Nerves

Like any athlete, pressure is always added for you to succeed whenever you perform in front of hundreds or thousands of people in a big stage such as a playoff event or cross town rivalry. My stage was just a little different. Last Saturday, I traveled to Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio to audition for a music grant and be admitted into one of many of their different music programs. People had been asking me all week if I was nervous and my answer was always the same. I was not nervous. I had no reason to be nervous. For many weeks, I had been practicing the two songs required for the audition and besides, it's not like my entire college decision will depend on how well I performed at the audition. Nonetheless, when I took my first step onto the campus, all the courage I had mustered vanished and like any competition, the nerves hit me. It is normal to be nervous, Some people actually say being a little nervous is good for you. In a way, I agree. If you truly care about a performance and you have been practicing then you should be nervous. Being a little nervous just means you're ready for the challenge at hand.
Unlike the superbowl, I didn't have the eyes of the nation focused on my every move. My stage consisted of one person wielding a notebook and a pen. The judge was friendly but he didn't have anything to worry about. We introduced ourselves and after a quick discussion he asked me to begin. The first piece started off a little rough. Definitely not how I imagined it but when planning things, it is best to expect nothing to go according to plan. The judge stopped me halfway into the song and asked me to begin my second piece. The second piece began wonderfully, I had finally gotten used to the nerves that ravaged my first song. Again, the judge stopped me halfway. I never did find out if having me stop was a good thing or a bad thing but the judge told me I was well prepared. Hopefully he wasn't just being nice. I have learned that nerves are just something you have to deal with, even if they make things a little more difficult. Like I said before, nerves mean you care and that you're ready. In a few weeks, the final auditions will be finished and I will find out if I have earned a music grant. Then we shall see how much help nerves played in my audition.