywedding or people that loved
me, and you know, if there werea couple of sour things in
there, they you know, they wouldhave thought it was sweet, and
they and they did, you know.
So um it it was it was the oneof the best things I did for the
(17:58):
wedding.
And Rick told me this morning,he said, had you not done that,
he still that it still wouldhave been a beautiful wedding.
He said, but you know, handsdown, it was it was the biggest
highlight for him.
Aideen Ni Riada (18:11):
That's beautiful.
Caryn Rinaldo (18:12):
Yeah, so it yeah, anybody who wants to try it
should absolutely try it.
You can take comfort in, hey,if it doesn't work out, you
learn to sing a little bitbetter and you don't have to use
the song.
But I think you have to go intoit not thinking you're gonna be
the singer from the voice, youknow.
Yeah, just to be yourself.
(18:33):
Yeah.
Um, and and remember, you know,most people are not tone-deaf.
So, and when I sing, I still,when I sing now, I'll sing
something to the radio in thecar, and I'll hear, you know,
places it doesn't sound good.
And I don't any longer think tomyself, oh, that's awful, you
shouldn't sing.
I just sit and think, oh, well,that's one of those things you
(18:55):
just kind of work with and youfigure out, you know, whether
it's through a teacher or onyour own, how to would how to
adjust it so you can hit it.
And the first thing is it maynot be in the right key for you.
Aideen Ni Riada (19:07):
So yes, that's a good good point.
You know, a lot of people don'trealize that not every song is
within the range of notes thatyour voice is most comfortable.
Um, so you learned a hugeamount about that whole process
of going through, you learnedabout you know, timing, about
you know, melody, about harmony,and you know, as well as like
(19:30):
how singers produce the words,which is quite different to how
we say the words.
Oh, it's totally different.
And I know from the journeythat we took that you know, it
wasn't just about singing thatwe were talking, you know.
There, you know, you would youwould be arriving at the lesson
and something might be going onin your life because sometimes
(19:51):
it's very hard to sing when weare feeling emotional or when
we're feeling angry or whenwe're under a lot of stress.
What did you like?
Did you find there was uh uh atype of kind of friendship that
grew that you know you could youwere able to share how you
really were, other than just uhhow your voice was, other than
(20:15):
just how you were going to beable to sing?
Caryn Rinaldo (20:18):
Yeah, absolutely.
I think I think you are a veryeasy person to have that kind of
relationship with.
I don't think it wasnecessarily something specific
between you and me.
Um I I think that I think thatthe biggest lesson from from all
(20:40):
of that was just how much myemotions affect my output.
And I don't mean just withsinging.
Um you can come in.
There were days that I came inthat I didn't think I was upset
about anything, and it wouldkind of spill out, um, you know,
because I'd be having troubleand I'd get frustrated, and then
(21:03):
we'd end up talking about whatwas really going on.
It wasn't something I wastrying to hide from you, it was
probably something I didn't evenknow was upsetting me.
Um and then learning to acceptthat, you know, there were gonna
be days where, you know, I'dhit those things really well,
and you'd say, Oh, that wasgood, that was very sweet, very
(21:24):
pure, you know.
Just, you know, a couple ofnotes that I'd hit there.
Seeing, seeing how, you know,some things were beautiful and
some things weren't sobeautiful.
It was just a just constantreminder of that's just how life
is, you know.
Um, so yeah, and being able totalk to you and then noticing
(21:45):
after I'd talk to you aboutsomething, how I'd gone from
barely being able to sing at allto being able to kind of be
back on track.
Um huge lesson just just foreverything.
Um, you know, my relationshipwith my husband, uh, my
relationship with my mother, myrelationship with people at
(22:05):
work.
Aideen Ni Riada (22:06):
How has it changed how you're dealing with
things with your with yourhusband and your mom and at
work?
Caryn Rinaldo (22:14):
I um I think I am able to more readily be less
defensive and own own my part ofyou know what's what's you know
not going well at that time,um, being able to, you know,
apologize with sincerity, beingable to take a little bit of a
(22:35):
risk and look and go, I'm reallysorry, that was that was my
fault.
And there's no buts about it.
That was I shouldn't havespoken that way.
Just when you when you sing andyou're singing in front of
someone, and that was you, youreally have to lay it out and be
(22:58):
vulnerable.
And I think really what washappening is well, if I'm being
vulnerable with this person who,you know, I haven't known for
very long, you know, who I'venever met face to face, why, you
know, why wouldn't I do that,you know, with my family
members?
And, you know, instead of Rickand my mom saying, yeah, you're
(23:20):
right, you were totally wrongthere, they just are, you know,
graciously accept the apology.
And it doesn't make me feellike, yeah, I was, you know, it
makes me feel I was forgiven forbeing a butthead.
Aideen Ni Riada (23:33):
You know, so I were you more of a perfectionist
before?
Is that the thing that'schanged?
