Our January Winner!
Congratulations to Lani Mai-Nguyen, the first winner of the new year! Lani wrote a beautiful piece of practice, determination and piano playing that perfectly captured the spirit of the prompt: tell us about your favorite musical experience. Here's an excerpt from the winning submission:
“I slowly walked up to the stage careful not to fall in my heels. My hands were sweaty and shaking. My legs seemed like they were about to collapse underneath me. I felt even more exposed because I wasn't holding any sheet music. It was just the stage and I. At last, I got to the bench and sat down. I double checked to make sure my feet could reach the pedal and took a deep breath. It was my time.
As the first note filled the hall, everything was quiet. The notes followed smoothly after each other and no mistake was made. I felt so consumed by the music even though my hands were shaking and eyes were all staring at me. This time the ending sounded exceptionally beautiful. When I released the final key, everything seemed so surreal. I did it. I actually did it!
As soon as I finished, the cheers were heard. Some people stood up and the clapping sounded so loud in my ears. My teacher was smiling wildly at me and my family looked so proud. I don't even remember if I bowed properly or not. That moment felt like a dream come true. I never felt like that before. It was such a high that I'll never forget.”
That feeling of joy is contagious, and we thank Lani for sharing it with us. Enjoy your beautiful new ukulele - may it bring you similar moments of triumph in the future!
And in just two short days we will have a new contest, so check back on Feb. 1 for another chance for ukulele joy!