Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life

LEARNING TO SING HEARING THE MUSIC IN YOUR LIFEWhen he was a kid singing in his church choir, Clay Aiken never dreamed of becoming a pop music star. His ambition was to be a teacher, maybe even a high school principal. But Clay's mother was right, and the music that was Clay's joy in life was destined to lead him to unexpected triumphs.In Learning To Sing, Clay details what his astonishing success has meant to him. He writes from the heart about is life before and since his instant stardom on American Idol, how he has changed, and how he struggles to adapt to life in the public eye. He speaks candidly about his lonely childhood: the father who abandoned him, the school bullies who tormented him, the mother who taught him to be strong, and the friends and teachers who-more than they ever knew-kept him going. He describes his new high-profile life in Los Angeles - the awards shows, the free clothes, the unfortunate presence of avocado on all the food. More significantly, he reveals what he has discovered from diving into the white-hat center of pop culture: what it takes for him to stay true to himself and remember the lessons he learned growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina.Clay shares his struggle to remain a man his mother can be proud of, and writes about the faith that sustains him today just as it did when he was an awkward, unpopular outsider, "I believe God has a direction for me. He did not give me this life just so I could buy a big house and an SUV.