My Purpose

My Purpose:
Hi I am Nicole, and I am on a mission to get accepted to the school of my dreams! The Juilliard School! I have been dreaming of attending this school since I was in the 6th grade (11 yrs old). I've had a passion for performing since I could remember.

It began with my passion for singing. Since I was a toddler I would perform concerts for my grandmother and grandfather. By the time I was able to attend elementary school I had just joined my very first choir (5yrs old). It was a lot of fun! We would perform on the gymnasium stage every month for the parents and on holidays we would perform for the nursing homes. By that point, I was in love! Singing in the choir was all I wanted to do! 
Then, Middle school came along. Unfortunately, there wasn't a choir. I. was. crushed. I felt clueless because I didn't know what to participate in. Choir was all I've done for my entire 11 years of life! Luckily, I had a great friend who was always looking out for me. 
Shortly after my meltdown, my best friend came up to me and asked if I was willing to try something different. That if I still wanted to perform on stage, there was a drama club on campus that puts plays every year into competitions. Now, as a young child who was in love with the spotlight, I quickly accepted the offer. Auditions were approaching and I was ready. Surprisingly, I got the main role that year. I was extremely happy. I couldn't wait to get back on the stage, even if I wasn't singing. This new stage was bigger and better. I was excited.
I worked extremely hard that year because It was my first year and I still had a lot to learn. There was a lot of weight on my shoulders but I had never been happier. The day of competition/our first performance finally arrived. I had never been so nervous. This was something I had never done before. I took a peek at the crowd before going on stage. I had never seen so many people..... I took a big deep breath in and then... I was on! It was magical. I felt myself disappear and become the character I was meant to portray. It didn't even feel like a character anymore. It felt like I was truly Peggy (Goodbye to the Clown). The rest of the performance was simply amazing! I fed off the audience's laughter and tears. I never thought I could make an audience feel so many emotions. My job was to tell Peggy's story and I felt so accomplished and rewarded shortly after I said my last line: Goodbye Clown. Goodbye. The audience was so quiet. The curtains closed and not a second after we heard a roar of applause. My heart was overfilled with joy, I felt this high that I couldn't get enough of. That was the moment I knew performing in the theatre was all I wanted to do for the rest of my life! 
I countinued to participate in the theatre all the way into high school, which I am still currently in. I have been acting in the theatre for 7 years now. And for those of you who wonder if I am still singing, I am happy to inform you that I am! I am a member of my church's worship team and youth band and just last year I participated in my very first musical (Shrek the Musical). It was such a blast! I was stoked to find out that I can combine the two loves of my life, singing and acting, into one performance! I am excited to say that I will be participating again in another musical this upcoming summer 2016. So please stay tuned! 
...........This is my passion! This is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to tell stories, I want to act and sing on stage, I want to be in plays and musicals, and I want to direct and put on shows. That is why I am on a mission to get accepted to the school of my dreams! The Juilliard School! I know going to such a prestigious university for theatre is going to open so many doors for me. It's going to provide me with experience that I can't get anywhere else........

Even if I don't get accepted, I know aiming for such a goal is going to get me somewhere. "Aim for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." -W. Clement Stone

Of course I do have my back up schools which are Pace University, Baylor, The Boston Conservatory, and the University of Texas. I created this blog because I wanted to write down my preparation and experience I gain on the way because I love being able to see how far we have been able to come. And I know this could also help other students who are in the same situation as me! I hope you enjoy the stories! Let's see how far can we go! "With God there is no limit to what you can do. There is no obstacle you can't overcome. Through him, all things are possible!" Matthew 19:26

-Nicole Banchs (A hopeful Broadway Actress) 2016