MY NYC PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE (BY INDYA FROM MARYMOUNT MANHATTAN COLLEGE)
The feeling of performing is such a high that I can’t explain. I’m sure every performer of any kind knows exactly what I mean. For those who aren’t performers, I’ll try to paint as clear of a picture as I can.
Being on stage gives you an opportunity to be whatever and whomever you want to be. You have all of the freedom in the world to convey any message, portray any image and anything else your heart may desire. The nervousness you may initially feel will instantly turn into adrenaline and serve as a fuel to make your performance even better. Believe me, it’s a feeling that every human should experience in life, one way or another. Even if it’s something as simple as partaking in a Karaoke Night—being on stage is an amazing feeling.
About a week (almost 2 weeks) ago, I had the opportunity to perform at a popular venue here in NYC, The Shrine. The Shrine is not big in its stature but believe me, it’s big in reputation.
Since its launch in 2007, The Shrine has been considered a staple for performers in the Tri-State area. The venue is plastered with memorabilia of different classic artists of different eras and genres, from The Beatles to Bobby Brown—hence the name The Shrine.
I was obviously stoked to be performing at such a venue for my very first show! But at the time, performing at a place with substance like The Shrine scared me half to death. Not to mention that it’s located in Harlem, a place known for its enriched culture.
I felt like this performance had to be perfect. Yeah, people might cut me a little slack since it was my first show but I didn’t want that to be the case. I wanted them to be so wow-ed that they wouldn’t even believe that it was my first showcase.
Preparing for the show took a lot out of me, physically and mentally. Almost a year ago, I was clinically diagnosed with moderate depression and anxiety. Talk about a load. Dealing with two mental disorders is already a lot on anyone. But to be a performer, where you have to be on stage in front of people and be completely vulnerable kicks it up a notch. My anxiety goes into overdrive when I have to sing in front of people, or even simply talk in front of people. My anxiety is mostly based on social settings (let me know if you would be interested in an article entirely dedicated to my life with anxiety) and being a singer definitely has social aspects—you have to communicate and connect with people as a way of networking and gaining fans.
By accepting to do this show, that meant having to push my anxiety and depression to the side and get through it as best as I possibly could.
Selecting which songs I wanted to sing was harder than I thought it would be! I wanted to pick songs that showed my style the best and with similar messages that I wanted to express with my own original music (coming soon!). I would like to think that my genre of music is a unique blend of Neo-soul, R&B and Pop with a little Hip-Hop thrown in there at times. So I decided to pick songs from each of those different genres in an attempt to give the audience a
little taste of what I’m all about.
The songs I settled on were:
What I noticed immediately after settling on those four songs was the common denominator—all these songs were created and released in the 90s. Although all the songs I chose were bops that I was sure the audience would appreciate as fun throwbacks, I wanted to have a little freshness in there. Something that was more me and that was newer.
I ultimately decided to add an original song to the set list, despite the fact that it wasn’t even recorded yet! But hey—this was my show and I wanted to have my brand in there the best I could.
Although I’ve performed original poems publicly multiple times, something about performing an original song seemed so sacred. The song, "Terms of Endearment," is very personal to me because it was written about a real life situation of mine.
The song talks all about a woman being so completely in love with a man who doesn’t even pay them a speck of attention for a number of different reasons: the man is in love with someone else, he doesn’t believe that the woman is sufficient enough for his needs and their initial attempt at a relationship just didn’t work out. The woman has a hard time letting go, which is basically the reason why she is singing the song.
While I’ve never been a relationship (not even one of those little innocent elementary school “relationships”), I completely relate to a guy I like being completely uninterested in me and giving his attention to another girl. The other topics of the song (for my situation) are simply my theories on why the guy is not interested in me.
I think at times, we think we’re the problem that stops someone from being interested in us. But that’s not necessarily the case all the time. I’m still learning that as I go along.
