Musical Autobiography

Tanner Sands
Wednesday September 7th 2010

Music did not come easily to me. I was not born with a perfect ear, the voice
of an angel, or even rhythmic proficiency. The one gift that I can call my own is a
strong desire for improvement. From the very first time that I sat in a class room I
couldnt fight the urge to raise my hand. Whether its an intelligent response or the
most rudimentary of questions Ive always wanted to understand more. As a result
Ive been able to grow from the numerous opportunities that Ive been given. I hope
that this hunger for knowledge will continue throughout my college career and
throughout my life. Without this drive to improve I would have never made it
anywhere close to where I am today.

The first attempt I made at music class was less than stellar. With fifth grade
came my brief and only instrumental experience. Every student was required to
play some sort of instrument; mine was an old cornet. Through hour after squeaky
hour of notes all over scale it soon became clear that I was not fit to be an
instrumentalist. However, this did not mean that I would cease to make music. In
sixth grade I auditioned for the school musical, a production of Bye Bye Birdie. At
the time it just seemed like a way for me to make friends. It turned out to be one of
the most rewarding experiences of my life. On the stage there was an exhilaration
that I had never felt before. I knew that it was the place where I belonged.

A year went by and I began to want more. I wasnt dreaming of Broadway, I

had more practical goals in mind. I started thinking about how to get better, and get
a couple of lines, then maybe a solo, and someday a lead. To get on the right path I
began taking voice lessons with a woman named Faye Nepon. She possessed a
cheerful disposition that made every practice a positive experience. It took some
time for me to develop past singing elementary songs. Still I was enthusiastic
performing Take me out to the ball game at a recital. Even if I was developing very
slowly, I was still progressing. With Faye as my teacher, I was prepared to take on
the challenges of high school.

Upon entering high school, I wasnt sure of whether or not I would pursue
music. In a venue with so many opportunities its hard to predict where one will go.
Initially I tried athletics. I made it on to the tennis team, but was miserable. After
several weeks I was fed up with the incompetence of the coach, so I quit. Looking
back it was the best decision that I made in high school. A week later, I auditioned
for the fall play. Not only did I make it into the show, I also had the best of the
freshman parts. I played Tommy a schoolyard trouble maker. My experience with the
thespians was the exact opposite of the tennis team. They were an accepting and
nurturing group that I was proud to call my own. Meanwhile, my voice was still very
slowly getting better. I was still taking lessons with Faye, but because of my dense
schedule I did not take a choir class. However, I made it into the ensemble of the
school musical. This meant that even without a choir class I still sang every day.

The spring of my freshman year rolled round and I had my first view of true
greatness. My family took me to see a production of Wicked as a birthday present.

This was the first professional live theater that I had seen. I was absolutely
awestruck. The culmination of incredible performers, an entire orchestra, and a
grand spectacle both overwhelmed and inspired me. I idolized the performers. Even
though I thought that there was no chance of me ever getting that far, I was
amazed at the possibility.

Unfortunately my sophomore year was a bit of a slump. I made it into only

one show as a non-speaking part. When I asked my director what to improve on, it
seemed my only fault was looking too young. This was frustrating, I couldnt do
anything but wait to look older. While I was waiting to mature I trained for the
prospect of future parts. In addition to my vocal training I took an acting course at
my high school. My acting teacher, Mr. Shaw broke me of my old habits and showed
me that true acting is more than just entertaining a crowd. I began to think less
about my traits and more about my circumstances. This helped me immensely with
singing, because I was starting to understand the lyric and the character behind it.
My eyes were now open to an entirely different side of performing. I also had the
opportunity to partake in a master class with Margret Anne Gates a Broadway
seasoned actress. Over the summer I was in two musicals and was able to
participate in another master class this time with Lawrence Street. With these new
experiences I felt that it was my time for larger roles.

The beginning of my junior year I auditioned for the honors choir. I had not
taken a choir class since sixth grade, but I felt that my training with Faye would
more than prepare me. To my surprise this audition was unlike anything that Id
seen before. Sight singing, aural skills, and piano playing were all new concepts to

me. Needless to say I didnt pass the audition. Suddenly I was at a crossroads. I
could accept that singing was only a hobby and go the way of mediocrity, or I could
work harder than I had ever worked before and give it one last chance. I began
practicing an hour a day, and I was able to get a second voice teacher. I was now
also taking lessons from a modernly trained singer named Cody Qualls. It was great
to get another perspective about my singing and have someone who understood all
of the developmental changes of a young male singer. I was very busy all the time
juggling schoolwork, two musicals and my schools mock trial team, but somehow I
managed to find the time for it all. Over the summer I took a week long summer
intensive with three Broadway experienced actors. This was a great experience, I
was singing for hours every day. During one of the songs Make Believe from
Showboat, I had my first experience with vibrato in song. It was incredible; I finally
knew that all of my work was worthwhile.

Over the course of my senior year I improved dramatically. I was still working
diligently, but it never felt like work. Truth be told, it got me through the day.
Singing was no longer a want, it was a need. My mood often depended on how my
voice was sounding. I was very hard on myself, but beneath all of the discipline
there was still a strong enjoyment. That fall I had a large choice to make about what
my collegiate future would entail. For a while I had contemplated going into college
for music. It always seemed like a dream, not a practical ambition, but after a period
of convincing my parents and myself, I decided to audition. I knew that regardless of
whether or not I made it in, I would still get to sing my heart out in a professional
recording studio. That alone was a fantastic experience. When I found out that I

made it in I was overjoyed, I was no longer high school singer. I was a future music
major.

High school came to a climactic close for me as I sang at my high school

graduation. This Is The Moment from Jekyll and Hyde was the perfect way for me
to end that chapter of my life. The past summer was filled with singing, summer
school at CU, and plenty of preparing for college. I went back to the summer
intensive, and this year I was able to study with the incredible Alex Gemignani. It
was like a dream to take voice lessons from the original Jean Valjean in the 2006
Broadway revival of Les Miserables.

Although it took many years for me to prosper, Im now in a great place with
my music. I am eternally thankful for my hardworking teachers who have shaped
me into who I am today. However, I understand that singing is a lifelong process
and I dont claim to be an expert. I am still developing, and I neither want nor
expect perfection. All that I can do is continue a lifelong process, and hope to
always love it as much as I do now.