“You’re on deck,” they shouted from the back. The lights went out and I knew it was time to go onto stage. This is the first time I am about to sing in front of what looked like three hundred people, for an eight year old it is the scariest thing I ever had to face. I could hear the crowd clapping and thinking “ What if they don’t clap for me? What if I forget my lines? OH NO! What song am I singing again..?”


My hands start to tremble, it feels as though an earthquake is erupting inside of them; the palms of my hands feel like buckets of water are pouring on them. My throat was closing as though a huge lump was there and as hard as I tried it wouldn’t go away and I couldn’t breathe.
I head towards the wooden creaking steps with my eyes fowling me telling me they were miles away from where I am standing; when in reality they are only inches before my two small feet. I pace myself as slow as I possibly can, not too slow, to avoid the audience from recognizing my nervousness. I slowly approach the microphone, taking it in my right hand, looking confidently out towards the crowd.


Then suddenly the light glares on me, they are so bright I can’t quite focus on anything else. The background music starts to play and all I keep saying to myself is,
“ Don’t worry just act like you are practicing in front of the mirror and you’ll get through this.” Seconds later words flew out of my mouth without even realizing it, like I was meant to be on that stage. I could hear the people down below trying to silently sing along and clapping their hands to “ Soak Up The Sun” by Sheryl Crow.


I get to my final lines of the song I freeze, realizing what I just accomplished, my nerves slowly start to fade noticing I didn’t mess up one note. Everyone stood up as they clapped their hands with excitement and astonished faces. The youngest girl performing was not only the closing act but also had an encore.