We are asked all the time what the advantages are to participating in a showcase or competition event. Here are some of the reasons we feel you would benefit from the experience.
- It helps you establish goals for your music development and performing.
- It provides you confidence, as you will spend more time on the preparing the songs for the showcase than you otherwise would.
- It helps expand your network of peer musicians which you can collaborate with.
- It enables you to see and hear other musicians in your age group which can help generate ideas for new music endeavors.
- It will motivate you to work harder on your music and overall performance
- It will expose you to more people, potential fans and industry professionals.
- It is a fun experience, and you will leave with new ideas for your music
- It is a great addition to your resume as a “Finalist” or special award recipient in a showcase event.
- It can open the door to new performance opportunities.
- It is a huge accomplishment being selected for a showcase event given the high level of competitiveness.
- It is helpful in getting your marketing and online platforms updated, as the application requests a review of a YouTube or Vimeo video, along with other information.
- It provides you an opportunity to improve your performance and technical skills
- It provides feedback based on your placement in the show, and on the judge’s comments and critiques.
- It gets your name good visibility with all the PR that is done for the showcase.
- It gives you an opportunity to invite friends and family that may not have many opportunities to see you performing live.
There are no risks in pursuing these opportunities. Many of our finalists started in showcases when they were only 12 years old, and many are still doing showcases today. It is a competitive application process, but we have many different types of shows and competitive events you can submit for. We encourage our finalists to contact us with any questions they have on how best to prepare for the showcase events. Many of our finalists are enjoying successful careers in music, and we love inviting them back to perform in our showcase events. At the next 21 and under Grand Finale Showcase on October 30th, the band, The House on Cliff, the 2014 Grand Finale winner, will be performing as the guest performer at the end of the showcase. The band has toured the country, opened for major artists, and has produced some amazing original music. Being able to see these successful artists performing is inspirational and can motivate you to work harder on your music and establish a committed pathway for success.
Keep your goals in focus every day, and do all that you can to build new confidence, originality, and technical proficiency in your music performances.