If Music Be Your Life, Start Early and Follow Your Dreams!
By Mariah, age 16, Minnesota
Sweet Designs Staff Intern
Sweet Designs Featured Writer
I used to be the all-around 4-sport (volleyball, basketball, golf, and tennis) athlete at my middle school. I started out playing basketball in kindergarten at one of those sports camps at Courts Plus. Ever since, I have always had a love for sports; however, when I started high school in 9th grade, sports didn't seem fun anymore when all of the girls on my sports teams started to form cliques and obsess themselves with gossip, Taylor Swift, Nickelback, and fashion. (That's not me.) Plus, all of my friends quit playing sports to join the fall musical. Like a sheep, I followed, wondering what all of the hype was about, and I will tell you, the experience changed my life.
I first started hitting the music scene in 6th grade when I started choir, and it was alright, I only joined choir because a lot of my friends were in it. It wasn't until 8th grade that I started taking music seriously. I decided to audition to be in the regional ACDA choir, and I got in! I met lots of great people I still converse with today, and it made me realize that music interested me. I started taking voice lessons in 9th grade and auditioned to be in more choirs. I then made it into the ACDA National Honor Choir in 9th grade and the All-State MN Honor Choir in 10th grade.
My first musical was Les Miserables in 9th grade, and I was in the choir, which sang loads of songs since there were lots of massed choir parts to sing. Les Miserables is basically set in the French Revolution, and it's about the French common man's (and woman's) fight for freedom against oppression caused by the rich aristocrats. The music was beautiful, and there were barely any lines. The entire two and a half hour long musical was based on lots and lots ... and lots ... of songs. I enjoyed the experience, met lots of new people, and decided to possibly pursue music as a minor in college or a potential career path in the future.
My second musical in 10th grade was West Side Story. I loved every minute of this musical - the dancing, the singing, and the Puerto Rican attitude and accent. I forgot to put my stage shoes on for the "I Feel Pretty" scene and I had to keep hiding my feet so the 400 people in the audience didn't realize I didn't have shoes on - my most embarrassing moment ever.
This year, we are doing Singin' in the Rain, and I want to audition for the role of Lina Lamont, but she doesn't have any singing parts, so I am still not sure.
Taking part in music-related extracurriculars helps to clear my mind from all of the stress caused by school, and for this very reason, I would recommend hitting the music scene in your school. It is very easy to do - you just need to be able to commit to music 110%. If you can do that, you are on your way to a fun-filled school year.
How to Get Started:
1. Hang out with the "theater geeks". They know what's going on.
2. Ask your choir director about upcoming musicals and auditions, and see if they offer voice lessons.
3. Get your friends involved!
