CSRYE Talent Show
So, at the Central States Rotary Youth Exchange Retreat, I performed in the talent show. It wasn't exactly something I thought I would do, as I just kind of wanted to hang out the whole time, but my district coordinators had other plans. It all started within an hour of me arriving at the retreat. I was standing outside with all my friends and some of the Croatians I just met. Don Osten came up to me in front of everyone and asked me if I was going to be performing. I told him I wasn’t planning on it, but being an exchange student has prepared me to say “Yes” when asked of something, so i did. I agreed to at least try out for the talent show. So I prepared to sing I’d Rather Go Blind by Etta James with the help of a backing track. It wasn’t ideal, I usually sing this song with a full band, sometimes with a full brass section. So singing it with only a backing track wasn’t my favorite thing. I practiced it once and trusted that it would be okay enough to try out with.
When the audition time rolled around, I had to book it out of a meeting to make it in time. I went to the building that the auditions were being held and after the 3rd time around on the second floor, I realized I was lost. There was a group of people in Rotary shirts standing around, talking to one another and I thought I would try my luck in asking them for directions. I asked them for directions and it ended up being right behind them. But, before I could leave to make it to auditions, they asked me what I would be doing. I told them I would be singing the blues, Etta James to be exact. That’s when I realized that I was talking to the Rotary International President, his wife, and anyone and everyone who was important in Central States. They then asked me to sing for them, as the President wouldn’t be there for the actual performance. So, when you are asked by important people to sing acapella in a hallway, you sing acapella in a hallway. It’s the exchange student way! So there I sang a capella I’d Rather Go Blind for everyone important before I even had a chance to audition. Towards the end of the song, I noticed that a guitar began to play behind me and that everyone’s phones were out recording. At the end of the song, I got a round of applause and a selfie with the President’s wife. I’m still in shock a week later that it all happened. I mean, that was the PRESIDENT OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL, BASICALLY THE PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD. EVERY ROTARY CLUB IN THE WORLD REPORTS TO HIM, THAT IS INSANE!! But, it gets even crazier!!
The man who was helping put the whole show on came up to me as soon as I started walking away and told me he wanted me to meet someone. He introduced me to the guitarist who started playing behind me as I sang. The man, John Salan, told me he wanted me and the guitarist, Zach Watson, to play together. We agreed that that would be kinda amazing, and so we decided to try it out a few times! I have NEVER done this song a capella before so it was very new for me, but he was so good at guitar that I was all for it. And like I said, if someone asks you to do something, you say yes. So we practiced it twice and auditioned. I really wanted a lot of the emphasis on the guitar, so I waited a whole 12 bar in between verses so people could hear Zach make the guitar speak. Because he could make that guitar speak like no other. We ended up making it into the show, with an act neither one of us planned on doing. Crazy how things like this work out. John Salan kept joking that he wanted to be my agent. He was so nice to me and kept my confidence up for the whole performance.
The actual show was a dream. All the girls got ready in the dressing room together, hardly anyone brought any makeup, but thanks to my maximalist view on packing, I had enough makeup to go around. It was kind of really cute to see everyone helping each other get ready. I ended up having a HUGE line of girls for me to do their eyeliner. Which caused me to be the last to get ready, but who am I to complain, I love helping other girls look their best! We all waited in the green room, all anxiety filled as we prepared to perform in front of 1,200 people. Zach and I weren’t on until the end, number 18 out of 22 to be exact, so we were able to watch everyone perform. There were some AMAZING ONES, and a couple got standing ovations which was so cool. So many people from different places getting to showcase their talents, there is nothing like it. I loved it.
When Zach and I went to go wait to perform, Sabina Kozlowska who is an inbound, played In Un’Altra Vita on the piano and it was a tear jerker! I was crying backstage right as we were about to perform, which was okay because I’d Rather Go Blind is a sad song as it is. I needed that emotion to make the performance good. Performing I’d Rather Go Blind with just an acoustic guitar brought out a whole new side of the song. My mom said it was the best I’ve ever done the song, and I have been performing this song for years. She said it was like I was telling a story and that she could feel the pain that I felt as I sang it. When it was all said and done, Zach and I had the whole house on their feet. For the first time ever, I got a full standing ovation. I don’t think I’ve had anything like that ever in my whole life. I think about it now, and I get chills. It was magical. I felt like I was floating. Hands down, the best performance I’ve ever been apart of.
One other performance that was amazing was done by Maia Ojugbele who sang I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston. It was amazing! She had lost her voice, so the beginning was a little squeaky, but as soon as she hit the chorus, she was belting like no other. She got a huge standing ovation as well. I wish I had a video of it, it was that good. There was also a couple performances that were amazing!
Zach Watson, my guitarist, who performed a blues medley, which is right up my alley.
Drew Kane who rapped the Alphabet Aerobics while solving two rubik’s cubes.
Anna Scarzella who sang a medley of songs in English, even though her native language is Italian, while playing the ukulele.
Molly Ernest who performed a traditional Japanese dance that she learned on her exchange in Japan.
Winnie Wang and Anna Mahoney who did an amazing guitar mashup together. It was even more impressive because Winnie wasn’t from America!
Manuella Beltran who sounded like a literal pop star as she sang a song from her home country, Columbia, called Creo En Mi. She was amazing, and Edward, one of my friends from my district and the cousin of my best friend, admitted that it was his favorite.
Amelia Waud who performed an original song called Juggling Dudes, that I then begged her to post somewhere because I was utterly in love with it. It was clever and funny and downright beautifully sung.
Minami Yokote and Hana Lee did a dance to Bitch Better Have My Money, and I’d be surprised if they didn’t get some numbers afterwards. They were so so good. I was looking at some of the elder Rotarians and I don’t think they knew what to do, but it was so so so so good. A perfect ender!
At the end we all sang Let There Be Peace on Earth and said thank you in our country’s language or in our host country’s language, as long as it wasn’t English. It was to say thank you to the people who have been in charge of the conference for many years, but this year was their last. It was sweet and thoughtful and I loved it. A great thing to be apart of, that’s for sure!
And to John Salan: 10%.