From the time I was five years old until the day I graduated high school, I was involved with many various theatre groups and choirs. The amount of hours spent in rehearsals alone would likely be enough to make up an entire college degree. While I don't regret putting so much time into these different organizations, I have to objectively acknowledge that, as someone who has no intention of pursuing the performing arts as a career, it could be viewed as a waste of my time, a waste of my youth. However, no amount of acknowledgement will ever make me look back on those years and wish I had chosen to pursue other things with that time.
People often say that being a part of different groups makes them feel like part of a family, and I feel no differently about the people I spent so much time with in choir and theatre. With those feelings of family and community came both good and bad times, but I'm beyond grateful for all of it. Sure, there were times when my directors made me crazy or I didn't get the part or the solo that I wanted, and that was never the best feeling, but everything I've gone through as a part of my performing arts journey has made me a better person. I genuinely can't thank my directors enough for believing in me for all of those years.
Unfortunately, once college started, I didn't have the time or the means to become involved with any performing arts groups or communities here. Because of that, seeing performances of various choirs and musicals has become a bittersweet experience for me. I genuinely love the experience itself, but I miss it more while on the outside looking in than at any other time. As much as I would love to get involved in some way, I don't know if I really have the kind of time to offer that I know has to be put into activities like that, and I'm not willing to be involved if I can't give everything I have. The children's choir that I was a part of for ten years performed "Here's to Song" every year, and it sums up the feelings of leaving it all behind so well that I cried just listening to it while writing.
To sum it up, I don't regret putting so much of my time and of myself into the performing arts. Through performing, I have grown both as a performer and as a person, and that is so much more important than any of the parts I could have played or songs I could've sung. I may not remember the lines I spent hours memorizing or the various harmonies I learned, but it would be entirely impossible to forget all of the wonderful people who made those years matter to me. Rachel Berry said in the pilot episode of "Glee," "Being part of something special makes you special," so thank you to everyone who helped to make me special.
