Music is one of the most entertaining forms of art; it cuts across all forms of human feelings, including emotional, social, and physiological wellbeing. In fact, some people believe music is a form of therapy used to uplift the spirit and heal wounded hearts. Music is that sound that voices the emotions out and explains them in all ways possible. Evolutionary scientists believe that a musical culture would have assisted prehistoric human species to survive because of the role of music in the coordination of emotions, helping important messages to be communicated, motivating people to identify with a group, and motivating individuals to support other group members.
Music is a very powerful form of art; in fact, without it, some areas of art would never have been transformed. Music has a long history, with the oldest musical instrument ever discovered believed to be the Divje Babe flute. It has played an important role in the life cycle of humans, perhaps even before we could speak. Significant evidence has been discovered that very early man developed primitive flutes from animal bones and used stones and wood as percussion.
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The development of music went through several phases and periods before it became what is known today. Due to the popularity and development of music as seen today, it became a commercial activity and a profession for those who mastered the art.
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10 Benefits Gained from Participating in Music Competitions
Music competitions are often organized and coordinated by big industries and organizations with strong affiliations with the music industry. Music competitions are always there to challenge upcoming artists in either a specific domain, area of expertise, or genre. If you are an artist in search of a challenge, then finding an intriguing musical contest may be right for you. These musical competitions often offer grand prizes for the best of these competitors, but other competitors also come out of the competition as better artists. There are a couple of benefits attached to being a competitor in a musical contest. Some upcoming musicians consider music competitions as a means of showcasing themselves.
Here are some of the interesting benefits of participating in a musical contest:
A means of overcoming technical, musical, and mental challenges:
One of the most important goals of entering any competition. It is easy to put up a very powerful music presentation while practicing; in fact, some musicians may be tempted to condescend. One of the best ways to prove one’s musical, technical, and mental abilities is through a musical contest. Many times, you may overcome a challenge in your practice, but overcoming a challenge in a public venue is a much more celebrated victory.
Exposure to potential sponsors, employers and music fans:
Just like every competition, the beauty of being a competitor is that you have a chance of meeting people who may find your talent useful. People have made important connections at competitions that eventually led to scholarships or participation in other unique programs. Feedback from these people, especially the judges, can help you identify their strengths and areas for further development.
An opportunity for your “fans” to witness and acknowledge your growth:
It is a very important way of allowing your fans to witness how much you have grown and improved on your talent. In essence, the growth is not only observed by you but also confirmed by the audience that has watched you evolve. Anyone watching your performance can provide important feedback about your long-term development.
A chance to observe:
This is one way of comparing your growth with that of other people around you. It allows you to identify with other people’s skills and faults in order to avoid making such mistakes. You can gauge your own strengths and weaknesses against those of your peers. You may also be exposed to and inspired by a new and exciting repertoire.
An honorable recognition of your potential:
Of course, every competition rewards its competitors, and in some cases, emerging victorious in some competitions marks the beginning of a career transformation. If you happen to place in or win a competition, include it in future applications and your résumé.
It helps to showcase your skills.
Music competitions provide a great platform to display the knowledge and skills of music you have developed over the years of study and practice. At the competitions, the experienced panel of judges endeavors to provide you with a critical analysis of your performance, and so in this way, the competitions you have participated in can prove to be a great source of self-evaluation for yourself and also help to nurture your experience and skills further into the music world.
Experience performing on stage:
If you are an aspiring music artist, getting into any music competition is a great way to start out your musical career. These competitions create an avenue for each artist to be on the stage and perform for a period of minutes. So if you are a new artist, it is a great way for you to experience performing on a stage and learn how to manage your time and stage properly.
Networking:
A music competition always means meeting other like-minded artists. So networking with your colleagues is a great way to mix and make big connections at the competition. Sometimes, a music competition doesn’t just entail singing alone; it’s also an avenue to meet new people and make lasting relationships. Many of the acquaintances you meet there will become friends and members of your very own personal network.
