- A r t i s t s - A c c l a i m ed -


- A r t i s t s - G i f t ed -


- A r t i s t s - K i n d r e d -


- A r t i s t s - S c h o o l - F r i e n d s -


- L a t e s t - W o r k s -



I've just got back from a week's worth of camp, but in the end it was all worth it. I would've made an earlier mention, but it all came too fast. My body is sore all over and it's hot as hell. I'm really glad to be back, but I didn't find the experience a bad one at all. It was better than I would've expected and it's really opened my eyes to true leadership and a better outlook on life.

I honestlty came into the week expecting the worst, being away from home having to go through two days of leadership camp activities because of the position I was given for next year and having to pack for the year 11 leadership retreat which consists of three days of adrenaline rushed activities, dealing with heights and support of team members.

The first two days were awesome in my opinion, sure.. I wasn't like the majority of the people there, one of the popular group but I found that I fitted in decently. They were all down to earth and everyone got along with each other, and the ideas I put forward were respected by everyone so that made me feel more comforted there even though some points, I really asked myself what I was doing there in all honesty. We stayed in a comfortable house, with lots of rooms so everyone was happy with the accommodation, we ended up making the food! it was great

The retreat was the part I really had a personal pessamistic outlook on it, though showing a positive one on the way there.. it wad the Delhuntie Retreat Program, located around Trafalgon (a.k.a the middle of nowhere). The first day, my patience dried up so quickly... some people giving me shit about bringing my piano, people taking out my tent pegs, tolerating idiots and having a major migrane. The activities worn me out, all being team work feeling guilty I didn't contribute as much but I tried my best.. I was ready to collapse at the end and run. But the second day proved it all wrong, and Michael was one of the best support I had there, I'm glad that he's my best friend. The second day's activities were the ones I dreaded, the meals before and todays were pretty decent except for pea soup and pumpkin... I was faced with the challenges afterwards. Our first activity was 'the rip'. A couple of kids have died from the contraption before because of harness faults of their own behalf (yes, being a dickhead 40 metres up into the air serves you right). The rip is a giant swing, that launches you from atop a tree towards the lake. I was dreading it, the guy kindly didn't raise me all the way to the top, and the thrill of racing through the air was pretty good. Better than what I expected. It got better, the flying fox was pretty neat, but not as exhillerating. The Rip truly was one of the best. The task after was crossing an unbalanced ladder over the lake, at a pretty high distance up. Lots of the group didn't bother with it, but I figured it was worth a shot. I was going to try everything so I could come away saying I've done everything I could've. It hurt my hands so much grabbing onto my harness, but I crossed it, and relieved... I loved the feeling of completing it. There were two more activites after, rock climbing and the 'leap of faith'. Rock Climbing.. I did half way and stopped.. don't want to talk much more about it.. and the leap.. gosh. Let me explain it, the "Leap of Faith" is climbing up half way a 30m tower, and walking ontoa small blue plank, jumping out to a trapeze to grab it and hang upside down... I didn't go for it.. the fear of being on that plank despite the safety of the harness was enough to petrify me.. looking down almost made me puke. Despite, I jumped.. for that moment it felt great. I overcame a fear of mine.. just jumping did it for me. I knew alot of idiots who posed as the 'tough' kind of person who didn't even try, one guy even chickened out on the last second... really annoying because others missed out because of their wasting time. The absailing was the last part but there wasn't enough time to do that, I did it the next day ^_^ Yes I was shitting myself atop the shaky tower, ready to head down a full 30 metres.. oh man.. i was so scared! but it was so thrilling on the way down! Meh i skipped too far.. one of the best parts of the second day was the free time and the para-liturgy thingy we had afterwards.. which led me to writing a song with a couple other of my friends about the retreat! I was like.. "yes.. here's where my powers can come in ><!! " I got together with one of my legendary guitar friends Jason and other guitar/drummer guy Damien. Trev ( who you all may know as ) and Tyrone sang the verses while I sung the chorus. It was a huge team effort and we all contributed, even Michael. We called the song "The Retreat Song" really unoriginal XD but the chorus.. went something like this..

"We finally faced out fears,
Our Freedom is finally here,
We now know, that life is worth a go...
And together we will grow"

It was one of those types of songs where the verses were talked and humours haha, remebering it makes me laugh... and the chorus was pretty decent and serious (seriously sung too XD). Jason was truly awesome and I hope I can do more works with him, seriously.. best guitar player ever. We wrote it in under 2 hours.. it was great. A successful moment but the more was the people's reaction to my part of the performance. Being called "australian idol" and stuff like that, I wasn't the one to be best at taking in compliments but it made my smile to know that even those popular people, the cool people liked my work. It felt good, they wanted to hear me sing a song XD and perform it too. I had 'competition' or at least thats what he made it out to be. John.. an arch rival to me really, he made year 9 music hell for me and was never interested in the stuff I did. Until that day, i felt so sad because he's given me such a hard time, but I realised hearing the feedback that I knew the truth. He only gave me a hard time because he felt 'inferior' to me and my musical skills. He's taken heaps of lessons and voice lessons and stuff like that.. where as i only did piano for three years and voice fully self taught (those three lessons were useless... i taught myself better <_<. But man, that night.. he performed so many songs in an attempt to out perform me. An attention whore, i didn't really care because i was glad to accompany even though I didn't know how the F the songs went. I had a defining solo performance that night though.. "I Swear" boyz 2 men's rendition I think. I was surreal, my vocal never sounded so right to me then and I wasn't nervous at all.. which was amazing. I didn't think about what they would say, I just performed it then. For that moment, it was soo.. surreal.. I'm always nervous in almost everything I do infront of people. The praise afterwards was unreal, support is one of the best things in life and especially from your close friends and people which you would've least expected it from. That made my retreat but not exactly hehe as good as it sounded. I gave my best friend Michael a private concert in the tent after it was lights out. I played all of the FF songs I knew, Zelda, other piano pieces and my originals.. he was so happy to listen and we talked to each other that night, about each others pasts, stories and even ghost stories! It's been something I couldn't have done with anyone else but a best friend.. which also is something I haven't done in so long. It was great... He truly is my best friend!

To wrap it up, I'm glad to be back and the retreat's experience is something I'll never forget.. It's taught me to feel better about what I do, and what can't kill me only makes me stronger. I'll have lots of things to hand up soon.. and well, the experience has given me more hope for the future and faith in the songs/poems I write. I learned about so many histories after listening to the staff speakers and the staff at Delhuntie and man, their stories are insparational... I was inspired to be a better person to me and to the people around me. Look out for works of mine and I'm going to be snooping around at everyone elses! Thanks for bothering to read if you got this far And well, I'll be around! Ciao people

~Prince

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