Darkness surrounded me as I stood in place, my heart pounding at an unnatural speed.  Soft whispers filled the chaotic air around me. I could feel the nerves bouncing off of the other individuals standing nearby, even though I could not see them in the blackness of the room.  My foot tapped rapidly against the hard wooden platform that I stood on as an immense amount of energy prepared to burst out of me at any given moment. A sudden gust of cold air sent shivers down my spine, making me feel as though I was locked inside a freezer.  I choked on wafts of lavender perfume that escaped from the girl standing next to me. The lovely yet sharp stench caused my nose to sting and eyes to water, but even the immense amount of perfume that invaded the air wasn’t enough to mask the putrid stench of sweat.  The faint murmurs that filled the atmosphere became louder and louder as the minutes passed by and the impatience of the people grew. Five minutes quickly turned into four minutes, then three minutes, then two, then one. I heard a voice from somewhere in front of me yell "Please enjoy the show!"  Then, as if right on cue, I was submerged in a bright yellow light.

         As soon as the lights washed over me, I was instantaneously blinded by the brilliant rays.  Little white spots danced around in my vision as my eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness of the vast room before me.  Within the dimness, I could barely make out the shadowy silhouettes of hundreds of people sitting in wait, but I could feel their judgemental eyes burning into me despite the lack of light.  Another wave of fear crashed over my body, and I felt like a deer caught in the headlights. The previously cold air quickly turned into a blazing inferno. The spotlights overhead drowned me and my fellow peers in an intense wave of heat.  I could feel the sweat beginning to pool on my forehead, waiting to drip down onto the exquisite black dress that adorned my body. My throat dried up, filling my mouth with a bitter, acidic taste. I suddenly felt short of breath, like I had just run a whole marathon.  A series of doubts filled my mind. What if I messed up and made a fool of myself? What if I completely froze up as soon as the music started? A sudden flash of movement distracted me from my negative thoughts. The director of the show, a middle-aged woman with short brown hair and eyes as green as a pine forest, emerged from the shadows of the left side of the stage and stood proudly and firmly in front of the risers where I was currently stationed.  A huge smile spread across her youthful face as she lifted her arms expectantly. Almost immediately, the murmuring sea of people in the audience were covered by a blanket of silence as they gazed curiously at the stage in anticipation for what was to come. 

  The silence that had previously filled the room was broken by a sweet and mellow melody coming from the sleek, black piano that stood majestically in the left corner of the stage.  The pianist, an older gentleman with thin grey hair, allowed his nimble fingers to fly across the keys like little fish darting through a pond. As the beautiful notes entered my ears, I could feel the vibrations ringing through my head.  My body began to unconsciously sway to the peaceful rhythm as I felt the music completely take over my senses, slowly vanquishing my nerves. I quickly glanced at the other girls in my section, only to find that they were also entranced by the enticing tune that spilled out of the piano.  Suddenly, the perfume-filled atmosphere was no longer suffocating to me. The director of the show twirled her hands gently in front of her body in a calm and soothing motion, making sure to not miss a single count in her conducting. I slowly filled my diaphragm with air in preparation, relishing in the new freshness of my surroundings.  As soon as the time came, the entire choir released beautiful harmonies simultaneously, like birds singing on a perfect spring day. The alluring voices seemed to reach every single inch of the vast room. The audience watched in awe and sat on the edges of their seats as their eardrums were filled with the pleasurable, pure vowels of the singing angels.  Every single note and lyric joined together perfectly to tell a beautiful story. After a few moments of singing, the acidic taste that had once burned my throat disappeared. The moment was one of pure bliss, up until the ending note echoed throughout the room.

         Once again, I was blanketed by darkness.  The sudden absence of the warm rays emitting from the spotlights allowed the hidden coldness of the room to sweep over me and the other performers, only this time was different.  A satisfying feeling of warmth continued to envelope me as I stood in the familiar setting. The entire stage shook as the thunderous applause continued to boom throughout the entire auditorium in an almost deafening noise, but I paid no attention to the raging ocean of people.  Instead, I turned to the left and gingerly reached out my hand in the darkness until I felt another hand softly enclose mine. A gentle squeeze from my fellow classmate brought forth a sense of pride within me. We had done well. We had managed to calm the stormy sea of people sitting in the audience, even if it was only for a few minutes.  I knew that the director of the concert would be very proud of our overall performance as well. I could already picture her face breaking into a huge smile as she praised us the next morning in choir class. My throat was still tingling from the miraculous sensation of singing in front of so many people, and I knew that I would gladly do it again in a heartbeat.