Article September 18, 2017 Issue

Nothing to fear

Courtlyn Reekstin

I was in! I’d auditioned for a performing arts school and was thrilled and honored when I was accepted. At the same time, I was extremely nervous. The talent and competition in this group were intense. I worried that I wasn’t good enough and that my singing style—musical theater and classical—would prevent me from fitting in. I had watched many of my new peers’ audition videos and was amazed by their incredible “pop” voices.

I have always loved to sing, whether it be classical, pop, musical theater, church hymns, or choral music. But even though I’d had professional vocal training and had participated in countless musicals, show choirs, and school choirs, I wasn’t confident in myself or my talent.

Part of this stemmed from an embarrassment about my voice—because of my particular training and style. I grew up training as a musical theater and classical singer. Those styles weren’t understood or considered “popular” by many of my peers, so I was scared of being made fun of for singing in those styles. And since I didn’t feel I had the proper training to sing a pop song, I also feared singing in a more contemporary style. It was a lose-lose situation that made me feel self-conscious about singing in front of people for years.

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