The National Sand Bass Festival held its annual King Sandie Talent Contest on June 6, 2022. I competed in this event and wanted to share my thoughts on the contest. The experience was incredible and I’m glad I was able to do it. I didn’t win, but getting on stage and performing was the best gift for me to win.
I performed “Young Man’s Blues” by Parker McCollum and for me, it was fitting for my scenario. I grew up in Kingston and I felt like the community knew me or had an idea of who I was.
Last year, I left for college at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO). I finished my first year in April and moved back to Kingston with my family. I noticed when I came back that I wasn’t as noticed by the community as I used to be.
Most of my friends and teachers at Kingston didn’t recognize me. It was kind of sad for me to come to this realization that I had been forgotten about. It showed me a lesson about how being away from home can change how home feels for you.
I relate to this song because McCollum sings about being scared that his hometown had changed and how he doesn’t come back home often. In the song, the lyrics, “well it just might be the hardest thing I’ll do” really hit home for me. That is what made this song special for me to sing.
Getting up on stage was harder than I had ever imagined. I knew it was going to be scary by going in front of so many people to sing. This was also my first time performing in front of a live audience, so that added to my anxiety.
I was so scared, but once the music started playing, I knew I couldn’t back down now. I had spent hours practicing and listening to this song to make sure I knew it like the back of my hand. Once I started performing, my anxiety tapered to almost nothing. I walked back and forth on the stage singing to make sure everyone could see me on stage.
One thing I realized was how I couldn’t hear how loud I was singing. The speakers were facing the opposite direction, so it was hard to gauge how loud I was singing. Luckily, I heard my voice and it sounded fine. However, it was something I was selfconscious about.
After the song finished, hearing the crowd clapping and applauding was incredible. That was worth all of the time and stress I had put on myself. I was proud of what I had accomplished by just going on stage and performing.
While I don’t see myself performing again, I will encourage anyone who has thought about it to join in next year. It’s horrifying in some ways, but the reward for doing it is monumental.