As a child I was fairly certain I had musical talent. At least my mom said I sounded good. I thought I sounded so good, in fact, that I would volunteer for every singing moment offered in school. Solo at the Christmas concert? Me, me, me! Duet at the Spring concert? Who wants to be my partner? Group performance of a pop song at the talent show? Every. Single. Year.

I was also a burgeoning singer-songwriter of the Christian pop variety, a la Amy Grant and Steven Curtis Chapman. Oh you don't know who they are? Google them. Amy Grant did have a crossover career as a regular pop singer... "Baby, Baby," anyone? I would write a ton of songs and record them on my cassette tape player. They almost all were in the same key, had the same melody, and included the same exact lyrics, more or less. I apparently am also immune to my own tone-deafness because I would listen back on those songs and think I had nailed it. I bet I would have been rich and famous by now had I discovered auto-tune (and how to be cool).

You would think with age would come a reality check, but no. I forced my mom to sign me up for musical theater class around the age of 12 because I just would not let go of the dream of being on Broadway one day. I think that class might have been the both the best and the worst thing that ever happened to me. Being surrounded by actually talented girls shone a bright light on my lack of talent (Check it! Two left feet, y'all)... a blessing to the rest of the world who would no longer have to endure my public displays of singing, and a curse in that my childhood dream was dashed in a matter of a 4 week course.

Because I am a positive person and like to always find the silver lining in every heartbreaking story, I will say that I learned a well-intentioned passion is just as powerful as actual ability. I still sing daily. I sing when I am happy. My happy place is with my family, and together we sing. We sing our hearts out. Its terrible for the neighbors, but makes for a lot of laughs within the walls of our own home. So there! In your face Recording Academy Voting Members! I have won a Grammy in my own (terribly delusional) mind. And I'd like to thank my mother and father for always believing in me.