No matter how old you are, it can be pretty nerve-wracking to perform in front of thousands of people.
Although we tend to think of polished stage performers as naturals who just have some innate ability to sing or dance without letting the anxiety affect their performance, this is just simply not the truth. The reality is that the best performers we see in the world today probably started not all that different from the rest of us—even if they had much more innate talent for whatever it is they do.
To see just how true this is, you can always watch talented children audition on shows like The Voice Kids UK.
Back in 2017, a little boy named Jake decided to audition on The Voice Kids UK with the support of his grandfather.
Jake lives with his grandpa and their 200 budgies, to whom he sings nearly every day. Jake’s grandpa is his biggest supporter and biggest fan, and he knew he had what it took to make it onto the big stage. Still, Jake is only 12 years old and even the most powerful voices at that age are often not polished or entirely confident in their abilities.
Regardless, Jake stepped up on the stage just as confidently as anyone else.
In the blind audition round, Jake chose to sing “All of You” by John Legend.
Although the song is very popular for weddings and other romantic settings and events, it’s also a huge song that requires a ton of power to pull off properly!
From the very beginning, it’s clear that Jake’s voice is strong—but it also has a little bit of a wobble in it because he’s so nervous! His grandpa and family watch from the sidelines, hoping that he’ll be able to pull through.
Fortunately, the crowd surges with applause when they hear him sing and he smiles—their encouragement gives him a second wind!
As he sings, the judges comment to one another that Jake sounds pretty nervous.
But once he gets to the chorus, he belts it so well that the whole crowd erupts in applause! Although you can definitely teach technique and voice control, it’s harder to teach the kind of passion that Jake shows the judges onstage that day!
As he winds up the song, he hits a few last high, loud notes and finishes.
Right at the end, judge will.i.am hits his buzzer and Jake jumps up and down with excitement!
As the judge turns around, he can’t believe what he sees!
Although the show is dedicated to kids of all ages on the show, Jake’s voice is so powerful for a 12-year-old.
After complimenting his performance, will.i.am says that he truly gave it his all onstage and that’s why he chose to bring him onto his team. When it’s all over, the crowd applauds once again and Jake can’t wipe the huge smile off of his face.
As his performance shows, sometimes a performance has so much heart that it becomes undeniable!
Although stories like Jake’s are beautiful to watch, they’re also inspirational and applicable in our own lives.
We often get ideas in our heads about what we can and can’t accomplish, or we label others as more talented or more capable than we are. As this performance and others like it show so well, all that really matters is that we go for it and give it our all so that others can see what we’re all about! Although it’s always a risk to be vulnerable, sometimes it pays off huge like it did here.
Congratulations to Jake on a brave performance! Check out the full clip below:
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