“One, two, three, four! One, two and three and four!” I was frantically counting in my mind. It was my first pit orchestra practice for the high school musical my freshman year. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not keep up with the fast tempo and puzzling key signatures in the music for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. The opening performance was in one week and I had a long way to go to perfect the music in time.
After the first practice, I felt disheartened. I did not believe in myself enough to learn and perfect the music. Not wanting to give up, I slowly began picking up more notes each day. Outside of rehearsal, I practiced during every spare second I could find. As opening night got closer, I felt myself getting more nervous. I knew I was getting better, but the thought of making a mistake terrified me.
Finally, opening night arrived. I took my seat on the stage with the rest of the ensemble, and the pit lowered until the audience could not see us. The lights dimmed, and the show started. We made our way through the first song, the second, the third, and so on. The audience laughed as the actors made jokes and danced
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I can now play notes higher than I ever could before the musical, leaving me with a hunger for more challenging music. I taught myself to play at fast tempos with little time to think about what I am playing. The latter musical lesson can be applied to life as well. Performing in the musical helped me learn to make decisions quickly. It was stressful at first, but with plenty of practice and not backing down, I was able to achieve my goal and be a part of a great show. Similarly, life often requires us to make important decisions quickly, such as how to respond to peer pressure and staying true to your values. After practicing these skills musically, I am prepared to tackle the fast paced adventure of