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| Andrew, standing next to me in the white kurta! The rest are (going left from Andrew), Alfred, Prakash, Gladwin, Steve, Br. Jiji and the one in reddish-pink is Niren! |
"Neendri naanum Illai,
Yen Kadhal poiyum Illai,
Vazhi yengum, undhan mugamthan
Vazhi kooda, ingey sugamthan..."
While in India, I stayed in the hostel, and there we had what we call Hostel Day!
Now, there's a young man called Andrew, who for a very long time, wanted me to sing a Tamil Song! I didn't mind and actually didn't put much thought into it, until this year's Hostel Day (The one and only hostel day I participated in)! He (Andrew) started bugging me to sing this Tamil Love song! It's not that I didn't like singing Tamil Songs, I had actually sang Tamil songs before, mostly religious, with the Con Spiritos (Have I written about them?), but it was never a solo performance, it was a group effort! So to some extent it was scary! I could forget the lyrics, I could accidentally, unknowingly swear, I could get a panic attack, I could pee on my pants (lol)... a lot could've happened! It was nerve wrecking!
As the date neared, Andrew, Neil, the rest of the light music team and I, started practicing! It was easy to catch up to the words, because I had sang in Tamil before, a lot of work had to be put into my accent though, to make sure it sounded Tamil! Andrew, Neil and the rest of the light music team were quite supportive! Though the other guys were a little cautious to criticize me at first, they soon found out I really welcomed their thoughts and criticism! As the day grew near, and as we did demos of our performances in front of the hostel director and his assistants and some hostelers, it seemed that I'd be a hit, I still had to work on the accent though!
The actual day came, and as the hours dwindled by, I couldn't help but become a little nervous! Some last minute scale changes didn't help either! Would everyone get it right? Will it be a great performance? Will Andrew sing with me? (He was considering supporting me)! When my turn finally came up, the last performance of the Light music team I suppose, I walked up on stage (alone with no Andrew, he had decided I should do it alone), a little nervous, and got ready to start! Got the scale from Neil's guitar, and started singing! And then, and then the defining moment of my performance occurred! The crowd cheered, they went crazy, they started clapping and shouting! Like fire spreading through dry grass and wood, my confidence quickly grew and I sang, I sang and sang! I suddenly remembered all the lessons I was given, all the emotions I needed to show all the stress I needed to put on the words! It was turning out to be a great performance! And as I sang the last 'lahi lahi lahi'! I couldn't help but raise my hand up with joy! I had done it! The crowd cheered! Probably I got the loudest cheer of the entire hostel day!
What followed were days of great smiles and hand shakes and congratulations and comments like 'superrrrrrrr' (lol, I miss India) as I walked down the streets! A lot of people, parents and students, who were there on that day were happy to hear me sing in their language! We had recorded a video of the performance, it's fate however, can bring me to tears! I lost it!
Well, this long post isn't about my performance, it's rather about the young man behind all the success! The man who thought it'd be good in the first place for me to sing! Andrew!
Andrew is a complex dude! It takes time to understand him! He's a very caring individual, an upcoming guitarists! Andrew is a terrific light music singer! I admire his range and his commitment to light music! He sings quite well, and usually likes to sing the songs in their original scale, which can be quite challenging, but he does it!
Andrew has a light music band, and I hope it's still doing well! Who knows to what successes it may lead him?
I also respect Andrew for his attempt of bringing peace! He'd often come to my room (Which I sometimes felt was a bother, lol, because I was busy), but he'd come, chat with me and then tell me something serious he'd observed, about me or the choir! Yes, sometimes I did justify myself, but sometimes I did get the point and tried to change accordingly!
Today, I say God bless you Andrew for giving me one of the greatest moments in my life! I do miss you and remember you quite often! I just hope you read this! Whoever does read it first, tell Andrew to read this! Plus, as you're a senior now, I do hope you're trying to play a senior like role in the Choir! Your ideas are often out of the box, but good! Your turn to implement them! All the best! Cheers!
