The Virtue and Vice of Musical Performance Competitions for Children

Abstract

For more than two decades the authors have been involved in music performance competitions. We have collective experience as organizers, participants, judges, parents of participants, and teacher of participants in competitions ranging from the local to the international level. We have been impressed at the powerful events competitions are, and have become increasingly aware of their potential outcomes, most positive and some negative. These events have been largely bypassed by experts in child development and education in their study of children. We believe performance competitions have much to offer young people and their families, and are worthy of consideration when the topics of music and child development merge. An Introduction to Competitions-What They AreFrom the earliest times games and competitions have captured the interest of mankind. We seem innately endowed with a desire to improve our skills, and then to test them against others. From the Egyptian game of senat, which represented the perils of the journey through life and the afterlife, to the first Olympic games in Greece, to the Super Bowl, everyone loves a winner and enjoys the process of selecting a small group of "the best" from the pack of participants. Watching a Mary Lou Retton amazes and entertains as we thrill to observe levels of performance that are seemingly impossible. Additionally, participating in such competitions can inspire both the participants and the audience; one frequently comes away with a renewed sense of determination, and increased faith in developing one's own potential through practice and perseverance.In this spirit of selecting the "best;' music competitions have long been a part of the serious music scene as an opportunity for conscientious young performers to launch a career by "winning" one of the top prizes in an international event. The Van Cliburn piano competition and the Tchaikovsky competition in Moscow are examples of these large and famous encounters. State and county fairs, state and local orchestras, music teacher organizations, and occasionally music businesses also sponsor performance competitions.

The Influence of Performing Arts Competitions on the Formation of Artistic and Pedagogical Space

“…The established stereotype in art pedagogy implying that these two approaches or two competitive strategies have the right to exist independently of each other entails many significant pedagogical problems and costs. The first, "professionalized" approach raises the following pedagogical problems [2][3][4].…”