Experience performing under stress:
Let’s state the fact that participating in a music competition is a great way to experience working under stress because you don’t always have enough time to prepare. The pressure and anxiety are big lessons you will learn in any competition. You are given a few minutes to perform your song, even on stage. Participating in a music competition is a great way to learn for any upcoming artist.
Self-confidence:
For an artist, one thing he or she must possess is self-confidence and the ability to face the crowd. With an increase in participation in music competitions, an artist can build up self-confidence and pride. He or she will be able to face the crowd and make use of the stage very well without making mistakes.
The Top Music Competition for Aspiring Musicians
1. The X Factor, U.K.
Is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company, SYCOtv.
It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol (2001–2003), and has been adapted in various countries. This music competition hosted the popular band “One Direction” while they were upcoming artists. Since finishing third in the 2010 season of the singing competition, the band has broken records (including being the first band to have their first three albums debut at No. 1) and headlined massive global tours.
2. American Idol
Is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. American Idol employs a panel of vocal judges who critique the contestants’ performances. This music competition hosted Jennifer Hudson, the reality show contestant who went on to be an Oscar winner.
3. Nigerian Idol
Is a TV reality show that is aired in Nigeria for aspiring and upcoming artists to come and showcase their talents and win prizes for it. The primary aim of this music competition is to raise young and talented individuals in the country in the area of showcasing their singing talents. The competition is open to people between the ages of 18 and 28 and is usually aired across the African continent. At the auditions, a good number of 30 contestants are selected. During the final stage of the show, the viewers’ vote is very important in the grand finale.
4. Nashville Star
This is an American reality television singing competition program that aired for six seasons, from 2003 to 2008. Its first five seasons aired on the USA Network, while the last season aired on NBC. Its five seasons in the USA made it the longest-running competition series on cable television at the time. One of country music’s reigning queens, Miranda Lambert, first hit the spotlight as the third-place finalist on USA Network’s Nashville Star.
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5. Britain’s Got Talent
The talent show competition is part of the global Got Talent franchise created by Simon Cowell. Every year, contestants of any age can audition for the televised contest with whatever talent they wish to demonstrate. Susan Boyle was one of the oldest contestants on the show in 2009, and following her second-place finish on the show, her debut album, I Dream a Dream, topped the Billboard 200 chart for six weeks, and her follow-up, The Gift, also hit No. 1 less than a year later.
6. The Sing-Off
It is an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It debuted on NBC on December 14, 2009, and is produced by Sony Pictures Television and Outlaw Productions, with Mark Burnett’s One Three Media (for a time called United Artists Media Group) being added for the fourth season. Season 3’s champion, Pentatonix, is undoubtedly America’s favorite vocal group, and they’ve proven a cappella can compete at the top of the charts.
7. MTN Project Fame (West Africa)
Is a music competition created for the West African part of the continent to find new and young talents and to groom them, giving them all the necessary support they need to climb to the top of their music career. The music competition started officially in 2008 and was anchored by Ultimate Production. It provides for the competition-leading specialists from the music field to afford the contestants the very best professional training, which ranges from voice training to movement and how to write their own songs.
8. Making the Band
Is an ABC/MTV reality television series that exists in separate iterations, each focusing on a specific music act. Dawn Richard has lived multiple musical lives, starting with her appearance on MTV’s Making the Band 3.
9. Superstar K3
The South Korean television talent show series Superstar K, broadcast by M.net. It was also the first season in the show’s three-year history to allow group acts to compete. American-bred Brad Moore, Busker Busker, was the runner-up on the 2011 singing competition show Superstar K3 and wound up creating a modern-day K-pop classic.
10. The Voice
The Voice is an American singing competition television series broadcast on NBC. The series employs a panel of four coaches who critique the artists’ performances and guide their teams of selected artists through the remainder of the season. He is a classically trained pop singer who competed on Christina Aguilera’s team on the second season of The Voice.
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11. America’s Got Talent
American talent show competition and is part of the global Got Talent franchise created by Simon Cowell. Jackie Evancho stunned the fifth season of America’s Got Talent and landed in second place. She’s since become a classical-crossover prodigy with her O Holy Night EP, making her 2010’s top-selling debut artist.