As weeks went by with countless bedroom rehearsals of the songs with the only official rehearsal with the band (assembled by my dad, who is also a musician), it was finally time! The day had arrived after countless Instagram advertisements and the constant agony of wondering how the performance would turn out. One thing I knew for sure was that it was either time to sink or swim. Left and right, lots of things started to go wrong! It’s as if the universe loves to never let any big events that a person plans go smoothly.
It was the day of the one and only band rehearsal and one of my background vocalists (my good friend and fellow artist Jamal) had travel issues and couldn’t make it out to the studio, which led to my Dad having to step in for him with the background vocals along with Sha, who also happens to be the curator of the event. Also, I hadn’t even gotten my performance outfit yet! My fraternal twin Chyna winded up getting the outfit on the day of the actual performance—a simple all black outfit with a maroon jacket thrown over it, silver sandals and silver jewelry to match.
Lastly, I was completely late for my performance slot! The band had been at the venue for a couple hours and here I was, riding on an hour long subway ride to the venue with my mom, Chyna and my cousin Sparkle. Luckily, Sha was the curator for the event and could simply bump our performance to the last slot. Walking into a room filled with my friend and family who had come out to support (in addition to the other several strangers) instantly helped my nerves cool down. I took a moment to gather myself and keep myself focused on my goals and what I wanted to get out of the performance, and more importantly, what I wanted everyone else to get out of the performance.
“Miss Indya,” the host (and co-curator with Sha) called out from the stage cueing me to come on. I smiled my awkward smile as the audience cheered; my awkward smile was accompanied by usual awkward saunter. I awkwardly greeted the crowd and tried to mask it as best I could with confidence. I cued the band to begin as we entered into the first song, "Tell Me," that started off with my original arrangement—I slowed down the beginning to tease the crowd and to feel the vibe out. But then suddenly, I counted out “1-2-3, hit it!” which was followed by approving screams and excitement from the crowd as the song sped up.
As the song came to an end, I could feel the amazing energy from the crowd which combined with mine to create this indescribable feeling. Being connected with people is an amazing sensation that money can’t buy. As the performance moved along, I started to feel more and more comfortable. The vibe from the crowd aided in how comfortable I was. It was amazing to feel the different energies and personalities of the audience.
My two favorite songs for the night were definitely "Tyrone" and "Terms of Endearment." "Tyrone" allowed me to show my sassy and sexy side (I swear I thought to myself the entire time: “How would Beyonce perform this song?”) while "Terms of Endearment" allowed me to connect with the audience in a personal way and allowed them to truly hear my voice. Sure, anyone can sound amazing doing a bunch of cover songs, but when it’s your own song, there’s nobody to compare to. The audience are listening with the intent to hear what you have to say and not just how well you can hit the same notes as Lauryn.
By the end of the song, the crowd gave me a standing ovation. It had to be the proudest moment of my life. It confirmed that this is exactly what to do with my life. I want to move people with my music, my insight, my story.
Overall, the performance was a success! At the end, my friends surprised me with beautiful flowers and Sha arranged for a little birthday cake to be brought out as everyone surrounded me and sung Happy Birthday (My 18th birthday was four days earlier). I don’t think I’ve ever been as proud of myself as I was in that moment.
I sincerely urge anyone who has any dream of singing or anything to go for it. Every little small step counts. The Shrine may not have been something major like Coachella or the Grammys but it felt like it to me because it was my way of introducing myself. Watching those clips back, I couldn’t even recognize myself.
Did this awkward shy girl actually do great on her first show and managed to not bomb it? Yes, she did.
And she has no intentions on stopping.
What do you think of the performance? Follow me on Twitter @IndyaJazmine and on Instagram @indya.jazmine!
Indya Jazmine is an incoming freshman at Marymount Manhattan College. She hails from the neighborhood Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, New York. Indya is a Singer-Songwriter, writer (literature wise), model and actress is excited to share her experiences dealing with anxiety, body image, music, reviews and of course— being a natural!
