couple of months ago I decided to sign up for a couple of guitar competitions. I have participated in several competitions before. In many of these I have suffered a loss in confidence when not achieving my expectations. When I decided to try once again I made up my mind with the following idea: regardless of winning a prize or not winning at all at the end what counts is the improvement acquired by the experience of performing under pressure and the hours of hard work and preparation.
I flew in for the first competition I intended to participate in. I was feeling anxiety and it was hard to get good sleep the night previous to the first round. I made it through the night and woke up early the next morning in order to register . When I registered I found a very extensive list of participants expected to perform in the same category as mine. Taking into consideration the large number of players and adding the fact that we all only had six minutes of performance time for the first round, a logic part of my mind prepared me to the possibility of not making it to the next round. Later in the day I met many of the participants and found out that most of them had a very high level of playing.
The time came for me to go in the hall and perform my music. I felt slightly nervous, after all I had cancelled work for the weekend. I performed and when I finished I felt satisfied about doing a good job with the music.
During the evening time the finalists were announced and I found out I was not one of them. I experienced frustration and other negative feelings but at the same time a logical part in me reminded me that the whole situation was not necessarily built in a way to help us have a very musical experience. Sometimes I think that the idea of comparing art and music in a competitive way defies its own purpose. In the other hand there are many positive aspects about these events. I got to see many good guitarists and realize what aspects of my own playing I could improve. I also learned what aspects of my playing were strong compared to other guitarists so I could balance my practicing time and make it more efficient.
I flew back home and had five days to prepare the new repertoire that I would play at the second competition the following weekend. I approached this next stage in a much more relaxed way for I thought that very likely I would not get a high prize in the next competition. I tried to make this new experience be as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. I worked hard that week but always trying to be away from unnecessary stress and anxiety.
The next weekend I flew again and tried it once more. I experienced a difficult situation trying to get to the competition site since very unusual cold weather in the area made the highways very icy and slippery. A drive that would normally take fifty minutes took just over two hours and I made it there barely in time to warm up and jump into the stage. I forgot everything about the drive and got ready to play some good music and have a good time. Later on I found out I had made the finals.
I approached the final round in a similar manner, always having in mind that I was there because I liked to play music and enjoy the experience. These thoughts filled me up with self-confidence and creative energy. It was an honor for me to have the chance of sharing my music with the audience and jury panel that day. I played my program that afternoon in such a way that I was able to communicate directly to my audience and even experienced feelings that I do not usually have during my practice sessions.
Later that evening I found out that I was awarded first place. It was rewarding not only to know that I had gotten the top prize but also to realize that the whole experience had been very positive and joyful. I now realize that music is a universal language in which we can share intense emotions and that the key to success is that of preparation and pure enjoyment. I recommend you play in competitions, work hard to advance to the next level of playing, but most of all have a great time!