12. Star Search
Is an American television music show that was produced by T.P.E. /Rysher Entertainment from 1983 to 1995, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Al Masini. Alanis Morissette became one of music’s biggest alternative rock singers, but she was just a mere loser on Star Search.
13. X-Factor
This music competition show is sponsored by Glo, a Nigerian network operator. The winner gets a recording contract with a music brand, which in turn will sponsor the artist’s musical career for a period of years.
14. Nigeria’s Got Talent
This is sponsored by a telecommunications company called Airtel. The very first stage of the competition is done right in front of judges and the audience in different cities and in different parts of Nigeria, where the judges show their disagreement with an act by pressing a button usually called the buzzer. After the first stage, the judges will then cut down the list to only 50 contestants. Now, at this stage, the artist gets to perform in the live semifinals, giving the two most popular acts a position in the final. At the end of all the rounds, the final decision is made by the judges present and voted on by the viewers of the show.
15. Idols (West Africa)
Created by Simon Fuller, this is a Nigerian music competition and it is the West African version of the Idol series franchise. It is a talent contest to find a recording artist who will eventually emerge as the winner of the show. It is aired on M-Net, and it started officially in 2007.
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How to Grow as an Aspiring Musician
Every year, thousands of young people dream of becoming famous in their music careers, and thus, they apply for various talent shows. It is not enough to aspire; there are a few things expected of a nascent musician. Many people failed or even lost their aspirations because they failed to do some of these things:
Believe in yourself and be amazing.
Sometimes you have to forget what other people say and believe in your own assessment of your potential. This goes without saying because the music industry can be a cruel, lonely place at times, so you have to be your own biggest cheerleader. Most times, you may not get the commendation you expect for your music, but it is important to keep your head up. Even the musicians that have already made a name for themselves and are famous still undergo criticism, so you should always expect to hear a lot of that, but the main thing is to always believe in yourself and not listen to other people. Other upcoming artists threaten to downplay your songs or even criticize you. It could be really discouraging to get no updates on your music, but it takes some level of self-confidence to keep getting better into the transition phase. Success doesn’t happen overnight, and you will probably fail far more times than you will succeed. You need to be flexible, adaptable, and creative; trying out new styles, sounds, and instruments does not harm at all.
Be an active social media user.
Many artists started their music careers in their bedrooms, with multiple uploads made online. For instance, Katy Perry, now a global superstar, found fame by posting videos of her singing on Myspace. It is true that sometimes fame helps people appreciate your work better; social media offers platforms for showcasing your talents to potential online users and producers or brands who are willing to get you and sponsor your musical career. This is even more of an audience than any upcoming artist would ever get from concerts and auditions. It is important to tap into the user resources offered online to reach out to thousands of people. Take a selfie on Instagram, follow amazing artists via their Snapchat feed to get their style, then tweet them. Use social media not just as a place to showcase your talent but to connect with your fans, gather feedback, and then, hopefully, catch the eye of a producer.
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Connect with fellow musicians:
By surrounding yourself with people of like minds and a good group of fellow musicians, both amateurs and professionals, you will be able to get real feedback. Networking with like-minded people will also open new doors, introduce you to lots of musicians and music opportunities you may not be aware of, and help you get closer to the individuals who have the power to make life-changing decisions, for instance, big record deals. A well-established network will also make it easier to collaborate, talk to a trusted adviser about finding new venues to perform at, and point you in the direction of someone who can teach you about copyright, distribution, and license laws.
Get a manager.
When you have already created a perfect niche for yourself in the music world, it is important to get yourself a good manager who will help you and monitor your brand. The manager will be there to fast-track your movements and position in your music career.
Music competitions are always a necessity in the life of an aspiring musician. There are many music competitions around the world to empower young artists and help them develop themselves in the music world. These musical competitions set up for aspiring musicians often offer grand prizes for the best artist out of the competitors, but other competitors who participate also come out of the competition as better artists with a lot learned already.