Caryn Rinaldo (23:39):
Yeah, I would say so.
And I don't know if it's howmuch of it is this the the music
helped and the singing helped,and also just I'm getting older,
but I've noticed that there areother people who are my age who
still are caught up in so Idon't think it just naturally
comes just as you get older,where you go, hey, you know
(24:00):
what?
Things don't always go well,and you should just give it a
shot and uh, you know, and taketake what you get, and if you
want to improve on it, try, tryagain, you know.
Um it was the process oflearning to sing that really
helped that wisdom come for you.
It did.
I think I think it was comingon its own.
But like I said, it doesn'tcome.
(24:20):
I don't I see people all thetime, and it that doesn't come
for them.
You know, I know people thatare my age or older, and they're
still just, you know.
So I think it was a seed thatwas there and the the singing
and having to do what I wasdoing to to see if I could
create this thing that wasreally important to me for the
(24:41):
the wedding.
I think that watered that.
Aideen Ni Riada (24:45):
Um wisdom is an amazing gift.
I mean, I remember one of mymeditation teachers, if you
said, if you want to pray forsomething, pray for wisdom.
Yeah.
And I've I've done that and umbecause I and I think that
that's been the biggest blessinguh for me in my life is that to
(25:07):
I can see the growth in me byjust being able to see things
from a different perspective.
Because you have to see thingsfrom more than one perspective
in order to be wise.
Um you have to be very open toum to changing your mind.
Caryn Rinaldo (25:22):
You know, and I think I think it's hard to do
that, to be open to changingyour mind when you never let
yourself be vulnerable.
Aideen Ni Riada (25:30):
Yeah.
And you I I always would say tostudents that the message in
the song is more important thanthe singer.
Caryn Rinaldo (25:38):
Yeah.
Aideen Ni Riada (25:38):
And when you can put yourself in that emotion
and that feeling that you arewanting to say something, then
you it takes some of that uhself-uh criticism and that
self-awareness away.
And anything that we do well issomething that we've done many
times.
Um repetition is a key to anyform of competency.
(26:03):
And I think a lot of peopledon't realize that if they take
up any new thing, any crochet,painting, walking, singing,
anything, if they do it andrepeat that many, many times,
they will get better.
But a lot of adults feel thatif they don't get better very
quickly, that it's oh, it's notfor me.
(26:24):
They don't give themselves thegrace of time to allow
themselves go on a journey withsomething because they yeah, and
you did now, but it still was avery short span, and I kind of
want to let people know that wedidn't do the two months
directly before your wedding.
We started like three threemonths, a little bit over three
months beforehand.
You worked really hard for thetwo months, and we recorded at
(26:47):
the end of the two months, andthen we had that extra you had
that month then of grace be kindof between in between having
done the recording where it wasin the producer's hands, and
they were just we were justgetting the the final track
ready.
And I think that's important.
Caryn Rinaldo (27:03):
I was wondering if you that's so important.
You you basically laid down thelaw.
You asked me, you know, when isyour wedding?
And I told you, and you werecalculating your head, and
you're like, okay, this is whatwe should do then.
And you explained why you'relike, you're like, we don't want
you stressing out running up toyour wedding.
And thank goodness, because Iwas done with my part of it uh
(27:29):
about four weeks before thewedding, maybe five.
And I got in the car after thatfinal recording session, and I
gripped the wheel and I waslike, oh my gosh, what am I
gonna do in the car now?
And this is a little bit of anaside, but I thought, well, I
have to sing the song againbecause this is what I do in the
(27:50):
car.
I'd done it, you know, sevendays a week for two months.
And so I sang the song again.
What was so funny is I didn'tknow what a relief it was that I
was finished with my partbecause I sang that song more
beautifully than I'd ever sungit before.
(28:10):
And it was because all of thepressure was off me.
Yeah.
Now, it might be worth saying,um, we talked a lot about the
recording studio.
That sounds super intimidating.
And you're not physically herein the Seattle area.
So you had instructed me, youknow, we need to find somebody
(28:33):
who has a recording studio inyour geographic area, and you're
gonna want somebody who'sreally, really patient with
beginning singers.
And I think that is crucial.
Yeah.
Because I, you know, I happento find somebody who had a
studio in his backyard, and youknow, he was he was very, I
mean, I almost got the feelinghe likes being with beginners
(28:56):
and stuff.
I mean, he he was um Aidine wason the uh screen, she was uh
like a Zoom call in, so she wasin the studio with us, and um
having that kind of person to doit was really important.
And then the other thing was uhgo twice.
Um, don't don't go just for onerecording session because you
(29:19):
get in there and you're like,what is all this equipment?
And then it also feels reallyintimidating because it feels
like you're in a movie becauseyou're like, you know, and then
you end up holding the holdingthe uh thing just like a really
cool singer where one theheadphones are.
Aideen Ni Riada (29:35):
Yeah, one headset is on, one is off.
