The Value of Online Competitions in the COVID-19 Era

At the start of the pandemic, competitions had all but disappeared, deserting many students on their journeys to success. But as we got more adept at taking our world online, slowly, institutions found a way to keep competitions alive. I have always encouraged my students to join competitions. Win or lose, the process helps them grow as musicians. It’s rewarding for them to showcase all the work they have done for the world to see. Competitions also help students gain recognition, grow their portfolios, and even win scholarships. But since we’ve been stuck at home, competitions have become an even more important outlet for my students, helping them socialize and find a sense of purpose in their practice while they have limited ways to perform. I encourage more teachers to learn about online competitions and share the idea with their students.

Competitions are usually open to members of all ages and musical disciplines and offer a range of prizes. The competitions usually ask for a piece that’s about four minutes for younger children and up to eight minutes for older contestants. Some institutions also require a short biography of the participant and their achievements. Entry costs for the competitions vary, but I have found many are relatively inexpensive.

While I know many families still may not be able to afford entry costs, I would encourage those that can to compete because competitions are more accessible than ever before. Competitions used to be much more expensive, and traveling fees would make participating impossible for many children. Now, students can submit to multiple competitions with the same video, filmed from the comfort of their own home. Because students can practice their video as many times as they need to to get the perfect take, feelings of stage fright are less common. One of my older students told me that virtual competitions help build up her tolerance for more stressful live performances.

Many virtual competitions also give students the chance to submit a program of their choice instead of setting up a mandatory repertoire. This allows students to play Suzuki pieces, contemporary pieces, and pieces written by composers of diverse backgrounds. Many beautiful, diverse pieces get overshadowed by the classical European repertoire.

Still, virtual competitions have their challenges. It can take time to perfect the student’s video and sound quality, and filming requires care and thought. The student’s video should have a similar feeling to a live performance. It should clearly show the child performing, with the child’s hands and instrument in the frame at all times. The student should be dressed appropriately and comfortably. It isn’t necessary to have high-end audio equipment or instruments to participate. Many institutions accept recordings taken from phones and tablets—all of the competitions my students have been a part of recently have been taped using my phone or their parent’s phone. What matters is that the performance is the best possible expression of a student’s talent. 

Most of the requirements for competitions are focused on making sure that the artists’ sound is as authentic as possible, so it should not be processed or adjusted in any way. A room with good acoustics and a microphone are helpful, but not necessary for a successful tape. Students can usually choose to play with a backing track, accompaniment, or acapella. 

Once the child submits their piece to be judged, it can take months to get results back. In my experience, this is where students get the most nervous. Instructors and families should focus on putting the student at ease and helping them understand that, win or lose, the process was beneficial to their development. For example, the jury comments students receive are so valuable for students. They provide different input on how these children express themselves than they get from their primary instructor and family and can help push them toward goals that they can achieve with careful guidance and love.

My goal as a teacher is to raise my students to become good people with good hearts, whether they become musicians, artists, or doctors. Online competitions help grow students’ confidence, no matter their long-term goals. They show students how to be goal-oriented, which will transfer to their professional pursuits, whatever they end up being.