User:3primetime3/Take a Risk

{|

!style="padding:0px 5px; background-color:#EC84CA; border-style:solid; border-color:white; border-width:2px; " colspan="21|Medleys A Cappella I felt nervous, being unable to sit still: my legs sweeping across the floor, my hands trembling. “Why was I even doing this?” I thought to myself as I clicked submit on the Google form for an 8pm A Cappella audition.  “No experience necessary, but how was I supposed to be good?”  “Think Austin think!”  Trying to calm myself from panicking, I decided to take a nice stroll across campus in order to clear my mind.  While I know that college is the place to get a fresh start and step outside of my comfort zone, I never thought I would have found myself to submit the online form that day.  I have never sung in front of anyone, not since I was child; I was never confident enough to be proud of my voice.  The closest I have ever gotten was to accompany my high school choir classes on the piano. Even then, that was not anywhere close to a cappella.
 * style="padding:0px 5px; background-color:#FFDEF4; border-color:white; border-width:2px; "|
 * style="padding:0px 5px; background-color:#FFDEF4; border-color:white; border-width:2px; "|

Coming back to my room in order to pick up my things for my audition, I almost regretted signing up and almost convinced myself to not go. However, if it was one thing that being a piano performance major has taught me, it was this: never turn down an opportunity that you have created for yourself. While singing was not a part of who I was, giving up was not either. Being prepared to embarrass myself in front of a few people, I grabbed my headphones on my desk and started listening to a few of my favorite songs.

As I arrived at the room that I wanted to audition, a person came up to me with a paper form to fill out. I cracked a smile while reading it. While I did not know how to answer about “singing experience” or “favorite a cappella group,” questions about “battling a human-sized goat” really amused me. Perhaps auditioning would not be as bad after all. After meeting the people in the lobby, the knot in my stomach started to loosen up, and I stopped pacing around.

The door opened and it was soon my turn. I walked in and found myself in front of a panel with music directors and managers. Taking a breath, I began to perform my rendition of “Just Once” by James Ingram.

A few months later, I find myself singing tunes with my closest friends at the local Santa Monica St. Johns Hospital or at Skid Row's Downtown Women's Center as we bring joy and music to people through community service. We all believe that music can truly make anyone's day that much more sparkly, and we stand united behind our motto: "Love for people, love for music."

''The biggest decision in your life may only be one decision away. Maybe it doesn't happen the way you plan, but trust me when I say that you won't regret it at the end!''