There’s an interesting story behind why this article exists, and I suppose I’ll start at the end – a friend of mine recently told me something along the lines of, “Well, Cal, you’ve become known around campus as the guy who sings and dances at school events.”
That was news to me! If I were to tell a story about people singing or dancing at school events, I’d point to many of my peers and friends who have done so at karaoke nights, lip-sync battles or actual dance competitions, and they certainly are more talented than I.
Okay, maybe that’s a little bit of a fib – I probably would mention that time I sang “Never Gonna Give You Up” on stage during the intermission of the 2022 SPU You Think You Can Dance event, for reasons I hope are obvious.
Okay, now that I think of it, I was asked for a repeat of my Fall 2022 Emerson Coffeehouse performance of “Misty Mountains” multiple times by at least one person (you know who you are).
Okay, I kinda did go a little Marty McFly at SPU In the Park last spring. That one involved a piano.
Okay, I’ve gotten comments about my dancing at last year’s First Friday and All Hall Ball events.
Okay, now I see it.
I don’t know why these things stick in people’s heads, but what I do know is that it has nothing to do with talent. I am fairly mediocre at singing and dancing. I know this and do it anyway.
I think it’s the same reason why people film their drunk friends at karaoke bars and then show them the videos later — complete confidence. To put it bluntly, I have a drunk man’s confidence when I’m sober.
There is nuance. When it comes to performance, I’m not confident in any ability to perform well — I know I can’t. What I’m confident in is my ability to entertain others and make them have a good time. I don’t necessarily care if people are laughing with me or at me, so long as they are laughing.
That tendency could bite me if I leave it unmoderated, but it also sets me free. I suppose that fits with the way I approach life, which is to set a framework and leave the specifics to the moment.
A part of making a memorable experience is leaning into my lack of talent. I remember prefacing my “Misty Mountains” performance with something along the lines of “neither is my beard long enough nor my voice deep enough to properly do this.”
But I also try not to go too far with that — I want to lean in, not fall over.
Another aspect, particularly when singing, is song choice. Things that are funny or famous crowd-pleasers are far better choices than things I personally enjoy. That’s been a process of learning, too. I sang some stuff freshman year that really didn’t land, but I like to think the memorable things I have done overshadow the clunkers.
A similar concept applies to break-dancing. Keep the beat, be confident, have stamina. Of course, if you want to perform professionally or as part of a real school group, you need to develop your actual abilities. But if you’re looking to put a smile on your friends’ faces at a school event or in the club, the bar isn’t high.
One other key thing that I should mention is moderation. I’ve sometimes had trouble limiting myself to just one or two performances at an event, but I’ve discovered that doing so greatly improves the memories that are made. Leave people wanting more, not less.
These are things anyone can do! Get up, sing, dance, entertain. I hope I’ve made the case clear that it’s not about talent. It’s also not something that belongs to me or anyone else. Go up, entertain yourself and your friends. It’s college! There are far worse ways to make memories than these.
