Langfang’s “The Voice”

This past week there has been a singing competition here at LFU.  The competition was sponsored by MZONE, which is kind of like China’s version of Verizon Mobile.  All students were allowed to participate and the grand prize was a new iphone 5.  Hundreds of students showed up on three separate nights to try their stuff.  Each contestant was only allotted 30 seconds.  Some of the students sang in English but most of them sang in Chinese.  I went to the competition on the final night to cheer on my students.  My good friend, Apple, was also in the competition.

The competition was held in the main meeting hall on campus and all five hundred seats were filled each night by spectators and competitors. Big red banners were hung from the main stage to advertise MZONE and the competition.  Students waiting nervously in a long line that ran from the stage to the halfway up the auditorium isle.  A student would step up the microphone, sing for 30 seconds, the judge would say when the time was up, and then it would repeat.  Each night the competition last from 7:30-11:00.  It was long.  Some of the students did really well and had very pleasing voices.  Others… well… it did remind me a lot of the cat fights I hear outside my window at night. 

There was one boy in particular who was hilarious.  He got up on stage and started singing a famous pop song by a woman.  He purposely distorted his voice to mock the original girl’s tone.  The audience was laughing like crazy and I couldn’t help but laugh myself as this boy strutted around with his hands on his hip and played the part of the prima donna.  I doubt he won the competition but he should have at least gotten funniest in show.

My freshmen students were going last in the lineup.  All six of them were going one right after the other and I was waiting eagerly in the audience.  While they were waiting for their turn I was constantly getting texts from the girls to my cell that read, “I’m so nervous. I hope I do well.”  I sent them back each a text of encouragement.  It finally came to their turn and each of them sang their hearts out.  At this point in the competition it was nearly 11:00 and few people remained in the auditorium.  The few people who did remain couldn’t care less about clapping.  I on the other hand, gave a standing ovation for each of my students.  When they finished I greeted them all with a high-five and a thumbs up.  I think they were really pleasantly surprised to see their teacher taking such an interest in their lives.  They all apologized for not doing a better job with their performance.  I told them that it didn’t matter how they did as I was proud of them for trying.  They might not have won the contest but they were all winners in my book.