When I was at school, I loved to sing. I was a member of my school choir, and continued the interest through University with a few productions there.
What happened next? Well, I graduated. As a lot of former students can attest, that isn't as easy as it sounds. It's time to get a job, and suddenly nobody cares about the solo you went through three auditions and one almost-catfight to get. Nobody remembers how you brought the house down in 'Chicago', or your killer version of 'With One Look'. People look at you, say "No experience!" and turn you down flat, and each time it eats away at your confidence just that little bit.
That's what happened with me. I always knew I wasn't West End or Broadway style good, knew I would never stand out in a crowd enough to make a career of it, so I found myself looking for ordinary work, only to find that the things I was good at, the things I cared about, weren't worth anything to anyone else.
So eventually, when I got an ordinary job, I settled down to do it. Somehow I didn't have the confidence to join any of the established choirs in my area - I no longer had the nerve to walk into a room full of people who already knew each other.
I watched 'Glee', and I couldn't help feel for Will Schuester and his attempts to recapture his glory days through his students. I knew how he felt, missing the lights, missing the applause.
So one day, when I saw an advert in the paper, saying that a new choir was looking for members, I jumped at it. 'New' meant that nobody else would know anyone either. 'New' meant a fresh start. And maybe, just maybe it would make me feel as good as it had before.
That ad in the paper was over a year ago, and I've never stopped singing since. If you love 'Glee', if you belong to a choir, if you're involved in amateur theatre in any way, or even a bit curious about what goes on, you might find my stories amusing. If not, well, I've got a record of them anyway!
