Reverb12 Day Twenty Seven: Hidden Talents

tyunglebower ♦ December 28, 2012 ♦ Leave a comment

Daily Angst again for this one.

Do you have a hidden talent?  Dazzle us.

I’m a bit perplexed as well as fascinated by the concept of a “hidden” talent. What makes it hidden? How many talents are such that one sees them being utilized on an everyday basis? Or an every minute basis? Wouldn’t any “hidden” talent of mine that people witnessed in my cease at that moment to be a “hidden” talent? Does hidden mean “unexpected”, and if so, what sort of reasons might one have to expect or not expect any given person to posses a particular talent?

All of this aside, I’m not sure how dazzling I can be.

Let’s go with the off the path an not often mentioned talent, just to make this more fun.

I do an excellent Elvis Presley impression.

I don’t look like him, obvious, and I don’t dress like him. I’m not an impersonator in the traditional sense of trying to portray Elvis for parties and such things. (Though I do bust a few dance moves that are Elvis-inspired.) Mainly though, I sound quite a bit like him when I sing his music. That is at least according to virtually anyone that has heard me do so.

I’ve listened to Elvis music since I was a tiny child, and I imagine part of my ability to replicate his voice and cadence to the extent I am able is due to a lifetime of exposure. That can’t be the only thing, however, as I can’t sound like John Denver no matter how hard I try to do so, and I’ve been listening to him just as long.

Perhaps my “wiring” in the music and rhythm part of my brain is similar to that of Elvis. You can’t really sound like a person without talking at their tempo, or in this case singing. But going back to John Denver I know his rhythms as well, and can sing his music in my own voice quite well. So it’s a voice quality thing. Maybe.

But probably it’s just a “who the hell knows?” thing. Perhaps that’s why it best qualifies as a hidden talent for the purposes of this prompt. I only know that became famous for sounding like Elvis in high school. Then, after a voluntary performance of “Winter Wonderland” as the King at a college Christmas gathering, the knowledge of my hidden talent spread to more people. (Included one of my best friends who loves Elvis more than most things ever.)

After college, I became famous for the impression after singing “Blue Christmas” as Elvis at a cast party for a Christmas play I was in at a theatre. In fact, anytime I have been in a Christmas play since then, somebody seems to know about the impression, and requests a performance.

So yes. If you don’t know much about me or have just met me, a nearly “dead on” impression of Elvis’s singing voice is probably a talent that remains hidden until specific circumstances arise.

But if history is any indication, if you know me, the day will come when somehow, somewhere for some reason you’ll see me do it.