Till I hear you sing once more by Uma Shukla

"Till I hear you sing once more.” The church walls vibrated as those final words resonated in the chapel, and, as the performance came to an end, the crowd erupted in applause, giving her a standing ovation. Sitting on the balcony, I tried to push my little body up to get a better view and, as I watched her walk off stage, my eyes twinkled. I wanted to sing just like her.

I have loved to sing for as long as I can remember, so, at the age of 5, my mother signed me up for the SGVCC. SGVCC gave me a place to explore my passion for music and a place that would quickly become my second home. I have made life-long friends through SGVCC and have come to see Mr. and Mrs. Lin as people comparable to my own grandparents. With Mr. Lin’s guidance, I learned discipline and completed all of the levels of CM. I have since continued to focus on growing my musical abilities, been participating in competitions, and been invited to sing at several events. Over the years, I have attended choral festivals, performed at local churches, traveled to Boston to perform at Berklee School of Music and Harvard University, and toured Italy, performing at several locations including St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Without SGVCC I never would have had any of these opportunities.

Music has become one of the greatest sources of joy in my life. It functions as an outlet for me to express my creativity and artistry through my voice. Choir has had an unforgettable impact upon my life and my incredibly strong love for music is something I will carry forever.

So, as I walk on this stage one last time, I hope to be met with the unwavering gaze of the audience. With a signal to my accompanist, the opening chords will ring through the church, and, when I begin to sing, I hope that there is a little girl in the audience who will look upon me with the same starry eyes that I once had. I hope that she is inspired to pursue music and that my final words will resonate with her and never be forgotten. “Til I hear you sing once more.”