Benita Rose Competitions Good or Bad- Response to Ninaflute

[coffeetea]

Hi, Benita, I like this video! Very thoughtful discussion!

[piano50]

Wonderful. I totally love that you are active in discussions!

[piano50]

Really excelent discussion point! I agree wtih you.

[1992peter]

This is absolutely ONE OF THE BEST VIDEOS FROM YOU!

You are the ONLY piano teacher in the world.

THE TRUE PIANO TEACHER.

I love your music, your inspiring words, to me, and the way you play.

YOU ARE THE BEST.

That is why ur video, ALONG WITH YOUR OTHER VIDS, is in my favorites.

[Tweeny83]

This video is really really useful for all musicans. I am a musican myself(play the recorder and piano) and have done various auditions both as an indudicator as well as an participant. My ideas about competions is that we can not constantly adapt our playing in order to please everyone, the most important thing is that we touch people that are open and they will certainly hear it! once again thanks for postin!

[ninareallyisahoflute]

YOU ROCK

[piano6861]

Thanks!

[aspacguy1]

When I witnessed a piano competition in my old school, it inspired me to join. Practicing everyday for months, I was able to join and qualify for the finals the next year. I probably jumped from grade 2 to 5 and w/o a teacher at that time. I used the competition as a 'means' to learning and not an 'end'. I just can't imagine being a piano student and associating piano playing with winning or loosing. I bet you're students are grateful. Maybe not now but eventually...

[DigitalCyanide]

I think that the "walking" euphemism in relation to playing can also be applied to the education of students. Sometimes we make them "walk" too soon in certain subjects when mentally they're not prepared.

I've been in competitions where the Judges would actually have favorites, because the Judges were highschool teachers. I've actually seen the instructors lie to students about their performance to hinder their progress so the "teacher favorite" could win, even if that student could beat them.

[DigitalCyanide]

And what I mean by hinder is the teacher would tell the student their playing is JUST perfect and fine, when it really needs more practice, even if their skills are developed and refined. Meanwhile, they give all the advice to their "favorite" who may or may not have the best skills nor the most developed and refined.

[piano6861]

That is unfortunate. Judges should not be on the panel if they have any connection to the student. You may enjoy my piece on sightreading because the information discussed is also appropriate to education in general. Thanks for visiting!

[bcblondie]

Man loti patiik tavs klavieru ievads. No kurienes ir taa dziesma? Vai tas ir ko tu pati izgudroji? Tev vajadzeetu uztaisiit video kur tu turpini to speeleet.. tik skaista dziesma, tu nospeeleeji burviigi! :)

[HobokenXVI]

Hi! I started organ in the last week of october 2006 and won the feis ceoil junior organ (Under 18 players) competition in March 2007. I had barely six months tuition and one the competition. I WORKED HARD for that and won. Surely competitions are excellent! For CV's etc?

[piano6861]

Congratulations, HobokenXVI! As I stated at the beginning of my video, Nina's points are valid. I bet you would agree that your competitors had good elements in their playing, or the victory wouldn't be so sweet!

Your competitors should not give up over this loss.

[Tohruxtan]

Dang, that's so awesome! Good for you! People like you are inspirational :)

[piano6861]

Thank-you very much, Tohruxtan!

[flutelearner12]

There are many hypocrits out there (even some of my teachers) talked down about competitions but at the same time they claimed they had so many prize winning students. Life IS a competition!

[piano6861]

We often send our students with mixed feelings.

[flutelearner12]

Please do not poison the young minds of American kids, they need competitions, much much more, to cope and face the future great competition of oil, and economic competitions from my country and other fast growing countries.

[Tohruxtan]

As an American, we are already being molded for the system. Competitions don't tell me my worth. I know if I work hard, I can get what I need eventually. I am in a system of competition, but that doesn't mean I view it that way 24/7. I don't need to be competing 24/7. Maybe sometimes I just want to live. I exist for me, not for some government. If I lose within the system, oh well. I'll try for the next opportunity i get. Simple as that. No mind poisoning happening here.

[flutelearner12]

Being an American, the world leader in politics,military,idealism,eco­nomics, you have the obligation to working and competing 24/7 to maintain the dominating position! That is my point, otherwise you would be a parasite in your own society/country won't it? also are the German and Japanese and now Chinese, we all work hard to compete and strive to be the best.

[lietzen]

Yes, it is more important to continue to develop, than to get there first.

The problem of "not a good teacher" is adressed. Thank you.

Competition is a problem, because music is not a race.

We need to learn to perfom and express our feelings with music. And a student who hates *every* music lesson will never play well.

And we must teach discipline in a loving way.

lietzen.

[flutelearner12]

I heard many Americans were mentally disturbed by just watching 911 news, but when my classmate died when I was 10 and my grandma died in front of me when I was 11, I had no emtional problem at all, why? because we learned how to cope with pressure, unhappiness and that losing feeling when we were so young, partly from competitions. I saw American and British kids cried in their mothers arms after lost chess games, why? coz they had not enough competitions in their young lifes.

[lietzen]

If one is able to cry, that is not bad, I think.

But showing emotion is a cultural thing too.

You may see that different, but other approaches have to be accepted with tolerance and love. Love. Not war.

911 news: I was "mentally disturbed" (whatever that may say) at that time, too.

