Solos

The spotlight is on you, all eyes are watching you, and the microphone is in hand. In a matter of seconds you are about to sing all by yourself and the crowd will be sitting on the edge of their seats. You hold yourself high and proud, and show the audience what you are made of.

Solos are a fantastic thing in the performing arts. It allows kids to feel confident about themselves and showcase their talents as a singer or dancer. I experienced this back in eighth grade and I can honestly say that it changed me as a person. I performed Greased Lightning back in the eighth grade and I was privileged enough to sing the entire song. My first time performing it in a competition was absolutely nerve racking. I can still feel the anxiety of that one performance every time I had a solo later in my choir career. That song however, made me feel confident. I felt strong. Not to sound cocky, but when a whole gymnasium stands up and cheers after you perform, it's unforgettable. I still dream about that spotlight in the eighth grade even now as a junior in high school. That feeling never will go away and nor should it. It's special.

When watching kids do solos, whether they are really good or still improving their talents, I give them one hundred percent of my attention, and wish them the absolute best. It's not easy going up in front of thousands of people and singing a song all by yourself. That's why when I look at idols such as; Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, or Rascals Flatts, I think about how much confidence they have inside of themselves in order to do what they do. It's inspiring. They not only teach an audience how to portray a message and share their talent, but they show that anyone can do anything, and even if that little thing in life is a thirty second solo, it will one of the best thirty seconds of your life.

The point of the matter is that confidence and hope can spark from the smallest things. That solo changed how I was as a person going into high school because I wasn't scared of anything anymore. Whether people thought I was good really didn't matter to me. I was having the time of my life and I felt like a star for two minutes of my life. I believe every kid should have that moment that they feel like they rule the world because at the end of the day, that's what we all want isn't it? Not everyone is going to be able to perform on the Grammy's in front of millions of people, so when you are able to do something special in front of an audience, own it. Feel confident and believe in yourself. After all it's not about the destination it's about the journey, and why not stop and enjoy the view from the top when you are given the opportunity.