By Hudson Kahle, 13 years old
Hey! My name is Hudson Kahle, and I do improv at Stomping Ground. I go to school at Sudie L. Williams Talented and Gifted (Sudie TAG), and I am auditioning for Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts this year.
I have been going to camps and classes at Stomping Ground for almost three years now. But when I started, I was a little nervous. I was used to messing around with my friends and making jokes on the spot, but doing that in front of a crowd sounded terrifying to me. But the more people I talked to about it, the more I realized most people felt the same.
But the first time I got up on that stage, man was it fun. The silly games, the silly rules, the points that mean nothing—it all seemed to set me free instead of freak me out. On that stage, you can be anyone you want to be, especially yourself. That feeling of freedom brought me back to Stomping Ground time after time.
Though I love acting, I have always felt a strong connection to music. I play guitar and sing, and those are my true passions. I never thought improv would help me play an instrument, but it turns out it is good for everything you do! You see, once you start doing improv, you get in a certain mindset. You are more confident and you feel free to take more risks. The stage starts to feel more like home. In my case, writing chords and melodies became easier, because I started letting myself play the wrong notes in order to find the right ones. Not only does improv teach you to be comfortable in front of a crowd, but it teaches you that it’s okay to make mistakes.
Now here I am, more than two years into improv, and I still enjoy it as much as the first time I stood on that stage.
So if you want to learn about yourself, gain confidence, and have a ton of fun doing it, I recommend improv at Stomping Ground.
If this sounds like it might be fun and inspiring for a young person in your life, check out our upcoming Back to School Improv for Anxiety or Youth House Team Auditions.
