Photo By Staff Sgt. DeMarco Wills | Spc. Aurielle Polynice (left), an unmanned aircraft systems operator with Company F,...... read more read more
Subscribe
FORT HOOD, Texas – An Air Cav Trooper placed second in Fort Hood’s garrison level Operation Rising Star singing competition Sept. 26 at the Backbone NCO Lounge here.
Spc. Aurielle Polynice, an unmanned aircraft systems operator with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, took runner-up, and said she’s been singing since she was in the first grade when she joined her school choir.
“My dad would always tease me about singing,” she said. “He told me I needed to let the artist sing the song, but I would be the first person he asked about the name of a song or an artist.”
His jokes were harmless, Polynice said. He actually really enjoyed listening to her singing, which helped her appreciate learning the craft even more.
Polynice first competed in ORS in 2013, where she made it to the third round. Even though she did not win, the loss only pushed her to become better as a singer. It nudged her to audition for and earn a spot with the 2014 U.S. Army Soldier Show, a live Broadway-style variety show featuring Soldiers.
Polynice spent 10 months touring with the Soldier Show, performing at military installations around the country.
The experience was something she could not have imagined, she said. The best moment came when her family came to see her perform at Fort Gordon, Georgia.
“My parents brought my grandparents out to see the show,” Polynice said. “I remember going to see them after the show. My grandmother was crying. She didn’t know I had that kind of talent.”
With the Soldier Show behind her, Polynice approached 2015 ORS looking to put on a great show. The level of competition this year was higher, she said.
Individuals who performed at previous competitions showed up this year ready to take first place.
“When you’re going against talented vocalists, the competition becomes bigger than just singing,” Polynice said. “You got to figure out what makes you stand apart from the competition.”
For Polynice, she keeps the energy alive with her smile and strong stage presence, she said.
“I pick my shower songs,” Polynice said. “I want to make sure my song is something I enjoy hearing and feel comfortable singing. It also has to be something that my audience can get into.”
One of Polynice’s motivators was the support she got from the audience and Soldiers around post, she said.
“Not many people knew about the competition last year,” she said. “This time, it was a really great turnout for the competition, and the audience was really into it.”
Even though her unit was preparing for a deployment, they made sure their support was felt through Facebook posts and praise in person around post.
“I know if they could have been there, they would have,” Polynice said. “This was just a time they needed to spend with their families.”
Polynice did not compete in ORS for any kind of recognition, she said. She just enjoys singing.
“Any time I get an opportunity to get paid for something I love, I will do it,” she said.
Even though Polynice has been singing since she was in the first grade, she still gets nervous right before she goes out on stage. To her, the song is everything, she said. She wants people to have a good time when they are listening to her; therefore, she picks a song she can lose herself in.
“If I’m not nervous, then it means I’m complacent,” she said. “I just want to give it my all each and every time I perform.”
Polynice leaves ORS with more confidence in her abilities, she said. She is working on going to the promotion board next.
“If I can sing in front of people, I should be able to answer questions in front of the board,” she said.
| Date Taken: | 09.29.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.04.2016 16:40 |
| Story ID: | 185624 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 22 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Soldier takes second at Operation Rising Star, by SSG DeMarco Wills, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT