At my high school During my freshman year, the football team won the
the arts took a state championship. It seemed that if you weren’t on
backseat to athletics. the football team or had friends that were, you were a nobody — and I was definitely a nobody. I was too skinny and too clumsy to play sports. Most of my time was spent playing drums in a band with friends I had met in middle school. While I loved playing music, I often wondered what it would be like to be an athlete and to actually be somebody at school.
Early one morning during the daily announcements between scores from the previous night’s games and the lunch menu that day, the tryout dates for the annual talent show were announced.
I could hardly contain my excitement until break that day when I could talk to the members of my band. The talent show was the only school event with any appeal that didn’t include a ball of some sort. It was the one time every school year where creativity and non athletic talent was noticed. My band mates were as excited as I was, but they were quick to remind me that “Blue Dust Box,” a band of seniors would be entering and attempting to win for the fourth straight year.
We waited nearly
two hours and through over 30 acts (not including Blue Dust Box, who automatically made the list) on the evening of the tryouts to finally perform for the art club director and talent show coordinator, Ms. Eaves. We auditioned with Jimi Hendrix’s song, “Red House.” I was so nervous that I was hitting the drums twice as hard, and halfway through the song I busted my snare drum head. She must have heard something she liked though, because the following day our band’s name, “Illusion,” was on the final list of 10. We spent nearly every afternoon for the following two weeks practicing.
The night of the talent show arrived. We had to meet with the other contestants a couple hours before the show started to draw numbers for our spot in the performance. We luckily drew number ten, the closing spot. I don’t know if my nerves would’ve allowed me to go any earlier. Even though it was nearly a decade ago, I can remember the following two hours vividly...
10
0
ten My bandmates and I sat in the empty cafeteria listening
nine to the muffled sounds of the show going on in the
eight packed auditorium next door. Every ten minutes or so,
seven we would hear the boom of crowd applause, which
six would remind us that we were getting closer and closer
five to going on stage. We counted down after every one;
four 10... 9... 8... 7 – which, by the way, was a particularly
three louder and longer boom of applause, the one following
two Blue Dust Box’s performance – 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... By this
one time we were setting up, before I knew it the curtains were opening and our performance was starting.
I wish I could describe what the perfomance was like, but I barely remember. Most of what I can recall comes from watching my dad’s recording of the show. I do know I didn’t break a drum head this time and that before we hit the last note, the entire crowd was on its feet.
We spent the next few minutes in the cafeteria waiting for the 10 person panel, all teachers from our school, to vote. The contestants were then called to the stage. Third place was announced, then second. At this point I was sure Blue Dust Box had won - again. The MC smiled as she glanced at the results, looked up and said, “the winner of the 2000 Clayton High School Talent Show is... Illusion!” The crowd erupted. I know it sounds cheesy and a little cliche, but it’s true.
The following day at school was just as exciting. Teachers and students I had never met congratulated me in the hall. Blue Dust Box invited us to play shows with them around town. I had finally felt what it was like to be a somebody at school.