At the End of the Day

Right. The moment of truth. Well, not quite yet, given there are still some bands to perform in our division so no results so far. But since even I don’t have the power to stop the presses (primarily because there are no presses) words still have to be written and posts still have to be published.

On the plus side, from where I was sitting things seemed to go well. Well enough that whatever the outcome is we should be pleased with what we have achieved. So well done to everyone who put in the time and effort to make sure they brought their best on the day. Who knew regular practice could make such a difference?

It’s funny how something can be weighing on you or preying on the back of your mind without you even realising. You only notice when it is dealt with and the feeling goes away, leaving you suddenly light and free. It’s quite exhilarating, especially when it wasn’t as bad as you were expecting it to be. People who are experiencing this moment can usually be identified very easily. They are the ones crying ‘let’s do that again!’ This can be followed by a whoop or a jump which is then followed by other people giving the affected individual a wide berth. Suffice to I had this feeling today (though I kept it all on the inside. I am a duck who can judge what is appropriate. Most of the time).

Competing is good. It means you continue to push yourself instead of coasting. It means you get feedback on what you do well and what you need to work on. It means you have a chance to come back and show what you have learnt. It means you’ve got a good chance of picking up some bling (and who doesn’t love that?). On the downside it can mean stress and panic and ‘what did I sign up for?’. Voluntarily. Ugh. But when it comes to the performance that all fades away.

That’s where the ‘yahoo’ feeling comes from. When all the angst disappears and you’re just left with the music. The nerves vanish, the worry goes and you just end up enjoying yourself. So to everyone left to compete best of luck and I hope you have that moment where you get swept up by the music.

At the end of the day we are performing. It might be a competition but it is still a performance. And out of respect for the audience and yourself you should always give it everything you’ve got. Because isn’t that the point?