Anna W., Oakwood High School
Stepping into the Spotlight
A few years ago, I was in my local youth orchestra and I was assigned to sit first chair and lead the section. I loved playing my cello and every Sunday I was elated to go to rehearsal. The orchestra would always have so much fun together as we grew as musicians. However, I am a timid person who suffers from a paucity of courage and I didn’t feel comfortable in the leadership position of first chair, or the solo that came with it. The solo was a challenging piece of music that I knew would take a lot of time and effort to master.
I took the solo music to my cello teacher and anxiously asked her for help. She looked at the music and broke it down into smaller, more manageable sections for practicing. After this slight adjustment, I realized that the music was more manageable than I had previously believed. My change of attitude about the piece and my excellent work ethic helped me learn the music and make the most of the situation, even if I was nervous. At our next rehearsal, I was ready. I had practiced the piece and had a newfound confidence in my abilities. When the time came for my solo, I took a deep breath and began to play. Amazingly, the difficult piece sounded polished and professional. Now, I only had one ultimate challenge remaining: the concert.
On the day of the concert, I was a bundle of nerves, despite my previous success in rehearsal. I arrived at the concert venue, which contained a large stage and a section for the audience. As the sound system operators set up microphones for the soloists, I tried to stay calm and focus on doing my best. Before I knew it, we had reached the piece which contained my solo. I slowly walked onto the stage, shaking like a leaf caught in the wind. I felt the spotlights’ bright rays hitting me and my palms started to sweat. Despite my nervousness, I knew that I needed to do this. I had to prove to myself that I was capable of facing my fears. The conductor gave the orchestra the cue to begin, and all of a sudden, I started to play. My solo was beautiful; filling the entire concert hall with the rich sound of my cello. After playing my solo, for the rest of the concert, I led my section dutifully and kept everyone together, facing my previous fear of being a leader. This experience taught me that even the biggest challenges in life can become a little more manageable when you have a positive attitude and believe in yourself.
