Probably one of the biggest misconceptions I had during the early years of my quest to become a professional musician was my general disdain of competitions. Back in those days there weren’t nearly as many as there are now and after having had a career in opera I feel the need to assess the pros and cons of competitions basically at every level.
For me, music and the arts is not a competition. It isn’t about winning or losing at all. I see the world of music and the arts as a place where fulfillment is the goal and that no one can give you a certificate to qualify a person’s level of fulfillment and accomplishment.
In fact, I kind of resented competitions and I thought that doing the career “the right way” meant building it one concert, one audition at a time and doing good work with the performances you give.
In the world of competitions there are things like “All-State” and “Kindermusiziert”, NATS (National Association of the Teachers of Singing) and of course the biggies like the Metropolitan Opera Audition Competition and the Belvedere in Vienna…etc. What is the value of these competitions and what should be focused on when doing them?
Competitions are Events
I think first and foremost we need to realize what a competition really is. It is an event.
An event is a “convention” of like minded people who come together to meet around a certain topic. In the case I am talking about it is of course classical music singing. But, it holds true for all types of competitions.
First of all it is an event organized by someone or an organization who want to put on an event for the purpose of financial gain or to promote the area being talked about. Such events are a boom to the local economy because of increased hotel and restaurant sales better known as tourism. In high school my nieces all competed in Cheerleading competitions and they travelled far and wide to compete. Disney World was the ultimate host of the National Event bringing in thousands of cheerleaders and their families to Orlando, for instance.
So, the Event business is a huge reason people do competitions.
Competitions Help Build Careers
One of the things that people overlook when considering competitions is the career building aspect of not only the competitors but also of the people who judge and prepare competitors. The teachers of musicians add judging competitions to their resumes to increase their perceived importance in the field. Impressions about teachers are made through the number and quality of their students which in turn promotes University programs and private studios.
Teachers, Artistic Directors, Agents all convene at competitions and through this networking they build relationships which aides their own agendas.
Competitions Attract the Leaders of Tomorrow
One of the things that you learn over the years is that the people you meet at conventions/competitions make up the future leaders in the field. Competitors are the hardest judges of them all, the judges themselves are mostly forgiving, but the competitors can be cruel critics for sure.
But, there is no mystery among the competitors really. Everyone basically knows who the more advanced competitors are. Here too, the competitors are building a reputation and a network of “people they know” who will be shaping the field of the future, a very important part of any “industry.”
Competitions are Concerts
In singing, one of the most difficult things to find are opportunities to perform in front of an audience of any size, much less an informed audience who understands the music you are trying to do. You only have to sing at so many weddings and funerals before you get the picture of what the general public understands about music, which is basically nothing but “They know what they like!” When in reality means “They like what they know.” What they don’t know, they don’t understand and the don’t like feeling stupid, so they blame it on the music because it doesn’t pass their only test which is…”I don’t like it.” (Ugh.)
There is usually a major concert at the end of a competition featuring the “winners”. But, like any concert, the producer wants to know that the concert they give is stocked with good talent, and what better way to do that is to have a competition to see who would make the best performers at a “major event” that they sell tickets to of course and validate the sponsors, venue and the city for hosting the event.
Career Booster for the Beginning Artist
Obviously the calling card for a competition is to attract artists who are trying to have a breakthrough in their career or to earn money to continue their studies and build their career. Winning competitions looks good on a resume and the more the better. So, competitions are a vital part of a singer’s resume building activities. You may not win them all, but doing competitions and winning some certainly helps your career.
Competitions are a microcosm of the real world.
In the world of singing your basic job in the beginning is auditioning. Auditions are competitions. So competitions are great training for auditions for companies and agents. When you go to audition for a role with an opera company or to get taken by an agent, you are effectively competing with other people who are JUST LIKE YOU. The differences may be minimal but the outcome drastic.
In order to survive the “flavor of the month” competition it is important to be a consistent quality performer because what people are really looking for is dependability in all situations. I think doing competitions is great practice to build your dependability as a performer.
The problem with competitions is the winning thing. If you win you probably have a too high opinion of yourself and for sure if you don’t win you will have a “too low” opinion of yourself. Losing hurts and that emotion isn’t good for singers. But, as before, you don’t always win every audition, so the ability to accept “rejection” is a very important skill to master.
So, the more competitions you do, the less each one will mean to you and the better you will get at doing them. What I learned from my career is that you really should not “want” to win every audition. There are people in the business you don’t want to work for so one way of handling the “rejection” is to realize that it is possibly a good thing you didn’t work for those people. There are a lot of fish in the sea, don’t think that fishing out of a bucket is good for your career, it isn’t.
Career Maker
Obviously, the competition can make a career. There are many well known artists who were launched in their career because they won a certain competition. Even those who don’t win competitions get exposed to house directors, agents and the press who are looking for “the real thing” and are not so impressed with the “flavor of the month.”
I guess the thing is that in the beginning competitions are an important part of a singer’s work. People, important people in the business and your future colleagues are the network you want to get “known” in. The more often you are seen and are seen to improve over time the better your standing is in the business.
Competitions are not like the “Superstar” bull on TV
I want to throw up when I see those TV Talent shows. Not saying that there isn’t real talent and hard work among them but what completely irks me is this notion of “Awe” and the “They didn’t even take voice lessons” thing that goes on. The idea that you can have a career based on a silly show like these is sending the wrong message into the world.
People like that want to be a “Star” that have no actual skill. It completely annoys me.
So, when doing competitions you should never look at them like a “Superstar” competition but as an opportunity to build your skill level. You can dumb down for the general public, but don’t ever get caught up in their superficiality. Being a musical artist requires dedication to skill building and a true love for music, not some stupid glamour impression that lasts a day and is gone tomorrow. Your art must last a lifetime, not a month.
Competitions are about getting better.
There are measurable elements in music, especially voice. Things like high notes, low notes, dynamics, speed, language skills and musical phrasing are all things that can be measured. While music isn’t about the measurable elements the measurable elements do give us an idea of who has done the work and who hasn’t.
The problem with voice is that simple vocal talent is a large part of the evaluation of a singer. Lets face it, size (the ability to be heard in a large venue) , beauty and natural musicality are the basic elements needed to have a career in vocal music. But the element of laziness often a part of someone who possesses these natural abilities because it is easier for them to be good without working so hard at it.
It is not like in piano where you can just get away with natural ability without practicing the music sufficiently. Working out the fingerings and all of the musical elements in piano music requires a LOT of practice, because if you don’t do the work you are probably not going to be able to play a Beethoven sonata or a Fugue by Bach.
For singers, you can just sing a song and get a long way. But, the ability to master coloratura passages, create notes in the upper register that are supported and placed right are skills that natural ability will not give you, especially as you go down the road of the career.
So, competitions are a place to get a reality check on your skills. The ability to sing faster, higher, louder and softer and in more languages is important and it is these skills that need constant attention and getting better. These skills make it possible to master the musical intentions you have inside that you want to bring out.
Competitions are a vital part of the singer’s skill and career building activities and it is not about “winning.” If you keep the attitude of building yourself through your experiences then competitions can serve you well. If you think that you can go win a competition and have a world career and it is as simple as that, like a lottery ticket, then competitions are a farce.
I wished I had had this sage advice when I was just beginning. Take it or leave it but remember this…in building your career …
“You can only do too little, you can’t ever do too much.”