Forest of Trees: How To Stand Out In a Crowd

I recently was talking with a younger singer about the feedback one receives at vocal competitions versus auditions. This singer had received tons of praise at their latest auditions and callbacks. However, when they decided to enter a local competition, they received a TON of criticism regarding their technique, their rep choices, etc.

The entire experience left this poor singer extremely confused: in the span of seven days, how could one panel's opinion of their talent vary so drastically from another's?

There's never a clear, concise answer to this question, since a lot of different factors likely weighed in. What was the performer wearing? Did they slate their selections correctly, and were their materials neat and professional? Did another singer perform the same selection that day? If so, how many singers sang that aria, and when? What were their vocal qualities, and did our singer match theirs?

But I think there's a more-important factor at play here: proximity to competition.

Think about this: books are appearing more and more frequently in places that would not have featured them ten years ago. Tiny inspirational quote books have appeared next to POS machines at almost every cafe across America. Books on travel and audiobooks have materialized in truck stops, and online services such as Scribd.com are reporting record-breaking sales. Yet nowhere do books sell quite as well as in a good old-fashioned book store. A bookstore is the perfect place to reach consumers, even though it is surrounded by other titles. Even in the midst of direct competition, a book in a bookstore offers consumers the unique ability to be seen, compared, purchased, and read.

Trade show booths work best at larger shows, when they’re in close proximity to the other available options, and car dealers almost always report higher sales at auto shows than at their independent dealerships. Building your reputation in the midst of your competitive field helps consumers immediately establish who you are, what you offer, where you rank among the competition and whether or not you’re a smart choice--it's the best free source of status and advertising you can arrange!

The same principle can be applied to our singer's predicament. At auditions, that singer may be the ONLY coloratura soprano/bass-baritone/dramatic tenor that the panel hears that day. The singer might be wildly talented, but the panel has no immediate basis of comparison by which to fully-appreciate their efforts and artistry. Without a 'ground zero' to compare to, that singer is likely to receive vague praise/appreciation from the panel...and nothing else. An audition panelist is more concerned with the time-sensitive demands of filling a role than assisting with a singer's personal development...and frankly, auditions are NOT the places to accept nor offer criticism. Auditions are all about presenting yourself as a finished, polished product; any suggestions on how to improve that product can either be emailed directly to you at a later date or swallowed.

At a competition, however, the tables have turned: panelists are quite literally ONLY there to offer criticism. When that same singer chooses to enter a competition, however, the outcome will likely be wildly different. Competitors are usually grouped by age, voice type and sex, which means their competitors will (hopefully) be much more closely-matched than the typical 'audition grab bag effect'. The panel of judges will KNOW the vocal colors, qualities and timbres that they are searching for in the 'perfect specimen', and are much more likely to offer (hopefully constructive) criticism rather than lavish praise.

So, while it’s tempting to shy away from participating in ANY activity where you will be 'judged', it's important to remember to actively seek out criticism. Participating in competitions puts you in places where you'll be seen and heard directly next to your competitors--and while this can be very scary, it can also be exciting and liberating. If nothing else, keeping yourself 'running with the competitive pack' shows you EXACTLY where you fall locally/regionally/nationally among your peers.

An important fact to remember: Criticism is GOOD, as long as it is constructive. It's an outside perspective, a chance to get out of your own head and collect some insight as to what image you're actually projecting. Think of constructive criticism as your own personal 'Red Team', building on your unique strengths and shining a spotlight on all of the areas you need to focus on. Especially now, in the time of required websites and necessary YouTube pages, actively avoiding criticism is not only foolish--it's basically impossible. Information is flowing more freely than ever--eventually, you'll be compared to someone else, and the criticism will arise anyway. Best to face it right away and use it as a tool rather than run from it; don't let your fear fool you into letting an opportunity slip away.