There you go, one post down!
Yen Kadhal poiyum Illai,
Vazhi yengum, undhan mugamthan
Vazhi kooda, ingey sugamthan..."
While in India, I stayed in the hostel, and there we had what we call Hostel Day!
Now, there's a young man called Andrew, who for a very long time, wanted me to sing a Tamil Song! I didn't mind and actually didn't put much thought into it, until this year's Hostel Day (The one and only hostel day I participated in)! He (Andrew) started bugging me to sing this Tamil Love song! It's not that I didn't like singing Tamil Songs, I had actually sang Tamil songs before, mostly religious, with the Con Spiritos (Have I written about them?), but it was never a solo performance, it was a group effort! So to some extent it was scary! I could forget the lyrics, I could accidentally, unknowingly swear, I could get a panic attack, I could pee on my pants (lol)... a lot could've happened! It was nerve wrecking!
As the date neared, Andrew, Neil, the rest of the light music team and I, started practicing! It was easy to catch up to the words, because I had sang in Tamil before, a lot of work had to be put into my accent though, to make sure it sounded Tamil! Andrew, Neil and the rest of the light music team were quite supportive! Though the other guys were a little cautious to criticize me at first, they soon found out I really welcomed their thoughts and criticism! As the day grew near, and as we did demos of our performances in front of the hostel director and his assistants and some hostelers, it seemed that I'd be a hit, I still had to work on the accent though!
The actual day came, and as the hours dwindled by, I couldn't help but become a little nervous! Some last minute scale changes didn't help either! Would everyone get it right? Will it be a great performance? Will Andrew sing with me? (He was considering supporting me)! When my turn finally came up, the last performance of the Light music team I suppose, I walked up on stage (alone with no Andrew, he had decided I should do it alone), a little nervous, and got ready to start! Got the scale from Neil's guitar, and started singing! And then, and then the defining moment of my performance occurred! The crowd cheered, they went crazy, they started clapping and shouting! Like fire spreading through dry grass and wood, my confidence quickly grew and I sang, I sang and sang! I suddenly remembered all the lessons I was given, all the emotions I needed to show all the stress I needed to put on the words! It was turning out to be a great performance! And as I sang the last 'lahi lahi lahi'! I couldn't help but raise my hand up with joy! I had done it! The crowd cheered! Probably I got the loudest cheer of the entire hostel day!
 |
| Andrew, who's head is next to the 'It's my birthday' Card! |
What followed were days of great smiles and hand shakes and congratulations and comments like 'superrrrrrrr' (lol, I miss India) as I walked down the streets! A lot of people, parents and students, who were there on that day were happy to hear me sing in their language! We had recorded a video of the performance, it's fate however, can bring me to tears! I lost it!
Well, this long post isn't about my performance, it's rather about the young man behind all the success! The man who thought it'd be good in the first place for me to sing! Andrew!
Andrew is a complex dude! It takes time to understand him! He's a very caring individual, an upcoming guitarists! Andrew is a terrific light music singer! I admire his range and his commitment to light music! He sings quite well, and usually likes to sing the songs in their original scale, which can be quite challenging, but he does it!
Andrew has a light music band, and I hope it's still doing well! Who knows to what successes it may lead him?
I also respect Andrew for his attempt of bringing peace! He'd often come to my room (Which I sometimes felt was a bother, lol, because I was busy), but he'd come, chat with me and then tell me something serious he'd observed, about me or the choir! Yes, sometimes I did justify myself, but sometimes I did get the point and tried to change accordingly!
Today, I say God bless you Andrew for giving me one of the greatest moments in my life! I do miss you and remember you quite often! I just hope you read this! Whoever does read it first, tell Andrew to read this! Plus, as you're a senior now, I do hope you're trying to play a senior like role in the Choir! Your ideas are often out of the box, but good! Your turn to implement them! All the best! Cheers!
 |
| Andrew, in the middle in white, and the ladies doing what they do best to the guys! |
There you go, one post down!
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