Some Thoughts Nick Had Laying Around
If the world is truly a stage, and we are all simply playing our parts in the cast, why do so few of us actually end up performing in front of an audience?
For me, it was initially a juvenile fear that my art would be rejected or even openly mocked by my peers, that kept me out of the spotlight. But as time wore on, I couldn't help imagining myself rocking out in front of a crowd. Bouncing in my teen bedroom and smacking a guitar around just wasn't cutting it after awhile. I needed to get on a real stage.
In the years that followed, I have found myself on stages of varying levels of sophistication more times than I can count. The majority of those times have been spent playing a guitar and caterwauling as a member of the band Skeleton Boy! We're far from a renowned act, but a fair amount of people come to our shows and some folks even ask us for advice from time to time. The refrain that I always like to share is "You can do this too!".
Let me backup for a second and give some context, in case any of you are foolishly doubting that previous (entirely factual and diligently peer reviewed) statement.
The first time I ever did something similar to what I now do regularly with Skeleton Boy, was during the Calapooia Middle School Talent Show (which was held in the school gym, so there wasn't an actual stage) that happened sometime in the final months of my 8th grade year. I had conned my dear friends Zoey and Tanner into joining me on Drums and Bass respectively, in a project ambitiously named Today's Youth. It was between that and Sporadic Dismemberment, which we didn't end up picking because it sounded "too Death Metal" for our Pop Punk/Alternative Rock stylings. We honestly weren't sure they'd let us even audition with a name like that.
We practiced for weeks beforehand! The other two were much more self aware than I was though, because after we had only rehearsed Nirvana's About A Girl a few times, they both insisted that I work with the school's choir teacher to get my singing voice in shape. In hindsight, this was an ominous sign of things to come.
Despite all the practicing we did, I was still incredibly nervous before things kicked off at the talent show. So nervous in fact, that when I did start singing, I poorly sang an octave higher than we had practiced! Watching the videos afterward was pretty embarrassing, but what was more embarrassing was that the crowd cheered so much after we finished, that they convinced us to play two more songs. I remember our takes on Linoleum by NOFX (or maybe Bob...) and the genre staple Blitzkrieg Bop more fondly, but suffice it to say, the thought of the looming bus ride Monday morning filled me with a unique sense of dread that I haven't experienced since.
Ultimately, I survived! Some might even say I'm now thriving by comparison. It admittedly took me a minute to build my confidence back up, but I eventually strapped on a guitar and squawked into a microphone again. I share this adolescent trauma with you, because I think it excellently illustrates how the stakes are often not as high as we try to place them.
This is all to say, you can do this too! Sure some folks may have more advantages/resources than others, but true creativity is priceless. I honestly believe that we all have unique qualities within ourselves that, if we found a way to genuinely express them, would reshape the world for the better! It all starts with a melody, or a dance move, maybe an elegant phrase, or even a crunchy chord. If your eyes and ears are peeled for inspiration, you can find it anywhere.
Making music, or art of any kind really, can and should be a personally enriching experience that is fun the vast majority of the time. If you (yes, YOU) have ever thought about performing for an audience, I think you should definitely give it a try. Apparently we've been standing on a stage this whole time anyway! Why not have some fun with it?
Suggested Listening
- About A Girl by Nirvana
- Bob by NOFX
- Blitzkrieg Bop by Ramones
- Skulls by Misfits
- Linoleum by NOFX
- Emperor Palpitations by Skeleton Boy