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by Yu-Shan Liu |
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ISALC, Lewis and Clark College
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by Yu-Shan Liu |
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How do you feel when you are the center of the people's attention? Do you feel nervous, excited, or happy? How do you deal with those emotions? I remember my first choir performance experience which really made a difference in my life. This experience is very important to me because it showed me what joy is really like.
I have been a member of the choir since I was ten. It is not as simple as people think; usually, people think that singing is a very easy job, but it is not. It not only uses my voice but also my brain, for example, when I memorize songs. Also, it took me a long time to control my emotions because emotions could affect the quality of my performance. I still remember that I had to wake up at dawn because I had to go running one kilometer every day. It helped my lungs to open, so then more air could be stored in my lungs every time when I breathe. After running, I had to start to do all kind of exercises in order to learn how to breathe correctly when I sing. For example, I had to breathe in different places in different songs; I could breathe after every four notes in some of the songs, but in some I could not. Then I started to sing the musical notes. The more times I practiced the notes, the better I could sing them. Not only making the sound, I had to learn to make the notes from different parts of my body. For example, when I sing a high note, I make the sound from my head; when I make a low sound, I make it from my stomach. Finally, I started to perform songs. Usually, I would sing with the piano once, learning and memorizing the songs. Trying to memorize the sound of the songs is not hard for me. However, I did have a hard time memorizing the words of the songs, especially when they were not in Chinese, my mother language. I usually had to stay in front of the desk for at least ten minutes every day in order to memorize the words of the songs.
After two or three months training, I finally finished and it was time to perform in a concert. I still remember this, my first concert in the Taipei Arts Hall when I was ten. I t was a sunning morning, and all of the members of the choir dressed in uniforms, which were like kilts. I was very nervous, and the teacher gave us special tea to drink and she asked us not to talk before the performance. I was very nervous when I was on the stage, I could feel myself sweating, but my teacher's smile calmed me down. I kept holding my hands really tight, then I relaxed them several times. Then, I took a deep breath and I started to sing the first song, which was about frogs. I could not hear my own voice because the hall was huge! I could not see what the reaction was from the audience; it seemed like the world was only between my teacher and me. I got a solo in that song, and I was not sure how I sang it. I only know that I used all of my energy to sing this part, or you could say that I screamed this part. There was only the nerve and my teacher in my mind, I was too afraid to look at the faces of the audience. My body was shaking. Afterwards, I suddenly heard all kinds of sounds, such as clapping, laughing, and the sounds of camera shutters clicking. I was not scared any more. My nervousness was gone! There are no words to describe my happiness at that moment when I saw the audience standing up, clapping, and taking pictures of me and the rest of the choir. I looked into my audience's eyes with confidence, and I smiled unconsciously. It was so hard to tell you the joy I had; somehow, I started to think that singing was fun.
Nervousness is the biggest enemy for all performers. I was very glad that the audience helped me to destroy my nervousness, so I could perform. Because of their passions and their support, I could go through with the challenge. This exciting experience made me want to keep singing, and I did work harder in order to sing better. The reaction of the audiences brought me my self-confidence. I am not afraid of performing in front of people because I know that the audience will be nice to me. This is the ninth year since I joined in the choir. The last choir group I joined is called Ohio Ambassadors of Music. We represented the state of Ohio and performed in Europe last summer. We performed in London, Paris, Champeri, Austria, and Rothenberg. We had a great time there; we practiced hard, and we gave great concerts. We were even on the news in Austria. I think that I will continue the choir, even in college. I want to sing forever.
Created by: krauss@lclark.edu
Updated: 9/24/99
