Under the Christmas Tree by Nikki Grimes

If you make it, it's not so much about, 'Oh, I won, I beat everyone,' it's more like, 'People are accepting me. You also take it personally in competitions like this. The tea from Macaw: 'I can't believe that I'm here.Macaw holds a microphone, spins, waves, and blows a kiss as 'La's and music notes float on screen.His trippy animated clue package includes a road with cactuses on each side, a black and white TV set with Macaw singing alongside a guitar player and a drummer, a plate of quesadillas and a jar of salsa, two arrows spinning around in counterclockwise circles in unison before pointing up and bouncing, yellow dripping down the screen, a rain storm, two yellow dolphins jumping out of the water, and a sun with red and purple rays.Says this is the year he 'decided to be brave, not only on the stage but in my own life,' and this was the perfect opportunity to put his newfound courage on display.What started as a way to make my parents happy turned into what actually fills me with glee.' 'Somewhere on the journey of melted cheese and panic attacks, I learned to take breaks and reset.Says he eventually spread his wings on bigger stages, but the 'pressure to always be the good son' brought much anxiety.'My dad would bribe me with quesadillas to perform at our local Mexican restaurant,' he reveals.Says he's been performing since a young age, but it didn't start out as a passion.'I'm so excited to become the Macaw because he's everything that I'm not: flashy, confident, and he sings country songs,' he says to start the first clue package.

Under the Christmas Tree by Nikki Grimes