Learning How to Sing by Jessica

Learning How to Sing by Jessica - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

It was my first day of fifth grade, a beginning in many ways. It was the beginning of middle school, a new school year, new classes and most importantly, new teachers. I didn’t know what to expect walking into my chorus class on the first day of fifth grade. When I signed up for chorus, I didn’t expect the class, or the teacher, to impact me the way they did. Mrs. Potter was my middle school choral teacher, and she taught me the most important lesson I’ll never take for granted, how to sing correctly.
She taught me as well as the rest of the class how to support high notes when singing, taking a deep breath from your stomach, and using the breath to support long words and phrases. In addition, she taught us proper singing diction through the use of fun tongue twisters to sing in class. These showed us how to correctly articulate words so that everyone in the audience could hear them, because singing words was so unlike speaking them. In addition to teaching me how to sing, she opened up many opportunities for me as a performer. Throughout the next four years in middle school, I worked closely with Mrs. Potter not only in chorus class, but in show choir, musicals and in the selective District Choir. She taught me to never give up, and to keep pursuing what I love to do the most, sing.
She was the hardest on me out of everyone, but reflecting back on the experience, I know it was because she saw the potential in me. She pushed me the most because not only did she see the talent I had, but because she saw how extraordinary I could be if I practiced more, and tried a little harder. She taught me that dedication is the most important thing if you want to be successful, and taught me how to push myself to become better. She always pushed me to be better, and because of that, now I push myself to practice a little more, and push myself to focus on the quality of my singing. If it wasn’t for her, I never would have known how much I love performing. Not only did she teach me how to sing, but she opened up so many opportunities for me to shine that I never knew existed. She taught me how to dedicate myself to something I love; making me into the performer I am today. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t think I would be the most important thing that defines me as a person: a performer. For all these things she taught me and all the doors she opened for me, I will forever be grateful to her for the rest of my life.