My first stage performance

    Participating in my first-ever outdoor concert event was one of my biggest challenges in 2023.

  It all started when my friend contacted me saying that a friend of hers was looking for a female vocalist for a concert event. So I contacted the said person, and it turns out he was a keyboardist for an acoustic band called "RAVANA". Apparently, the concert was due within a week, and their current vocalist was unable to participate. I felt this might be a great opportunity to gain some experience, so I agreed to join them for the event.

    However, there were some challenges I had to face. First of all, it was supposed to be an outdoor concert, meaning I had to actually perform on stage & actively entertain a crowd. That wasn't something I'd ever done before, and I have performance anxiety to a certain degree. You can't just stand there and sing a song; you have to interact with the crowd as much as possible and make them want to sing & dance with you while performing. Other than that, the two songs I was supposed to sing were not the kind of genres I'd tried before and were out of my comfort vocal range. It was a challenge to practice them within a week.

 

  My biggest concern was building chemistry with the band. I usually have a hard time bonding with new people, and all the band members were practically strangers to me. So it was hard to be comfortable around them. Not having chemistry with fellow bandmates can actually ruin a performance, no matter how talented each individual person is. Since this was going to be a big event with other famous bands were also going to participate in, and we were supposed to be the opening act, it was a big responsibility I didn't see coming at first. Not only do we have to make a good opening for the event, but also, we have to give a good first impression of the band.  

   As the day finally arrived, we were all a bit nervous. The concert was happening at Viharamahadevi Open Air Theater in Colombo. The sound rehearsals began at 2pm. My brother also came to help us prepare for that. After getting done with that, we immediately changed into our concert outfits. At 7pm, we went backstage and quickly discussed last-minute details we needed to keep in mind. Surprisingly, I didn't feel any sort of nervousness, or anxiety at all. I think it's because my mind was too busy trying to keep up with everything, that I didn't have time to be anxious.

 Amidst crowd cheers, we got on the stage, and I felt adrenaline rushing through my body. It was like someone else possessed me, and all the anxiety I felt throughout the week was nowhere to be found. The music blasted, and the lights were blinding as we performed. The crowd was hyped & we had so much fun on the stage. I could see my friends & parents cheering at me closely, and I felt incredibly happy. It was just a forty-minute act, but it was the most memorable forty minutes of my life ever.

  We received really good feedback from the organizers as well as the other bands as well. It was super fun & I got the opportunity to learn so many things in such a short period. Now when I look back at that performance, I can see my weaknesses & mistakes that I made, but instead of having regrets, I think I did a good job as a rookie. I'm more inspired to do better & gain experiences in the future.