When writing this blog I really couldn't think of one specific failure. I mean its definitely not because i'm perfect, its probably just that there are so many my mind can't decide on one. I mean I could talk about auditions gone wrong, or tests I failed, but I don't feel like those sum up a failure that changed me. I think a real failure is when you don't do something you wish you had. I hate that feeling of regretting your decisions, feeling like you should have done what you were too afraid to do. For example I go to this program in the city called Broadway Artists Alliance and I wanted to add a new song to my book. I knew I wanted to sing something at these classes that I had never sang before. I looked through countless songs, Lets Play a Love Scene from fame, Paris Original from How to Succeed, Astonishing from Little Women, but I knew that what I really wanted to sing was It Wont be Long Now from In The Heights. Its a fast song, and the note at the end of the cut I was going to sing was high in my belt. I knew I could do it, but I was afraid I would crack or mess up. I didn't want to end up looking like a failure. In the end I decided I would sing lets play a love scene, but I took my copy of it wont be long and put it in my book, just in-case. I was taking a contemporary musical theatre class with Wesley Taylor, if you watch smash you probably know him as the snarky gay guy in Bombshell who makes one sassy comment and walks off camera, but I am a huge fan of his. He was in the Adams Family and Rock of Ages and overall I just think he is a really talented guy. I was going to sing I Can Hear the Bells from Hairspray for his class because its easy and I know it but after hearing a couple other people sing I decided that I wanted to sing It Wont Be Long Now. I was really nervous because I had never sang it in a class before, but as soon as I handed it to the pianist I knew I had made the right decision. I knew then that even I messed up I hadn't failed because I had done what I was afraid to do. In fact it ended up being a really amazing class. He gave me feedback on building up to the note at the end of the song and he actually told me not to look nervous while I was singing the note because I had it. It felt so good to do something that I wanted even if it meant taking a risk, and this time it paid off! I had a really great class AND Wesley Taylor (theloveofmylife) told me that I had a great voice, and of course I had the appropriate reaction of having a mini heart attack. Even though this risk ended up being an amazing story I know that I have taken and will take many more risks that don't turn out so favourably. Sure this time I got really positive feedback, but I am sure I will take other risks that don't go over so well. I think the real thing I learned from this story is that its important to take risks. The regret I would have felt over not singing what I wanted to because I was afraid would have been unbearable. If I didn't have the courage to get up there and sing what I wanted to that would have been the real failure. So in the end I wrote my story about failure on one of my successes, what can I say I guess I'm just good at everything, maybe I should have written my failure story about modesty.