How to get motivated...join a bootcamp

I know coming home from watching a great soprano in recital always get me all excited in singing. Seeing people doing great stuff is always a sure fire way to get me going, to do something myself.

Having survived the first week of Tiara's music theatre bootcamp, I have a good thing going in my head and I know I'd better do something about this good thing, good feeling, before it's gone in two weeks.

Part of this good feeling, is of course, the working out I get from all the movement/dance sessions. As you might know, being active (jogging, sports, dance) is one of the keys to a happy mind (in fact, being active works even more effectively for women, based on studied results).

And the other explanation, I think is a sense of well-being for having learned all that (some I struggle) I have in one week. The best thing for me so far is the motivation I get there in the bootcamp (actually it's called the Starmaker Music Theatre Bootcamp, cheesy? Though no doubt some of the campers are already stars, a few more came with huge star quality), by simply being with people who are better than me in certain things they do.

With the right attitude/personality, one'd get very fired-up about wanting to improve his craft after meeting like-minded folks who are more skillful than him. That's the effect the camp has on me. I guess partly it's the ego issue, I'm surrounded by very talented people, it's in my nature to want to do just as well as them, if not better.

Always been the singer who can't dance, I was fed up many times but for years I've never done anything about it. Only in recent years I learned that to be top class performer, I need the poise of a dancer and stage presence of an actor. Saw no reason why I shouldn't sign up for this two-week bootcamp...maybe I will never be a full fledge triple-threat but it's clear I can be better than what I am now, if I'd stop procrastinating and do something.

Just today during the run-thro of our camp musical ensemble number, I was given a tip by Sean (trainer, vocal and musical movement) to give attention to specifics, detail and articulation. Having been told in my face something that I'd already know myself but have always sidelined, is quite close to being identified for farting in a crowded lift.

Quite clearly it's a choice I'd always had -- do I want to be better than what I am now? I'm the kind of singer whom you can teach dance routines to but have always been too lazy to polish up my act. I feel that that advice from Sean has awaken me and now I have nowhere to hide my laziness and complacency for mediocrity.

After talking to Pat (Ibrahim, fame choreographer of Puteri Genung Ledang The Musical) yesterday, it's clear that if I want to keep my body and mind in a permanent state for `moving', I will have to continue the learning after the camp, ie. a dance class.

So looks like this maybe it, am finally goin to be in a dance class. Maybe I will start with adult ballet.

As for acting, advice from an actor friend is that I might be better off keeping working in productions where I'd learn on the job, from different directors and actors.

What wonderful fact to know that we don't ever stop learning....and discovering.