Yeah, you had your Beyoncemoment in the studio.
Yeah, yeah.
Caryn Rinaldo (29:43):
So, but going back, I think it was what was
it, like a week later?
Yes, a few days later, youknow, because you guys were
right.
When I walked in for the secondtime, I was less, less
stressed.
Aideen Ni Riada (29:55):
The thing about singing is it's your voice it
will catch and The musclestructure of your throat and
your breathing is very much umdepends on your emotions and
stress.
And if you are nervous, overlynervous, it will affect how you
(30:17):
sound.
So having you go into therecording studio and do the
whole song as if you wererecording it for the wedding,
right?
Um, but then putting thataside, you got to hear it, which
was really great.
So you got to hear, oh, yeah,that's not too bad, right?
And then you had your secondchance at it as well, then about
a week later, when you weremore calm, when you knew what to
(30:39):
expect, you'd met the producerin the studio.
Pierre was awesome.
So having met him twice, um,you know, made a difference too.
Caryn Rinaldo (30:49):
Yeah.
Yeah, all of all of that was soso important.
What an amazing journey you'vebeen on, Karen.
It's it's been uh totally oneof the song says, I get to love
you, it's the best thing I'llever do.
Uh doing the song is one of theone of the best choices I think
(31:10):
I've ever made.
It's um, I think it's it's ait's a pivot, it's been adding
to this pivot point in my life.
Um yeah, you know, you gave allkinds of ideas about how you
can use these types of songslater, you know.
You could go on and you canpractice much, much, much more,
and then you could actually doit live.
You said you had a student whowanted to do her song and she
(31:34):
volunteered to sing for um coinsat a fundraiser.
Yeah.
Aideen Ni Riada (31:40):
And then she's isn't that right?
Yes.
My my great friend and studentMartina Byrne, and now she
raises money with her voice, andshe she creates a space where
she brings in other, you know,inexperienced or local singers.
Um, so I'm really, really proudof the things she's done.
Caryn Rinaldo (31:57):
Yeah, and that's just really cool.
Aideen Ni Riada (31:59):
We can surprise ourselves, you know.
I think that's you know, noneof us knows what's going to be
happening.
But the first, the firstfoundational step in taking
chances in life is self-love andself-acceptance.
And to me, having heard thatthat journey you've been on,
what warms my heart the most isthat you are not a perfectionist
the way you used to be.
(32:20):
You're more open to beingvulnerable and you're relating
to your life and to the peoplein your life, even more
importantly, with a more openheart.
Caryn Rinaldo (32:29):
Yeah, and it seems crazy that just learning
to sing a song could do all ofthat.
And but it it really has.
It's just been thisfoundational key.
Aideen Ni Riada (32:42):
Um, what would you say to someone listening who
has a dream, whether it's tosing or something else, but it
feels too big or too late tostart?
Caryn Rinaldo (32:54):
It's not too late to start.
If you're, you know, I'm I'mprobably older than most of the
people just because I'm that faralong in the spectrum of age.
It it's not too late to start.
And even if I were to stop doingit right now, that two months,
it was just totallytransformational.
(33:15):
So if you think you have twomonths left in your life, yeah,
you can you can do whatever youwant to do.
Aideen Ni Riada (33:22):
Well, I'm so proud of you, and I'm so pleased
that you took this journey.
It's definitely an honor for meto see how you've opened up and
what how it's affected yourwhole life and your
relationship.
And I think telling your storyin this way might inspire
someone else to take that leap.
And um, I think that'sbeautiful inspiration for
(33:43):
anyone.
And I'm sure people who were atyour wedding or who hear about
it in your everyday life willfeel that inspiration from you
as well.
Caryn Rinaldo (33:52):
Yeah, and you know, if anybody is thinking
about doing it with you, Icannot um more highly recommend
anyone but Adeen.
And um I mean, you wereabsolutely brilliant in the
process, and I do not think thatjust any any teacher can do
(34:13):
that, and it's brought so muchmore balance into my life, and I
think that's that's the why Iwant to continue.
So I never would have thoughtthat singing was was it.
It's brought joy and the thethought of more joy in just
doing it, and that surprises me.
(34:34):
That completely surprises me.
Aideen Ni Riada (34:37):
Thank you everyone for listening today.
It's been an absolute pleasurehaving Karen talk about her
journey.
It's been an honor for me.
We look forward to having youlisten in again at the um on the
next episode of the ResonatePodcast with Aidan.
And please remember that youcan get in touch with me and
that you can take another stepif you know a local teacher or
(34:58):
if you have something randomthat you want to do.
Maybe you want to do theskydiving that Karen Karen
doesn't want to do.
But uh, whatever it is yournext step is, I think both
myself and Karen would just say,look, just try.
Take one little step in theright in that direction, and you
never know where it will takeyou.
Absolutely.
Bye bye.
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