[flutelearner12]

with my all due respect, my fellow flutist lietzen, I disagree, especially outside the wellfare society of the western world, many countries are still fighting for oil, food and chance to live, even in the western world, it is a battle field out there, LOVE doesn't give you a position in an orchestra, university degree, or a teaching position. We are not talking about religion, we are talking about reality for our future.

[Tohruxtan]

Dearest, who ever said love gave you any of those things? And in the big picture, does your position in an orchestra dictate who you are? Does teaching at a famous school make you a better teacher? I think not! The thing that matters most is the love you put into things. That's how you make this world a better place. You can compete, but be a loving competitor. Embrace what's behind the music, the people. Look beyond that facade and be surprised by what you find.

[Tohruxtan]

You missed the point of what my dear Lietzen tried to confer upon you. He DID NOT disagree about competitions being good/bad. You specifically picked a British child and displayed him as a pansy, moreover by making chess seem like something petty. Chess is a difficult game and some people's passion, no different from how music is the passion of many. So what if he cries when he loses? There are probably loads of people in ALL types of competitions who cry when they lose!

[Tohruxtan]

The thing is, in American culture, society wants to mold you to be a machine. The newest models fetch the highest prices. Industry is a competition by its very nature. But in other cultures, people cry when they lose something, big or small, because they all go into it thinking they will emerge victorious. Getting your hopes way up and having them shot down hurts.

[Tohruxtan]

Not everyone realizes that they benefit from a competition whether they win or lose. It's an ethnic thing, something you gain by exposure (not necessarily experience - but knowledge of it). Just because YOU don't cry when you lose, doesn't mean other people can't. Just because YOU are a hardened person doesn't mean the rest of us are. So chill out. Each to his own opinion. If you're going to share your opinion, do so nicely. Thanks.

[piano6861]

I'm sorry you have suffered such terrible losses at such a young age. It is so wonderful that you have the flute and music to get you through these difficult times.

[flutelearner12]

Thanks for your comment in my channel, you are a great teacher I know. And your great piano playing.

[piano6861]

You're welcome and thank-you, too, flutelearner12. Keep up the great flute work!

[lietzen]

Great! Fav 5/5 and sent to all my friends.

Of course.

[pianogirl98]

Hi Benita, it's great to hear your voice! And what you said was so true. Thanks for sharing your expertise with us!

--Linda

[piano6861]

Your welcome! Thanks for stopping by!

[piano50]

Hello, Benita Rose!

I truely agree with your points. You make a great point.... it is all totally true. Great topic choice. I hope to see more blogs like this from you!

[RWAbacus]

THANK YOU for these great pearls of wisdom! Your philosophical view on competitions in general are really taken to heart by me. I've just been playing for over four years now and have already seen so many things of which you speak. Thanks so much for these incredible words of sage advice!

I really love the Liszt piano introduction too!

[piano6861]

Hello, your welcome, and thanks for your comment and for stopping by. I think it's a message that needs to be heard. Happy practicing, Josh! I'm looking forward to your next video, too!

[ninaflute]

Thanks for these thoughtful comments from the perspective of an experienced teacher!

[piano6861]

Thank-you, Nina for posting my response. "Competitions" is a thought-proking topic.

[piano6861]

I meant thought-provoking!

[flutelearner12]

I am pro Nina Perlove's point, competitions are fair and good for us, I love competitions, I sometimes win, sometimes lose, but I don't care too much win or lose, of course winning is sweet, I can get better teachers after I win; but losing is even better, I can know my weaknesses, my opponent's stongness and also winner's weaknesses so that I can beat him or her next time!

[flutelearner12]

Most importantly is that during each competition I learn who my real opponents are, their levels, all their information, their weaknesses and most importantly my own weaknesses compare to them, and also at where I am better than them.

[flutelearner12]

I found that each time when I was lost, I learn much more, and I play and study harder, practic more, and I get better, than when I won.

Also, competition is my short term goal, my motivation! I can't imagine music life without competition.

[flutelearner12]

Competitions are the events where lonely musicians come out and come together and express their loneliness and their passion, it is the great event to know each others and make friends and enemies, and find their new imaginery enemies to work to beat them next time. It is about finding a new GOAL.

[flutelearner12]

fighting and preparing to fight are so exciting, people said adult life is all about competition, competition everyday, so what is wrong to prepare ourselves while we are young, learning how to cope with pressure and find competition exciting, and get to know our weaknesses, and get smashed by winners, then scolded by teachers and parents, and whip ourselves to PERFECTION! Amen.

[piano6861]

I was just trying to say, if you don't win, don't give up because you can have excellent qualities and still lose the prize.

[flutelearner12]

But most of the competition I been to are fair like what Nina said, because when I lose I discover what my weaknesses are and why they win and I lose. ^^

[piano6861]

I also believe that judges intend to be fair. I did state in the video that if you lose, find a superior quality in the winner, even if it seems a small point, and learn from it.

[flutelearner12]

will do, thanks, cool! ^^

[piano6861]

I agree, the true winner in a competition is the one who learns the most from doing it.

[piano6861]

Hello, flutelearner12! Please note that at the beginning of my video I stated that NinaPerlove's points are certainly valid.

[flutelearner12]

Oh, my bad, excuse my poor English listening skill.^^

[piano6861]

No need to apologize. Your language ability is better than many! By the way, I checked out your videos. Very nice!