'Inferno' - Lead singer in a band

Performing during the informal opening

Who are the Inferno?

An activity which I cherish already is singing, and throughout my life in school I have tried to challenge myself further. 'Inferno' is a contemporary rock group which involves me and my friends. It is made up of myself (main vocal), Bian (drums), Amit (bass and backing vocals), Eric (electric guitar) and Daniel (rhythm).We often perform songs of the group Paramore and My Chemical Romance during International Day in school and also the Christmas and Summer concerts.

Our plans...

However, a particular event which we all have to prepare thoroughly for is the Round Square International Conference. It will be held in our school from the 9th to the 15th of October 2010. This is a huge event for our school therefore many people will be busy preparing for the conference beforehand. Our band, Inferno will also be expected to play in the informal opening ceremony for the conference on the 9th. Even though I have sang in front of people before, I am still nervous as during the conference I will be singing in front of more than 700 delegates from around the globe. This is something that I have never done before in my life.

What were my aims which I wanted to achieve?

What I hope to achieve at a personal level is to develop a skill which ables me to cope with my fears and challenges, thus performing in front of all the delegates is a scary task which I'll have to face. Also, the fact that this event is a challenge for all of us in Inferno. Therefore, we would have to work collaboratively as a band in tackling the issues which may come up during the practices or even on performance day.Moreover, through practicing and performing the songs, I would like to become more of the risk-taker in terms of performing. Therefore, trying my best to sing the high notes as well as moving around the stage with confidence. I want to challenge myself further in the arts of singing.

Singing in action

Further plan...

3 songs were to be sing by myself. 1. I'll Stand by You - The Pretenders, 2. When I Look at You - Miley Cyrus and 3. Use Somebody - The Kings of Leon. In honesty, I feel most confident with the songs I'll Stand by You and Use Somebody. This is because it is on a lower tone which I can sing comfortably. However, the song When I Look at You is the one which I struggle most with. it's a beautiful song sue to it's meaning, that's why I've chosen it as it goes which the conference theme 'We Walk Together'. Still due to its higher tones, I struggled to prepare. A friend of mine in the band however, he helped me by giving me advice to sing on the head tone instead and also helped me to practice it. The head tone is a challenge to sing as I loose my breath easily. Therefore, I had to practice it in combination with my breathing.

On the day of the performance...

On the day of the performance, the music department helped us with the sound check practice before the actual performance. Also they helped us carry the musical instruments on to the stage right before our performance, therefore this made us all feel more confident as we are fully prepared. Despite the challenges in preparing for the performances on weekends as well as after school, I felt like after the actual performance I really got something out of it. Many delegates later on positively commented on my singing which in a sense made me proud of myself. I have managed to sing in front of more than 700 people which is amazing to me. I believe that the band's performance benefited all the delegates who participated in the Round Square conference. As our band performed in the beginning of the conference, an atmosphere is created which makes the whole conference seem more enthusiastic. If I ever have another chance to perform in front of more than 700 people again, I would definitely take the opportunity as this experience gained from the conference has given me more confidence on stage. Also it has given me the motivation for the future, thus the ability to handle challenging tasks especially when it comes to performing on stage. In the future, I look forward to carry on my musical aspect further maybe even starting on the guitar.

Did I achieved my personal goal which I planned for before the performance?

To be honest, I was proud of myself because I did it! I sang but at the same time I moved around the stage professionally with confidence. I did not just stand in one spot which I usually do. I believe that through the performance I've increased my awareness of my strengths and weakness in singing. This experience has contributed to my growth as an individual. Moreover, through this activity I also learnt of commitment and how practicing in the weekends as well as after school can make a difference.