It’s been barely two weeks since the Gorillaz tribute show, and my mind is still reeling over everything that happened. On that day I had no idea I would learn so much about music, myself, and performing, in just a few hours! My sole purpose in this blog is to share two things: how insanely cool my first experience on stage was! And how to make your experience up on stage feel like you’re rocking a sold-out arena.

The Gorillaz performance was my first show as the drummer for Daughters of Triton, and it was one of the coolest days of my entire life. As you would expect, getting up on that stage in front of a room full of people waiting to hear your music is more than a little nerve-wracking. But as soon as my band and I stepped on stage, seeing the supporting faces of not only my friends and family but the support of other kids and their families, it completely filled my heart. I felt like I could do anything, with my drumsticks in my hands and the coolest band in the world to back me up (Daughters of Triton forever!!). With the help of our awesome instructors, I felt like we could pull off the performance of our lives.

One thing I really, really loved about the show was watching everyone at Band Dynamics work together and encourage each other. Doing a team huddle beforehand got me pumped for our performance (1-2-3-ROCK!), and it pulled me even closer to the kids in the other bands. Seeing how hard everyone works to play music and to have fun is so amazing to watch, especially when you can easily see who’s having fun onstage. I don’t know everyone at Band Dynamics yet, but when all those supportive faces were right in front of the crowd, cheering my band on, it helped me to remember that I wasn’t alone, and that I could kill it on the drums just as well as they did before me. Even being my first experience on stage!

Knowing this about my very first show, there are a few pieces of advice I’d give to first-time performers.

Don’t freak yourself out before you go onstage. There’s a bunch of bands playing for your enjoyment- so enjoy the music! If you let yourself dance and sing along with the songs, it’ll easily take your mind off of nervousness and allow you to have fun!

Which brings me to my next and most important point: don't be afraid to have a good time onstage! I can say that with my first experience on stage, the best part of my show was dancing to all of my band’s songs and singing along behind the drums. The more fun you have in your performance, the more natural it’ll look to the audience and the more memorable your experience will be.

All in all, one of the best parts of music is that it brings people together, and that’s exactly what I got to experience at my first show. Everyone in the Toad Tavern gathered together to listen to a bunch of great songs, and as a musician, I absolutely loved seeing everyone jam out together and sing with each other.

Band Dynamics has the power to bring people together through something amazing, and they do it so spectacularly that I couldn’t have had a better time up on that stage, I know you have the power to have the same experience.

-Olivia H.

Olivia has been drumming with Band Dynamics for just over a year. Her hard work and dedication in private lessons put her on the fast track to work with her current band Daughters of Triton. Alongside music, Olivia aspires to be a journalist and blog writer. Look forward to more blogs from Olivia and other students! Don't miss Daughters of Triton at their next performance. Keep up to date by following us on Facebook and Twitter, and check out our upcoming events.

My First Experience on Stage - Written by Olivia H.