'You just need to be yourself.'
Hearing this, will you feel better? I certainly did. That’s why I have a series of stories to tell you now, and today’s theme is my MC (Master of Ceremonies) journey.
Before
'You are so shy that you will never be able to do MCing.'
The artistic director from my university back in China told me when I was 20. Everyone respected him, so he was the authority, representing truths. Therefore, I believed everything he said was right.
But now, slowly, I changed my mind. I shouldn’t let someone define my destiny. Even though I still have some self-doubts, I am working on them through keeping accepting challenges. I want to record my current journey to remind myself but also inspire you in some ways if possible 😊
Meeting Caz
Last October, my friend Rose told me about this festival after hearing I like bluegrass music. So I started to browse its website and discovered by being a volunteer I could get a free ticket (the ticket price is $85, a good deal). But after being a volunteer at the Royal Adelaide Show, I didn’t want to do customer service type jobs anymore (boring, sorry). Luckily, I found out there was a different task listed: MC concerts. 'Ah, that would be much more interesting.' I said to myself. After a phone call, I got the role. But I also started to feel nervous, so my inner dialogue started:
'I’ve never done that before. What did I sign up for? Am I too crazy?’ But, I’ve already said yes. There’s a Chinese saying, 开弓没有回头ç®(there is no turning back of an arrow once it’s shot). I have to do it now then.'
Luckily, Thea, one of the festival committee members, a lovely lady, saved me. She said: 'You can have a chat with Caz, an experienced MC, for a mini coach session if you want? ' Oh, yes!
When I saw Caz, I instantly felt her full energy. My intuition told me: 'She knows what she is doing.' And I was right.
Caz said:
'On the stage, you just need to be yourself. Don’t try to be someone else, because everyone’s style is different. Just say things from your heart. That’s it. Simple.'
Really? I couldn’t believe it at first. Growing up, I always envied some very talented people. How come they could be so humorous, confident, relaxed and talkative on the stage? I thought I needed and wanted to be like them, but I felt our gap was too huge to fill. So I felt sad and frustrated.
Caz’s words were like a ray of sunshine, but too good to be true. I don’t need to be like them? No one told me this before. Shall I trust her? But hearing that did make me feel lighter. Besides, I believed Caz was someone that I could trust. So I decided to give it a go, treating it as a test. There was nothing to lose anyway. No one knew me here.
How did I go?
The first band I was allocated to is Mark Curtis & the Flannelettes. Even though I'd practised the word 'flannelettes' a few times beforehand, on the stage, I still couldn’t pronounce it smoothly. Too hard for a non-English speaker. So I thought audiences would laugh at me, but unexpectedly, I saw many forgiving faces, their eyes and smiles were full of kindness.
When I finished my introduction, one audience even shouted at the crowd: ‘You did a great introduction!’ That warmed my heart and boosted my confidence.
'People love your authenticity, see.' Caz commented when I returned to my seat. I gave her a big smile. After I finished my MCing, there were five to six people telling me that they liked my style. Hearing these pleasant surprises from me, Caz said, 'It was very rare for people to do that, so you should be proud of yourself. Now I am excited to see how you’re going to develop and shape your own style in the future.'
Wow. That moment made me want to continue this journey because I was curious too.
One Thing Leads to Another
Two weeks ago, Thea told me that the Music in the Valley festival needs volunteers (thanks). So I called the organiser and said I am happy to be one of their volunteer MCs, and they accepted my offer.
Music in the Valley
This is another community festival (I wish there is something like that in my hometown too). The location is at Alma's Hem Amphitheatre, an outdoor music and cultural venue. It has a very cute setup, based on its original natural surroundings. The stage was not big, which made me feel less nervous. It was decorated with warm-coloured flags which added a very homey touch. However, my confidence level was still not high, because it was only my second time being an MC and I hadn't done extensive research on every performer this time. But in the end, I realised a lot of my worries were unnecessary because I’ve got some secret power within.
Curiosity
'Is there anything that you want me to include in your introductions?' I asked the sister band, Ella & Sienna.
'Not much. We are from Adelaide Hills, Mt Barker and we wrote our songs too.'
'Great. When did you form your band? How did you form it?' I started to ask one question after another. It was so natural to me, and I did discover something interesting to say.
For another band, it was also an onsite creation. The singer was sick, so I was told that I could just say: 'They are all four accomplished musicians. It will be a great show.' But I didn’t think it was good enough. So, I started to have chats with them to explore the background story behind their performance, instruments, and music styles they played today. By doing that, again, I received some personal information.
It also made me realise the privilege of being a host, I can interact with performers and ask them any questions. Therefore, it’s vital to think from the audience's perspective and ask questions that they may want to know. But sometimes performers were so busy setting up that I had to keep chasing them. For example, in order to pronounce one aboriginal word Ngaanyatjarra correctly, I followed Vonda Last from the stage to backstage.
The desire to share feelings
A host is also an audience, who can share feelings after watching the shows.
In daily life, I am also a person who likes to share (writing is another form of sharing, right?). So I shared my feelings on the stage, and what I didn’t expect was how much musicians appreciated these feedback and feelings.
When I commented Ella & Sienna’s sweet harmony: 'Your music made me feel like breeze in summer and sunshine in winter. Very refreshing.' Their deep appreciation was reflected in their facial expressions (their eyes and the tone of their voices especially). It was beautiful to see. I made people so happy.
Improvisation
I didn’t expect suddenly I wanted to ask Vonda Last if there’s any theme for her music today. She said: 'Stories, real and imagined.' That made me (I am sure also audiences) more curious about her upcoming performance.
Another moment is seeing the band Brothers of Soul performed after the sister band Ella & Sienna prompted me to have this transition line: 'We’re coming to a competition now, brothers vs sisters. Who will win? Tell me who you like more after the show.'
My Thanks to the Audiences
This time again, I had audiences telling me they liked my hosting and singing for the Open Mic session. They also interacted with me when I asked them questions on the stage. Besides, I had two special moments.
1
One man asked if I won the Open Mic competition. After knowing I didn’t, he said:
'Really? I thought you would win. But no matter you won or lost, neither of them is important. The main thing is whether you are enjoying it and having fun.'
So true, but it’s easier said than done. A great reminder for me.
2
Sometimes I don’t need to be too specific. Like a writing rule: show, don’t tell. When I was introducing one aboriginal instrument didgeridoo, I copied the performer’s explanation to me: 'This instrument is like a log with holes in it'. I didn’t know it was disrespectful to aboriginal people (sorry). But luckily, the audiences were very forgiving and gentle to me. Thanks for allowing me to make mistakes while learning new things.
I am starting to like MCing more. It’s still challenging to me, especially thinking my next gig will be even bigger, at the National Folk Festival. It’s nerve-wracking, but I’m also curious to see how I'm going to interact with performers and audiences. Lots of uncertainty ahead. But it will be another opportunity for me to discover myself, my ability and my potential. Step by step. Maybe a duck can transform into a swan? Give the answer to time and let things evolve naturally.