overview
Our overall goal is to get children playing music for the sheer love of it. We, of course want every child to reach their musical potential. Competition is a great way to focus the mind on playing the instrument more proficiently. We encourage all our children to be part of a Grúpa Ceol where they can share in the joy of preparing, practicing and competing in some competitions. We also encourage children to enter solo competitions or duets and trios with their friends.
One must remember that music is artistic and just playing the notes as they are written down does not guarantee success in competition. The adjudicators are looking at the performance as a “whole,” which includes musicality, rhythm, ornamentation and balance, to name just a few. It is a matter of very subjective musical taste. Once the competitors reach a certain standard, it becomes a matter of preference, or taste, for the judges that will determine the outcome.
There is one benefit of music competitions that stays constant; the children learn how to perfect a piece of music to the best of their ability, and learn to be able to perform in front of a judge or an audience.