My Life in a Band

I found a seat in the middle of the hall with a couple of friends who were also going to perform. I still looked so upset that it wasn't hard for one of them to notice my mood.

"Hey, Amber," Jessica, my pianist friend said. "You don't look like...you. I mean I know you rarely smile but your expression is kind of different."

"Oh, don't mind me." I smiled a little though it hurt my face a bit. "I'm just nervous." I wasn't a good liar.

"Okay," she said uncertainly. "I'm just here if you need me, alright?" And with a pat on my back, she walked away to meet her relatives.

I saw Mr. Keller coming my way. When he was just a few feet away from me, he gestured me to come with him to the preparation hall where we were all supposed to assemble. I quickly got up from where I sat and picked up my backpack.

"Okay, everyone," Mr. Hardenne, the school director, called out in a loud voice so we could all hear. "Tonight is the most anticipated night for all of us. So good luck and may you make this show the best."

Our band was the second to perform. Although I practiced very well for our song, I still felt butterflies in my stomach. I didn't like the feeling of being so nervous. It made my stomach ache and empty although I ate two sandwiches and a coke back home. That was enough for me. I clutched my stomach as I put my backpack in one of the cobbyholes in the room.

"Hey, Amber," Jacob Lavonne, the guitarist for our band later said. "You look like someone punched you in the stomach. How are you? You don't look good."

Thanks a lot. That put me in a really good mood, Jacob. "I'm okay," I replied with a wry smile. "I'm just a bit nervous."

"Oh, don't be," he said. "Everything's gonna be fine. Trust me. Well I have to go see my parents now. Where're yours?"

"Oh." I looked down. "They're divorced. And my mom's at work." I managed a small smile.

"Okay then," he said raising a hand to say goodbye. "Good luck for later."

"Thanks." But I don't think he heard that one.

The show was already starting. Mr. Hardenne first made a welcoming address. I found a seat with Jessica. She was quite alone now.

"Do you mind if I sit down?" I asked her.

She looked up. "Oh it's you Amber. Please sit down," she said with a smile.

We watched the welcoming presentation by the teachers of FSA. I was really quite amazed by Mr. Keller. He was such a natural. I noticed immediately how hard his solo part was and I made that as my inpiration. He was so good. But of course, the other teachers were also good especially the guitars. They were very talented and I had no questions why they became instructors. By the end of the number, I noticed my mouth was hanging open. I quickly closed it. Good thing nobody saw it. That was what I thought. A boy from the piano class looked at me as if I was weird. I could see he chuckled a bit. That was quite humiliating.

And now, the first band was performing and it was really nice and all. But I noticed that Chris Roscoe, the drummer who was also my friend, did a bit of a mistake. It was made more obvious by him because his brow furrowed and he turned red as a tomato. He was quite a perfectionist. I didn't mind him being one since I'm like him too. As a drummer, our role was to keep the tempo of the song. We can't stand alone and we have to blend in to make the song more elaborate and nice to hear. Every beat was important. And making no mistakes was essential.

We all applauded when the first band finished performing. Then I realized we were next. I stood up and looked at the stage nervously. The butterflies in my stomach were alive again and my heart did a somersault. That was why I hated being nervous. But I shouldn't be or else I'll forget everything I had to do.

An introduction was given for our band. I cautiously got to the stage, careful not to trip on any of the amplifier and microphone plugs. I didn’t want to cause a scene before I even sat down in my seat behind the drumset. My hands were clammy, cold and sweaty, but I controlled myself not to give in so early. I had to finish our performance first. I needed to do it well. I was very nervous I also forgot the first part I had to play. Good thing I remembered it in time as the band got into place and our vocalist, Matthew Davis, introduced our song.

The first part was played by the rhythm guitarist, Bryan Clark. I steadied myself. By and by, it was my turn. I counted four measures before the band played together and I meant everyone. I struck the hi-hat cymbal and began my drumming. It wasn’t a surprise that I got warmer and more comfortable after that. The full blast of my nervousness always comes before I play. Once I hit the first note, my brain becomes accustomed to the beat and I begin enjoying myself. As we got further into the song, I saw from the first tables in front of us Mr. Keller nodding and making a thumbs-up sign. I smiled and enjoyed myself pretty well.

For the bridge, the band was supposed to keep really quiet and stop playing except for me. This was my drum solo. I was really happy to come this far. When I first started drumming, I never even thought I’d actually be in this stage performing. And now, after all those months of training, I was finally here, and making good progress, I must admit. What I was just nervous about, ever since I started drumming, was that I would make a mistake when I did the drumroll. I listened for the vocalist to start making his voice in the crescendo mode. That was my hint to start the drumroll and to hit the crash cymbal. After a few seconds, the vocalist made his voice louder and louder. And then I did it. I thought I got it right, but I guess I went a little nervous again and thought I’d made a mistake that I really did. But thank god I got there in time to save the song, and to save myself. My right hand was alert. And the rest of the song went quite well. Whew. That was close.

The song ended and we stood up and took a bow. I went off the stage decided to go back to my seat beside Jessica. But the room was quite crowded now that I had to go to the opposite direction instead of going to the right where Jessica sat. As I passed, I was congratulated by a lot of people and I was truly grateful for that. I thanked them back as I hurried back to my seat. The people who congratulated me were my schoolmates but as I passed through the last corridor to where I sat, one group of boys, looking so serious, congratulated me. And I didn’t even know who these people were. Strange. But I still thanked them.

“Can you come with us for a minute?” the biggest of them asked me.

I hesitated. They didn’t look like killers. I clutched my sticks tightly in my hands if ever I needed them. The man who asked me looked like he waited for a reply. I nodded my head with this weird look on my face. I hoped they didn’t notice it.

“Let’s go to this room,” he indicated the room where the students assembled before the show started. This was the room nearest to us. I followed them into this dark room cautiously.