Isha Mishra Sings National Anthem in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE: The crowd roared as a 14 year old ordinary Indian American girl from Charlotte, North Carolina nailed her last note in front of a crowd of 8,000 people.

Isha Mishra, a student and aspiring theatre performer, beautifully sang the US National Anthem in Charlotte’s Bojangles Coliseum on October 15.  The successful performance is the culmination of hard work, dedication, and support.

Isha worked her way from weekly voice lessons to be selected to perform in front of a prime time national audience hockey game.   She had been honing her oratory skills with a vocal teacher at Onstage for the past two years, but her passion was evident earlier on, when she began singing musicals at an early age.    The opportunity surfaced after a small recital Onstage had hosted, after which she felt the aspiration to do more.  So when she was presented an opportunity to sing the national anthem in front of a large audience, she was hesitant at first.   But she decided that success can only come through challenging oneself and reaching beyond our comfort zone.   Weeks went by working on perfecting the videos, all the while uncertain she would be selected.  When she found out she was selected it was elation and nervousness combined.

After weeks of endless practice and frustrations, the night came and with it, the exhilaration and anxiety of performing in front of a large crowd.   Standing on the stage, it was surreal, as the hockey players charged into the area and the crowd went wild.   Still, a calmness in Isha’s head prevailed, and she nailed the performance as she felt the calm of the moment.   She left the arena feeling a sense of anticipation and excitement for the next opportunity, and the hope that other young Indian women would feel inspired to let their voices be heard and talents be seen across the country.