Musical Connections

Chapter 2: The Past

Every year, the Lakewood High School would show a musical at the National Theatre, they were artisitically talented but their band was not the best. This was a big event and so many people turned up, most of the high school students participate in the production and the school hires professional choreographers and costume makers, make up artists, conductors, and band memebrs. For the production, the school hires band members from my arts college the NIA (national institute of arts) but only 2 members from the last year of music college.

I went to see the production of the Sound of Music last year and it was exactly like the movie and the acting was extraordinary. I watched the violins which always had the melody to play and the flutes were the second melody. It was amazing, I wished so badly that I was one to play along with the band because the songs were very catchy and full if inspiration. I loved it. During high school I've played with the ochestra and performed in front of large audiences... I love the rush of energy and passion and confidence that I get when I am seen by so many people. It makes me feel like a professional although I am still on the path to that. I lost my fear through performing solos at high school, I was able to get through my perfirmance without panicking. I have flashbacks of these wonderful moments that bring back memories of communication and inspiration.

Once in high school, during a talent show night, I was in line to perform my solo piece "you raise me up" on the violin. I was scared, panicking, it was my first solo in front of so many people and my heart was racing. I remember as Tyler, one of my best guy friends, whom I had a slight crush on, came up to me and hugged me. "Everything will be alright, I know you'll do great up there, just savour the moment and feel the rhythm... yeah? " I chuckled nervously and had a freakishky large and crooked smile but inside I was dying of excitement and passion and "NEXT UP WE HAVE THEA MADISON playing "you raise me up" on the violin' I was looking at the stage and at Tyler "Go Thea, you can do this just feel the music, I know you can do it"

That night I came home and talked about the performance and music with Tyler, I thanked him for his advice. Tyler was a great musician, he played the piano better than anyone at our school and he was able to describe any type of music eith lm the right terms. We never had the chance to be something, I left the school because my dad moved his job... we spent days together, anywhere we went, anything we did, it was together. Everyone thought we were meant to be...

From that day onwards I took every oppottunity I had to perform, with an ochestra or solo, I always did it. Since I joined the NIA, I performed a few times but I mostly recorded songs. It wasn't the same although I felt my improvement as a violinist.