A Day in the Life of a SING Performer

The craziness called SING has taken over Baylor's campus.  SING is a student-led production that includes 14 broadway-styled acts that compete against each other for 8 spots.  The top 8 get the opportunity to perform again in the fall in another student-led show called Pigskin.  To student organizations, it is a big deal to say the least; performing in Pigskin is to accomplish something great.

Along with SING, come SING problems, as most participants would call them.

Here are my top 3 SING problems or a glance into the life of a SING performer:

1.  This is my normal look.  For the past two weeks, I get dolled up in gobs of hairspray and makeup to look like a living 80s diner girl.  It's hard to return to a normal look--it takes HOURS to remove the tangles that come from teasing my hair and a lot of scrubbing to remove the bright blue eyeshadow and dark eyeliner.

2.  Sleep?  Forget about it.  What most people do not realize is the amount of dedication that goes into these performances.  My sorority has been practicing every night for the past two months.  Some nights are longer than others with open stages, sound tech, lighting tech, and dress rehearsals.  It takes some will power to balance SING obligations with homework, projects, oh and, heaven forbid, a social life.  You can probably conclude that sleep becomes a lower priority.  

3.  Performance nights are...hectic, crazy, stressful, and fun.  SING lasts 6 nights, so each act performs once a night.  On the night of a performance, we meet in our chapter room to get ready for the big show.  It takes an hour or two to get in full costume, including hair and makeup.  Then, we practice for an hour to get warmed up or go over any changes, and finally we have a little pump up party to rev up the energy that is so necessary to perform.  In order to get excited, we dance, eat sugar, and give some motivational speeches.  

After this, we head over to Waco Hall to check in and watch the group who goes before us.  It's a really fun atmosphere because the groups encourage each other and cheer for the performers as they practice the act one last time before hitting the stage.  

Photo credit:  Baylor Lariat

The rush of performance time comes and goes, and we make the trek back to the chapter room to go over constructive criticism and the upcoming schedule for practices.  Another night of SING is finished, and we all feel exhausted and accomplished.

  

To see more SING shenanigans, check out this video by BUStudent Productions.

Want to learn more about this timeless Baylor tradition? Watch this.

Performers:  Can you relate?  What does your SING life look like?