Piano Competitions (and, My most Embarassing Moment!)

Ever tried playing in a piano competition while your dress is falling off?

Yes, that happened to me in 2005 at a piano competition in Steinway Hall in New York. As I performed, the zipper of my dress came loose and started opening slowly down my back. Luckily, this first round was closed to the public, but I was still in front of 5 judges. Rather than flash the judges, I chose to barely breathe and move as little as possible so that the zipper wouldn't slide all the way open. It was one of my worst performances, although I can definitely laugh about it now. Of course, one person told me that if I'd just let the dress fall down, maybe I would have won! Well, I know that I will never wear a strapless dress to perform in again.

That year (2005), I tried applying to as many piano competitions as I could to see what would happen. The huge downside is that it cost a lot of money, since each application fee is usually $60-100 and you typically have to pay for your own airfare and sometimes lodging if you get accepted. I did well that year and got some sort of prize or recognition in almost every competition that I did. But in the end, I had spent a lot of money and gained a few lines on my resume.

Was it worth it, doing as many competitions as I could that year? I would say yes. (although my bank account may disagree!). There was definite pressure, knowing that I was stepping out onto the stage only to be strictly judged by musicians who may or may not "like" my interpretations. The subjectivity of it all really bothered me at times. I was most frustrated at times when the winner was not necessarily the best (in my opinion), but had a connection to one or more of the judges.

The past few years, I'm applying to fewer competitions, but trying to pick and choose more wisely. Competitions can be wonderful or incredibly frustrating, but they always force me to do my best...well, as long as my dress isn't falling down