For singers, competition is an event–it’s something that we should be accustomed to, but which often takes on an enormous amount of significance for us, instead of being just “par for the course.” Competition is as much a fact of life for athletes as it is for singers, but for the athlete competition may be a weekly event rather than an isolated big occasion, such as annual Met auditions. How do athletes approach this constant competitive state?
CS: What can singers learn from athletes?
DG: Athletes are generally trained in competitiveness, and how to approach competition, but most singers do not come from competitive backgrounds. To put it simply, singers are not trained properly to go into competition. They don’t know how to do it, and when stress hits, they start to encounter things that throw off their otherwise good performance. The stress creates poorer sound–but it’s not because of lack of technical training. These singers simply don’t know how to deal with high stress.
CS: How can singers become stronger competitors?
DG: First, get your technical and professional skills in order, and keep them that way. Be prepared and polished. Many professional singers stop training and can end up in trouble. Second, if you’re just starting out–train yourself in mock auditions. Create similar conditions to the audition environment. More experienced singers still need this kind of conditioning, too, so that they don’t lose that competitive edge.
Third, forget about relaxing. I never tell people to relax. Never. Accept that these are the normal physiological and mental phenomena that go hand in hand with stress and competition. Rather than denying that stress is there, or lamenting that fact, simply say, “This is fine. This is the way I practiced it.” Your body is gearing up–channel the energy, don’t suppress it! Many people use their energy to suppress the excess energy of stress, but doing that can make the performance flat.
If you get caught up only in the outcome, you’ve lost, because that isn’t in your control.
CS: In spite of all this preparation, the performance still may not go as well as you would like, or the audition may not go your way. What then?
DG: When you don’t win? My approach is to not focus on the winning itself, but on the process. If you focus on winning, most people will lose. The winning happens after the performance; you must perform to get the job, not think about winning. The way you win jobs is by not focusing on the job but on the process.
In particular with singing and with opera, there are too many variables. You can sing the best you’ve ever sung in your life, but the adjutants were looking for something else. If you get caught up only in the outcome, you’ve lost, because that isn’t in your control.
CS: In conclusion, what do you recommend singers do with regard to competitive situations?
DG: You have to go back to internal control–your own standard. Did you represent yourself well? If you did, whether or not you got the job, you won. On the other hand, if you didn’t sing well, even if you won you still feel bad. The true reference has to be internal. If you can keep that, and watch yourself progress, regardless of the outcome, that is what produces winning performances. Maybe not immediately, but eventually.
