Offstage

STI Performing Arts (Tacloban)

We can’t go on with our lives without looking back to those best memories and remembering people who helped made things possible for you.

I was just a simple student way back then and just living my life naturally. I made friends with people who were just like me, talk to people who talked to me, smile to those who smiled and looked my way and to those who liked me. I don’t like in pretending we’re friends, talk as if we’re close and smile as if we like each other. But doesn’t mean I don’t like someone it’s just that we don’t need to smile if not necessary and if we don’t feel it. I don’t act opposite of my feelings and of what I really am. I’m a Jag Jeans lover and never wear skirt as possible.

Everything changes when I joined the choir group in Performing Arts. My passion in music leads me there but I don’t have passion in acting and that made it hard for me. Aside from singing for masses in our school, we joined choral contest, we perform in gatherings, occasions and even big events. We made mini concerts and perform musicals.

Being a choir and stage performer you must possesses the professionalism in singing, acting and must have a stage presence. You have to communicate with audience while singing and you must feel and make the audience feel the song. And that includes smiling. I was just a first timer and I got nervous and made mistakes sometimes. Since I am one of altos, we don’t sing the melody of a song more often, that’s the job of sopranos. We have different tune and when singing with melody sometimes made me lost. I end up singing the melody especially when I know the song. So every time we practice and perform I focus on my tune and forget to smile. No problem with sad songs of course because there’s nothing to smile. Since I’m the tallest of the girls, I was easily recognize and observed so I always called and got scolded. When I heard our choir master said “Come on guys, smile, more.. more..” even if he’s not looking at me or even if it’s not just for me, I felt it was for me.  And I’m guilty.

Performing the musical “Ms Saigon” was the hardest part in my life of performing arts. Miss Saigon is one of the best Broadway Musical starred by our Filipino pride, Miss Lea Salonga.  We only get few part of the story and it all happened in a nightclub. So our role was ladies of pleasure. At first I can’t even imagine myself on that role. I had hard times in our practice because we had to project as a real fancy women and I had problems regarding the custom because I don’t even wear skirt how much more wearing shorter than that.

Because of their help, I learn how to cope easily in necessary changes. Because of their trust in me I learn to trust myself more and gain more confidence that I’m not aware that I am capable of. I learn how to smile in front of so many people, known and unknown. Miss Saigon was the hardest yet my challenging performance ever.

When I thought of those times, I can’t help but smile and even laugh. Those struggles and trying hard times are my best times actually. I made mistakes and got rebuke, hurt in some practices and even cried before our performance. But that’s all part of it, steps in going out of my shell.  I found out that I have lots to offer and lots of things I can do beyond my expectations.  And that’s all I owe to the people behind it.

You can find my article at Musicouch