Being on stage gives you an opportunity to be whatever and whomever you want to be. You have all of the freedom in the world to convey any message, portray any image and anything else your heart may desire. The nervousness you may initially feel will instantly turn into adrenaline and serve as a fuel to make your performance even better. Believe me, it’s a feeling that every human should experience in life, one way or another. Even if it’s something as simple as partaking in a Karaoke Night—being on stage is an amazing feeling.
About a week (almost 2 weeks) ago, I had the opportunity to perform at a popular venue here in NYC, The Shrine. The Shrine is not big in its stature but believe me, it’s big in reputation.
So happy to finally announce that I’m having my very first show!😭 I hope all my NYC babies can make it😌 Don’t worry about the 21+ thing, all ages are welcome.💜 Come through and see me and other acts on Aug. 6! pic.twitter.com/oYdMl1amO0— indy from the block (@IndyaJazmine) July 22, 2018
Since its launch in 2007, The Shrine has been considered a staple for performers in the Tri-State area. The venue is plastered with memorabilia of different classic artists of different eras and genres, from The Beatles to Bobby Brown—hence the name The Shrine.
I was obviously stoked to be performing at such a venue for my very first show! But at the time, performing at a place with substance like The Shrine scared me half to death. Not to mention that it’s located in Harlem, a place known for its enriched culture.
I felt like this performance had to be perfect. Yeah, people might cut me a little slack since it was my first show but I didn’t want that to be the case. I wanted them to be so wow-ed that they wouldn’t even believe that it was my first showcase.
Preparing for the show took a lot out of me, physically and mentally. Almost a year ago, I was clinically diagnosed with moderate depression and anxiety. Talk about a load. Dealing with two mental disorders is already a lot on anyone. But to be a performer, where you have to be on stage in front of people and be completely vulnerable kicks it up a notch. My anxiety goes into overdrive when I have to sing in front of people, or even simply talk in front of people. My anxiety is mostly based on social settings (let me know if you would be interested in an article entirely dedicated to my life with anxiety) and being a singer definitely has social aspects—you have to communicate and connect with people as a way of networking and gaining fans.
By accepting to do this show, that meant having to push my anxiety and depression to the side and get through it as best as I possibly could.
Selecting which songs I wanted to sing was harder than I thought it would be! I wanted to pick songs that showed my style the best and with similar messages that I wanted to express with my own original music (coming soon!). I would like to think that my genre of music is a unique blend of Neo-soul, R&B and Pop with a little Hip-Hop thrown in there at times. So I decided to pick songs from each of those different genres in an attempt to give the audience a
little taste of what I’m all about.
The songs I settled on were:
- Groove Theory’s "Tell Me" (with my own original opening arrangement)
- Ms. Lauryn Hill’s "Ex-Factor"
- Erykah Badu’s "Tyrone"
- Tevin Campbell’s "Can We Talk"
What I noticed immediately after settling on those four songs was the common denominator—all these songs were created and released in the 90s. Although all the songs I chose were bops that I was sure the audience would appreciate as fun throwbacks, I wanted to have a little freshness in there. Something that was more me and that was newer.
Although I’ve performed original poems publicly multiple times, something about performing an original song seemed so sacred. The song, "Terms of Endearment," is very personal to me because it was written about a real life situation of mine.
The song talks all about a woman being so completely in love with a man who doesn’t even pay them a speck of attention for a number of different reasons: the man is in love with someone else, he doesn’t believe that the woman is sufficient enough for his needs and their initial attempt at a relationship just didn’t work out. The woman has a hard time letting go, which is basically the reason why she is singing the song.
While I’ve never been a relationship (not even one of those little innocent elementary school “relationships”), I completely relate to a guy I like being completely uninterested in me and giving his attention to another girl. The other topics of the song (for my situation) are simply my theories on why the guy is not interested in me.
