The NAMCYA Experience

When I was in Grade V, I thought life was simple - waking up in the morning, goint to school, making chit-chat with friends, and going to my piano and visual arts classes. Suddenly, things began to change when one day, this long, curly-haired teacher came to our school. We later learned that he was Sir Dennis, a choir trainor and conductor.
The teachers called us, asked us to line up and stay quiet. They told us that there will be a compulsory audition so that all of us had to prepare a song and sing solo. All of us panicked. I was not used to singing solo and couldn't imagine myself singing solo in front of an audience. We asked ourselves then, why? What is going on? Anyway, we couldn't do anything but comply. When it was my turn to sing, I was trembling, my palms were sweating, and I felt my cheeks burning. Then Sir Dennis smiled at me and asked, "What will you sing?" I decided to sing the "Colors of the Wind", the theme song of Pocahontas. As I sang, I was surprised to hear myself singing in tune in spite of the fear I felt. Right after everyone sang, Ms. Venus, our music teacher announced the names of the students who passed the voice audition. Luckily, I was one of those who passed. That was the start of a very long, tiring, but exciting road to the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA).
The NAMCYA was held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines onNovember 27, 2004. Out of the 15 regions who joined the children's choir category, Region VII, represented by us from the Mandaue City School for the Arts won the Grand Prize - a first for Mandaue City after 20 years. As prize for our efforts, we were toured in Manila. We went to Manila Zoo, Star City, Intramuros, Manila Cathedral, etc. We also went to the National High School for the Arts in Mt. Makiling in Laguna. When we returned to Mandaue, we were welcomed by a band. Then we had a motorcade from the airport to Mandaue City Hall were we were personally welcomed by Mayor Teddy Ouano. Then we where whizzed off to the pier since we have to go to Iloilo to perform at the Central Philippines University Auditorium together with the St. Agustine Troubadours, an international choir olympics winner. Since then, we were always invited to sing at very important government affairs. If I stayed with the Mandaue City School for the Arts, I would have gone with my classmates to the US for a tour the summer of 2005. But I have no regrets transferring to UP High. I look back to all that singing as just part of my short but sweet "singing career". It was fun while it lasted.