What a show! I am so grateful to have been invited by the Room to Read service group to participate in their annual Vidyaloka Joint Concert, where students, through their personal performing talents, raise money to help local children read and improve their literacy skills. I was part of this service event last year, and I am so happy to have performed again this year.

When I was told to perform, I knew that I wanted to play something with one of my closest friends, Akhil. Me and Akhil have performed together on many occasions, laid back and more formal circumstances. We had performed last year during the Room to Read organized picnic, and also our phenomenal performance of the musical “Little Shop of Horrors”, Akhil playing the protagonist and me the antagonist. We have always had amazing stage chemistry very effortlessly, and I am so grateful to him because he is always so adaptable and flexible to any ideas I might throw.

We decided to perform “From the Start” by Laufey, something we had sang in a previous cafe/library performance that was a good song for something more laid back. Just an hour before the concert, we recalled this song together, and we made a

really nice addition with Irina. Irina, who is also an extremely talented singer and musician, agreed to perform with us last minute and our “duet” brought a very interesting atmosphere in the auditorium. In my opinion, we sang really well and professionally, considering our sort of untimely manner for rehearsing. We had slightly improvis

ed the verses, where Akhil followed our lead. I am very happy to have performed with such talented and amazing musicians who made this experience all the better.

I am also glad that, through music, we were able to raise money for improving literacy rates amongst local Sri Lankan children. Overall, this concert was a grand success and the organizers, Ms. Lockwood Aura and Aadhya were very spectacular with arranging everything and really striving to make a difference as a service.

I’m looking forward to next time!