My family moved from small-town Wyoming to Oregon in 1986 under the promise that there’s an NBA team in Portland. That’s how my parents sweetened the pot to move us here, and that’s how the Portland Trailblazers became one of my biggest passions.
Until I found music.
Now, I’ve been singing my whole life; however, I caught the bug in 1999 when my mom threw me into voice lessons. I’ll be forever grateful for that because it caused me to teach myself
The reason I share such details is that I recently got the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at the Portland Trailblazers vs. the Golden State Warriors game on December 29, 2018. Talk about passions colliding!
It was a bucket-list dream come true. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for the longest time, and I’m so honored the opportunity found me.
Waiting in the “green room” (AKA locker room)
They gave me four tickets: I had my brother, my best friend, and my co-worker-turned-friend with me. As we hung out in my “green room,” they were integral in helping me stay distracted. We just talked and laughed, never giving much thought to the big, scary thing I was about to do.
Then when it came time to sing, I was ushered out to the floor. I stood on the sideline for about 15 minutes while my favorite team on the planet did shoot around. (Never mind the fact that the other team was the Frickin’ Golden State Warriors—with future Hall of Famers like Steph Curry and Kevin Durant running right past me.)
Anyway, when it came time to sing, the lights lowered, the PA announcer said my name, and I blacked out. A real-deal-out-of-body experience. (Honestly, I had to watch the video afterward to make sure I got all of the words right.) It was more adrenaline than nerves.
All in all, it was one of the most special moments that I can’t even remember. But I did it!