Preparing for music competitions | Web Special

About two years ago I was sitting as a judge in a pop music competition along with three other judges. It was the preliminary round of the competition, and there were over 80 bands competing for 20 slots in the final round. While the first round was underway, someone all the judges knew approached us and asked if we would be a little "considerate" toward the band he was "managing." In other words, he was trying to use his connections to influence the outcome of the competition. We flatly rejected his request. I told him that the only thing I could have done (if he had come to us earlier) was suggest to his band (as I would have to any band that had sought advice) how to prepare musically for an event like a music competition. His band was not well prepared, and didn't get beyond the first round. I realized that most musicians, both novices and professionals, aren't aware of what's involved in a competition or in general performance, beyond just playing their instruments. That event germinated a seed in my mind that musicians could use some advice on how bands can best prepare for participation in events like music competitions.

· Working as a group. First of all, a band and its members need to realize that they are a unit rather than individuals. The sound the audience and the judges hear is a single, unified sound or song, not individual contributions. (Although most competitions do have individual categories for best bass player, drummer, etc., without good backing by other instruments, the individuals will not be able to shine their best.) So a band must focus on making their song a holistic group effort. The singer or lead guitar may have a prominent role in a song, but without the due backing of the other band members, the music is not going to sound as good as it should. The music needs to be well-balanced, with each member contributing something that blends well with the rest. For example, an aggressive lead guitar using all the gimmicks of gadgets becomes nothing but an acrobatic display, if it doesn't blend well with the rest of the instruments. This is a mistake made by lots of bands I've heard in competitions over the years. You only need to show your tricks when and where they are needed. Each member should be listening to the others and should complement not compete with each other. In general, you should be playing supportively to the other members of the band not trying to outshine each other.

· Melody. Another area that I've noticed the majority of bands need to work on is the melody – the tune the song is composed of. Most young musicians seem to be influenced by the sheer power or loudness of rock music – that's perhaps the influence of heavy metal music. Personally, I don't mind heavy metal music – it is one style of music, and someone could excel in it and be a great musician. But simply copying the volume or speed of a western metal band, without a compelling melody turns out to be just noise.

In many competitions a lot of bands play songs that consist of just two chords (power chords). Now, not all songs need to have lots of chords to sound good. But, if your composition is made of only two chords, then the need for a good melody line is even greater, along with powerful guitar solos or great singing. And when these are absent, then the song falls flat. An appealing melody (or tune as it is called here) could secure half of the battle.

· Harmony. Another area that bands need to focus on is harmony in their songs. The lead voice needs backing voices. Other band members should be harmonizing. Harmony brings color to a song. A three part harmony works wonders.

· Details. The band also need to pay attention to details in their playing such as breaks (or rolls as we call it in Nepal), or the ending or intro of songs. The genius (and the devil) is in the details, and this is what will make a band sound very "tight."

· Stage presentation. Bands need to be aware of how they come across on stage. A band that is relaxed on stage will project smooth playing – their music will look and sound effortless, making the audience enjoy it and feel loose and relaxed as well. Relaxed playing does not necessarily mean going wild on stage – just allowing the natural movements of your body to follow the music. It shows that you are enjoying yourself on stage, and again, the audience will enjoy a band that is enjoying itself. Bands also need to communicate with the audience not just through their music, but also by talking to them directly. Compliment them for being such a good audience, thank them for coming and listening to your band. This way you win the audience's confidence. A good response from the audience could give a good impression to the judges.

· Warming up. In music competitions here in Nepal, bands are usually give two songs to perform: one is a warm-up and the other as the competition song. The warm-up song is as important as the competition song. Bands should realize that the warm-up song gives them an opportunity to fine-tune the band. The warm-up song is for the band, not for the audience or the judges. Band members should be listening to themselves and each other very carefully, and any weakness should be corrected so the competition song can be performed flawlessly. Still, the competition song needs to be better than the warm-up song. So, choose your best song for your competition song. I have come across many cases where the band's warm-up song was better than their competition songs – a big mistake. The judges can't give points on the warm up songs.

· Tuning your instruments. Perhaps one of the most important factors that bands neglect in competitions is the proper tuning of their instruments. In fact there is nothing as disturbing as listening to a song that is being played out of tune. It is equally disturbing to sit and listen to bands tuning their guitars on stage. The audience gets bored and the judges get irritated. In general in a competition situation, the band will not have much time for tuning their instruments on stage, so please, do tune up before the show. Even when it is not possible to do open sound tuning in venues where other bands are playing full blast on stage, you can certainly use an electronic tuner to tune your instruments. And if you don't have your own tuner then you should borrow one from other bands, or request the organizer to provide one.

· Cables and jacks. Another important thing – don't forget: bring your own cables and jacks. Then you can be confident that the cable works, and you won't waste your (and the audience's or judges') valuable time fooling around with someone else's.

· Before the competition. Playing on the stage is very physical. Like athletes, take a break from playing or practicing a day before so your body and mind can have a day of complete rest. The singer especially should not tire his or her voice either by singing or talking too much. A few minutes of warm-ups/stretching (limbs, fingers or singing gently) by all the members right before the show will give body muscles and vocal cord flexibility, which in turn will help in the performance.

A performance without any of the problems or weaknesses outlined above will be likely to make a good impression on both the judges and the audience, thus improving your chances of winning. But most importantly, keep in mind that the competition winner's career will not necessarily soar while the loser's career fails. Winning and losing are subjective. Whether you win or lose, your goal should be to play as well as you can, and enjoy yourself.

Raju Gurung is a senior musician and music teacher in Nepal. He is a graduate of Berkley School of Music.