I think at times, we think we’re the problem that stops someone from being interested in us. But that’s not necessarily the case all the time. I’m still learning that as I go along.
As weeks went by with countless bedroom rehearsals of the songs with the only official rehearsal with the band (assembled by my dad, who is also a musician), it was finally time! The day had arrived after countless Instagram advertisements and the constant agony of wondering how the performance would turn out. One thing I knew for sure was that it was either time to sink or swim. Left and right, lots of things started to go wrong! It’s as if the universe loves to never let any big events that a person plans go smoothly.
It was the day of the one and only band rehearsal and one of my background vocalists (my good friend and fellow artist Jamal) had travel issues and couldn’t make it out to the studio, which led to my Dad having to step in for him with the background vocals along with Sha, who also happens to be the curator of the event. Also, I hadn’t even gotten my performance outfit yet! My fraternal twin Chyna winded up getting the outfit on the day of the actual performance—a simple all black outfit with a maroon jacket thrown over it, silver sandals and silver jewelry to match.
Lastly, I was completely late for my performance slot! The band had been at the venue for a couple hours and here I was, riding on an hour long subway ride to the venue with my mom, Chyna and my cousin Sparkle. Luckily, Sha was the curator for the event and could simply bump our performance to the last slot. Walking into a room filled with my friend and family who had come out to support (in addition to the other several strangers) instantly helped my nerves cool down. I took a moment to gather myself and keep myself focused on my goals and what I wanted to get out of the performance, and more importantly, what I wanted everyone else to get out of the performance.
“Miss Indya,” the host (and co-curator with Sha) called out from the stage cueing me to come on. I smiled my awkward smile as the audience cheered; my awkward smile was accompanied by usual awkward saunter. I awkwardly greeted the crowd and tried to mask it as best I could with confidence. I cued the band to begin as we entered into the first song, "Tell Me," that started off with my original arrangement—I slowed down the beginning to tease the crowd and to feel the vibe out. But then suddenly, I counted out “1-2-3, hit it!” which was followed by approving screams and excitement from the crowd as the song sped up.
 |
| (From Pinterest) |
As the song came to an end, I could feel the amazing energy from the crowd which combined with mine to create this indescribable feeling. Being connected with people is an amazing sensation that money can’t buy. As the performance moved along, I started to feel more and more comfortable. The vibe from the crowd aided in how comfortable I was. It was amazing to feel the different energies and personalities of the audience.
My two favorite songs for the night were definitely "Tyrone" and "Terms of Endearment." "Tyrone" allowed me to show my sassy and sexy side (I swear I thought to myself the entire time: “How would Beyonce perform this song?”) while "Terms of Endearment" allowed me to connect with the audience in a personal way and allowed them to truly hear my voice. Sure, anyone can sound amazing doing a bunch of cover songs, but when it’s your own song, there’s nobody to compare to. The audience are listening with the intent to hear what you have to say and not just how well you can hit the same notes as Lauryn.
By the end of the song, the crowd gave me a standing ovation. It had to be the proudest moment of my life. It confirmed that this is exactly what to do with my life. I want to move people with my music, my insight, my story.
Overall, the performance was a success! At the end, my friends surprised me with beautiful flowers and Sha arranged for a little birthday cake to be brought out as everyone surrounded me and sung Happy Birthday (My 18th birthday was four days earlier). I don’t think I’ve ever been as proud of myself as I was in that moment.
I sincerely urge anyone who has any dream of singing or anything to go for it. Every little small step counts. The Shrine may not have been something major like Coachella or the Grammys but it felt like it to me because it was my way of introducing myself. Watching those clips back, I couldn’t even recognize myself.
 |
| (From Pinterest) |
Did this awkward shy girl actually do great on her first show and managed to not bomb it? Yes, she did.
And she has no intentions on stopping.
What do you think of the performance? Follow me on Twitter @IndyaJazmine and on Instagram @indya.jazmine!
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