by Cassie Stephens

Created on: April 24, 2008   Last Updated: May 05, 2008

I've always loved to sing. I learned the love of music when I was barely walking. I have been writing my own songs for several years. Yet, I have always been a bit shy when it comes to actually singing in public. Which brings me to the first time I ever really sang in front of strangers.

It was at Pancho's, which if you don't know, is a Mexican restaurant. I was told about the Karaoke through some friends. I am more of a La Hacienda girl, so I didn't really know that Pancho's had Karaoke. My friend and I went together, sat in the booth, and ordered our food. I can't really remember what I ate, I just remember that I was nervous. Like I said, I never really sing in public too much.

We got the book of songs, and began to look through them. If you ever looked through a book of songs, you will realize how much music is out there, and how much you really don't know. I mean, I have been listening to music my whole life. My dad is a guitarist. I have been exposed to so much, but I didn't even know one fourth of the songs in that book.

I picked out a song by Bonnie Rait, Nick of Time. I had this song before, I knew the words. It seemed a good choice. I filled out the slip and was content to watch the other participants make a fool of themselves. There is something about Karaoke that is different from auditions or those singing shows like American Idol. Because, it really doesn't matter that you can't sing, it's just really fun. There was a father and son that got up there several times, and while they weren't the best of voices, I didn't even care. It was just entertaining to watch them.

Because I was so nervous, I forced my friend to sing this song with me. I didn't care that she didn't know the words, I just wanted to have someone else look like an idiot beside me. It took a while to coax her, but she did go up there with me. My stomach was like an endless eddy. It felt like it was swirling in constant motion. But the song was beginning, and I think that not singing would look more idiotic than if my voice sounded horrible. So, I watched the screen instead of the crowd. At first, it was a bit crackly, but I made it through strong.

I didn't even realize that my friend wasn't even singing. In the end, it was an experience that has helped me to pass through a hurdle. While it is still a little hard for me to sing in front of people, it isn't as hard as it used to be. In fact, I was able to do an audition for a vocal scholarship recently. And for your own personal information, I got the scholarship.

I think I will probably become a Karaoke type person. I even look for places that have Karaoke. Not only was it an enjoyable experience, it also helped me. Who knows? Maybe in the future, it will be my songs that people sing.

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