ASIA'S Fourth Annual Sing-Off 2002

A Personal Account, Part I December 20, 2002

There were a lot of emotions in the air as the ASIA committee frantically tried to prepare for this year's Sing-Off. They ran left and right selling tickets for their event. The performers were practicing for the Sing-Off day and night. Those of us who had nothing else to do helped as volunteers. The committee decided to use a computer to play and record all the songs. We had to carry James Zhang's (Executive Committee Member) computer from his house, all the way to school. I carried his monitor several times back and forth, from his home to the school and from the school to his house; every time I carried that thing, my arms threatened to drop off. Just try to carry a 50 pound monitor for ... you'll know what I mean.

The first day we had rehearsal in the Black Box Theater, and things were pretty hectic. We didn't have the large speakers that we were going to use at the Sing-Off, so we had to settle for smaller ones. The adapters for the mikes were wrong; there was a lot of feedback, and some of the performers as well as their songs, were not available. For the next couple of days, we rehearsed in a classroom. These practices went very well. The songs were coming in, the tickets were selling well, and the equipment was all here, or so we thought ... There weren't any problems until a few days before the Sing-Off, before a practice. I was carrying the monitor and unable to see the road; I slipped on a patch of thin ice right outside the school. The monitor fell on me, and the screen turned blue when we turned it on. James had a hard time withstanding the screen color. That caused delays for the making of the program guides for the Sing-Off, though not a huge problem.

Soon, the day we all waited for and labored over had finally arrived. You could feel the adrenaline, the anticipation and the thousand emotions which were waiting at the door, and ourselves, waiting for the day to end. The 2:15 bell finally rang, it was a rainy Friday. James and his two volunteers trekked through the mud and the ice carrying a total weight of around 100 pounds of equipment. I must remind you that they don't work out [yeah rite.. -James], so you can see how hard the people have worked to pull off the Sing-Off. While they were carrying the Alienware, the monitor, speakers, cables, and cords through the rain, I was out buying audio adapters for that night When I returned from buying the adapters, I saw the other people- xos, volunteers, and members- start to decorate and install the equipment in the Black Box.

Finally, Christina gave the go-ahead for the Sing-Off to start, and the Masters of Ceremony welcomed everyone. Things were going according to plan. There were some last minute problems before the Sing-Off, but minimum. The audience really enjoyed the show. The performances were very good, and there was a funny scene. To be frank, the Sing-Off went off without a hitch. Even after all the work we did, there was still some more to do, cleanup. It took us about 30 minutes to clean up- some of the chairs and sound systems were still being cleaned out. Most of us who stayed decided, after the show, to celebrate at the Cheesecake Factory for a job well done.

- Gordon Wong, Volunteer (II) Edited by James Zhang (II)

PART II: Sing-Off Narration

BLS & ASIA's 4th Annual Sing-Off 2002 - Boston Latin, Black Box Theatre

You can sum up Sing-Off by calling it a mini Asian Night. That's how important it was. The question of whether to have a Sing-Off this year and the next came up during committee meetings; even so, even if this was the last Sing-Off, ASIA's members and volunteers treated the event with the same professionalism, sincerity, and resourcefulness as all the other activities. We also tried a few new things this year. As I recall, planning started months before December 20th. Every little thing was a job in itself: the committee had to design, print, distribute the couple hundred flyers- 3 different versions, 9 drafts later, in red, pink, and fuchsia- in addition to setting up equipment, managing the rehearsals, and negotiating the Black Box on our behalf. The list of volunteers and thank you's is staggering; everyone who wanted to assist and be part of Sing-Off, did, with much enthusiasm.

For those not familiar with Asian Students in Action, ASIA does not host random activities to add bullets to the events & gatherings list, nor is the club limited to concentrating on Asian Night. Whether an event is prepared and executed to serve the community, help students or if things seem just plain fun, there is always an underlying purpose. Sing-Off number four was indeed a provocative judge of talent, and it even raised the few brows of people who did not think our scholars could sing. The lines filled up to get in the building, the tickets were sold out, and those who came through the rain were greeted by our two gregarious, charming MCs: Tim Chan and Lisa Diep.

“Get ready,” Longjie reminded me. We’re back behind stage- it’s a giant wooden board- the lights are dimming, and we try not to trip over the wires. While the room could legally hold four hundred people, tickets were limited so everyone could be comfortable. But the room was packed anyway. The volunteers without walkie-talkies signaled to each other: microphones had to be shifted, the amps had to be set accordingly, and members frantically waved performers up the platform. Christina was running around checking everything; Edna, May, Lily and others had been coloring the posters that weren’t used, Jason was managing security, and the few members who weren’t behind stage, were judging the show. Andrei, Longjie, Nick and I hunched down next to the metal platform, and we oversaw the sound system. I didn’t actually miss out on the show; in fact, I got a few winks and beams from our performers.

While three performances listed on the program guide were cancelled, there were still fourteen left. The singers were extraordinary; they were obviously holding back during rehearsals. I’d have to admit that the judging was flawed, partly because some songs at the end left a lasting impression whereas others were forgotten early. In the end, Jenny Chan received the second-runner prize of two Asian Night tickets and a $5 certificate to Toscanini's Ice Cream; Sully Jereidini was the first runner up- she sang “A Moment Like This” by Kelly Clarkson- and ASIA awarded her with a $25 Barnes & Noble gift certificate and a $5 ice cream certificate. The winner of Sing-Off (or winners) were Emily Shum, Nancy Shum and Joanne Tran, singing “Try Again,” representing for Aaliyah. A $30 Toscanini's gift certificate was given to the group in addition to two movie tickets. I was really amazed at how things fell into place, how supposedly boring rehearsals turned into wild karaoke dance parties, and how we just had fun. From finger-snapping R&B songs (Giselle and Susan), to our native Hikki music (Sze), Ayu (Peter & Victoria), and this unmistakable American Idol-like girl, Sully, I enjoyed every song. Now, disregarding some weirdoes rushing up onto the stage and a ten-foot board falling on the audience, twice, Sing-off like Gordon said went off without a hitch. At least no one was harmed by my singing; and that, I said to myself, was a phenomenal thing.

-James Zhang (II) Photography: James Zhen (I)