My Other Hobby

If you read my blog, you may get the impression that I'm a sporty sort of person. While it is true that I'm a great lover of sports, I'm not in the least bit athletic- My Life In Sport is testament to that. I do have quite an artistic side to me, though the mind is often far more enthusiastic than it is talented. I have had some success, however, when it comes to singing. That may be surprising if you don't know me well; and even more if you do!! I'm not very good with music theory and I never took it as a subject. I have quite a small range as a singer and can't really sing anything you'd hear on the radio. But I have for several years now been trained in the more 'classical' art of singing, both in choirs and on my own.

My parents always thought I had a great singing voice (aww shucks) and so I had lessons from about year 7. However, I never really got into singing until it got pretty serious. Choir at school was pretty good, and when our school acquired one of the best choral directors going around, things began to move pretty quickly. By my final year of school, I was Head Chorister of the Chapel Choir and was accepted into The Graduate Choir, NZ which was taken by the same director. This was a great honour for me and it really got me thinking seriously about my singing. It also vastly improved my skills, especially sight reading!!


Around that time I also started with my singing teacher, whom I still learn from today. In 2008, my final year of school I took my first tentative steps towards performing, when I entered in the North Shore Vocal Competitions. That was quite an eye-opener; I was 16 in a 16-17 class and the competition was very good that year. I was very nervous and still remember shaking every time I got up to sing. I came away with one Highly Commended, for a song which did turn a few heads, so that was pretty good all things considered. But it was worth much, much more in terms of experience. 

My First Trophy!

When I entered the West Auckland competitions a few months later, I was much better prepared. I was also fortunate to be in a 14-16 years class, so I was the oldest participant. In what was a fairly uneven contest I managed to get three First places out of four songs; for the other, my Song In Costume, I received a lowly 'Commended,' because apparently I only looked at one part of the audience for the whole song, which happened to be where my parents were sitting. So I still learnt a lot that day. It was nice to come away with some prize money and a trophy though!

The next year, 2009, I set my sights on the South Auckland competitions; here I sang three songs, getting a First, a Second and a Third. I really enjoyed singing one song unaccompanied, it is quite an amazing feeling filling an otherwise silent hall with just your own voice. I also got great kudos when I decided at the very last minute that I would march on stage when I sang 'The Policeman's Song' from Pirates- the adjudicator made special note of it! The way they work the overall placings in these things is by allocating 5 points to a First, 3 to Second and 1 to Third. As it turned out, I ended up with the same number as another competitor, the only other male singer there. This meant they then tallied up the marks we received for each song, and with a stroke of luck I came out on top. I was pretty stoked to win but knew I was lucky also! Still, I had a lot to learn from it.

North Shore Winners 2010

2010 was quite an important year for my singing; I entered the North Shore competitions again, coming away with a Third place overall in what was a rather disappointing show. I was assured however, that the judging was very subjective and I could easily have won... but I don't dwell on these things, I always try to learn! Later that year I had the honour of being a soloist in a performance of Handel's Messiah, put on by my school's Old Collegians' Association. I sang the bass aria 'Why do the Nations.' Unfortunately I came away feeling I had done a better job in the rehearsal than the performance, but I was assured it was nevertheless ok. 

They Gave Us Roses!

Later that year I also entered a much more senior vocal competition, The Ron Dellow Memorial comeptition, with entrants from 18-28 years of age. I entered the heats more for the experience than anything else, but to my general amazement I made it through to the last 7 in the final. The finalists comprised almost entirely University music students, with many years experience and learning on their side. On the night, I managed to muck up my first song, but seemingly without anyone else knowing. I instantly thought I had blown my chances, so I decided just to enjoy it; once I stopped thinking about it as a competition, and more as something just to enjoy, it went a lot better. It was rather an uplifting feeling and I quite enjoyed the night. When it came to the results, I was amazingly surprised to be Highly Commended, which was in effect Third equal. That was a huge confidence boost for me!

At The North Shore Comps 2011

Fast forward to this year, and a couple of weeks ago I competed in the last Junior Vocal Competition I would be eligible for, at the North Shore competitions. It was a nice circular feeling, going back to the event where I began performing. My section was split over two nights, which made it quite a different experience. On the first night I had the dubious honour of performing the first piece- which was in fact the first item of the entire Music Festival- and I was placed Third. From there it was a case of close but not quite- I was placed Second in each of my next three songs; I was the only one to place in each category however. Following the point system I mentioned before, I once again tied for first place. But this time, luck wasn't on my side and I was 2 points (out of 400) behind the eventual winner. It was somewhat disappointing, but I had great support and felt happy about how I sang, regardless of the result.

Pearl Broad Memorial Cup

A couple of days later, I woke up to find a message on my phone, informing me that I had won a special award. The festival had an award for the Most Promising Vocalist aged between 16 and 19; because the 16-17 age group competed after mine, they couldn't award it until they had finished. Because I wasn't there the night they announced the winner, they asked me to come the next night so I could personally received the award from the Adjudicator. I was thrilled to do so, and they even asked me to perform one of my piece again. So back I went to the North Shore for the third night in four, but it was well worth it. Again I had great support from family and friends, which made it all the more enjoyable. 

Following on from that confidence boost, I have entered into the Senior sections of the upcoming West and South Auckland competitions. I also recently joined the Auckland Clef Music Club, to gain more performing experience, so I look forward to singing for them. I'm also looking to apply for a Grand Opera Society scholarship, as well as entering the Ron Dellow Memorial competition once more. All in all, it makes for quite an exciting future, which is really why I thought I would share all this with you. I really love singing and it can be so enjoyable! 

For me, singing went from a fleeting fancy to a real passion in my life in quite a short space of time. I remember I used to hear all the news at school about other people winning competitions and performing everywhere, and wonder why I couldn't be them. And the main reason it wasn't me was that I hadn't tried- you've got to be in to win, after all. You don't have to move mountains to do things that you love; you just have to put that love you have into it, and it will come back to you. Granted, with things like competitions, there is a great focus on competing, but it's the singing and doing what you love that is far, far more important. So that's why I'm writing this- not to blow my own trumpet, but to show you how things that seem distant and unattainable look a lot different, and easier, when you give them a go. If I wanted to be the best singer in the world, that wouldn't be easy. But to do what I love, that's something I can do and I am.

Q.E.D.