18 Tips for Entering Contests

This article was first published in Vol. 44 No. 2 (May 2018). It has been edited for publication online.

Compiled by Erin Mae

Editor’s Note: This is a follow-up to Dr. Mark Wade’s article, “A Case for Contests,” in the previous issue of DPN [Volume 44 Number 1]. It stirred quite a bit of discussion both in my email and online. People have strong feelings about contesting and it is unlikely that an article is going to change anyone’s opinion. What we can do within these pages is help those who are thinking about entering. That is the goal of this follow-up article.

The National Mountain Dulcimer and Hammered Dulcimer Competitions are held at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS each September. It can be difficult to decide whether or not to participate in a competition.

You may feel like you’re not ready or that you don’t think you can win. But when I talked with several of the past National Champions, almost none of them actually felt like they were ready when they signed up. And all of them believed there was much more to be gained from competing than winning.

So, if you are thinking about participating in the next competition – regional or national – here are some pieces of advice about competing from 18 National Champions.

1 – Russell Cook – 1981 Hammered Dulcimer Champion

I would advise a first-time contestant, or someone considering it, to not wait until they think they might be good enough to compete seriously. If you do, you will miss out on the purpose of competing! It isn’t really about finding out who the best dulcimer player is. 

It’s about doing your personal best and attempting to grow as a player so you will enjoy playing even more in the future. You can do that without contests, but I promise you, contests will make you a better player!

I have not only won the contest but have judged dulcimer contests all over the country. One thing I am confident of is that the person who wins the contest is not always the best player. There are a variety of reasons why someone wins: the judges’ preference of music genre, the sound system, losing composure after a mistake, or even an instrument losing its tuning. 

So, if you are blessed enough to get to experience winning the contest, especially the national contest, keep in mind that the results might be completely different if it were held next weekend. Enjoy your win, but hang onto your humility. Like I said, it’s not about who is the best player; it is about doing your personal best and growing as a player. – Russell

2 – Gary Gallier – 1987 Mountain Dulcimer Champion

You WILL come away from the competition a better player. It’s worth it just for that reason, even if you don’t win anything.

I have also judged the contest five times. A good hierarchy of importance is 1. Play a song you know! A simple tune played clean and tight is better than a difficult one that isn’t.

2. A difficult or interesting arrangement does matter. Dress up your tune with variety in embellishments and dynamics each time through. But with taste, you can embellish or dynamic a song to death. – Gary

3 – Bonnie Carol – 1990 Hammered Dulcimer Champion

Don’t take competitions too seriously, certainly don’t be so driven that it’s not fun. And especially don’t take it very seriously if you lose. There are loads of reasons you may have lost – some having to do with your performance (i.e., an off day), and many reasons having nothing to do with you.

Enjoy the camaraderie with other participants. One of my favorite photos of all time is of three women contestants in the Colorado Hammered Dulcimer Contest. Good friends, sitting together during the contest, cheering each other on as they went up one by one. You had the feeling that each was as happy when one of the three friends won as when the universe gave them the chance to win. – Bonnie

4 – Mark Tindle – 1986, 1991 Mountain Dulcimer Champion

You just have to jump in and compete. You’re never really “ready.” Make yourself practice constantly. Like anything else in life, the best things make you work hard for them, but it is so worth it. The better prepared you are, the less nervous you get. 

This is not cut-throat competition, but genuine camaraderie. In my experience, most of the competitors were more like family or colleagues, and many became friends. – Mark

5 – Lucille Reilly – 1997 Hammered Dulcimer Champion

The journey to a competition is a learning experience. I did more than practice. I studied tempo, clarity, tone, arrangement, etc. During the competition, keep calm, and focus on the details of your chosen pieces instead of on winning only. 

Know that competitions die when potential contestants tell themselves they’ll only enter if they can win. Don’t think this way! There can only be one winner, which cannot come from just one person entering. – Lucille

6 – Larry Conger – 1998 Mountain Dulcimer Champion

I have learned so many things from competing, such as discipline, focus, and concentration. Most of all, I learned that anybody could win at any given time. I just happened to be the best in the eyes of the judges on that particular day.

So when competing, focus on your music. Remember that you are the best at what you do. Don’t listen to the other contestants. Their music might intimidate you. Identify the issues that could keep you from performing at your best and address the ones you can control. – Larry

7 – Linda Brockinton – 2001 Mountain Dulcimer Champion

To this day, I prefer teaching over performing because I still get nervous every time. The best thing that helped me with my nerves at competitions was actually just playing. When I started playing with my eyes closed and just letting the music carry me along, it got easier.

Don’t just play AA BB and repeat. Do something different. Finding those different places to play the song and other things to make it interesting to the listener is the key. A musician learns to play the notes. A good musician makes you feel something when you hear the notes. – Linda

8 – David Mahler – 2004 Hammered Dulcimer Champion

The competitions were a motivation for me to refine technique and put together arrangements. Also, they were great at helping me learn to control my nerves during a performance – something lessons can’t teach you. 

The hardest part of the competition was always executing my arrangements on stage under all the pressure. It took me at least one whole tune to stop my hands from shaking. But remember, your whole musical career doesn’t hinge on this competition. Rather, use it as a means of improving, learning, and collaborating with other contestants. – David

9 – Katie Moritz – 1998 Hammered Dulcimer Champion

Some people say competition isn’t for the faint of heart, but I disagree in this case. Music is art, and some of the world’s greatest artists have been arguably faint-hearted. 

Competition is scary, and it can be a roller coaster, but having now been a spectator of more contests than I’ve competed in, I can honestly say that all of my favorite contest performances were given by people who looked like they were terrified to be up there. I felt privileged to hear them and grateful that they’d tackled their fear of competing for long enough to share their music. 

Even if you feel like you’re not the best player and you can’t do all the crazy tricks that festival headliners seem to have mastered, you have something worth sharing and entering a contest is a great way to do that. – Katie

10 – Nina Zanetti – 2008 Mountain Dulcimer Champion

There’s a part of me that doesn’t like the idea of music being competitive. But I think with these competitions, it doesn’t have to be about being better than all of the other players. It’s more about having an incentive to better hone your own skill and meet your own personal goals. 

I learned a great deal about how to practice for performances. The scariest thing for me was fearing that I would just blank out in the middle of playing a piece. So, I had to develop new ways to practice that would prepare me so that my memory wouldn’t go blank. And I still use those strategies today. – Nina

11 – Joe Collins – 2007 Mountain Dulcimer Champion

While winning the National Championship was awesome, the journey to get there actually has had long-lasting benefits. I’m a better player because of competitions. You can be too, whether you ever win or not. 

Perhaps the most valuable thing I ever learned from competing was that I needed to keep learning. I competed five times, and each time I went home with something to work on before the next year. By listening to and playing with fellow competitors, I always came to the stark realization that I was not as good as I thought I was! 

So, focus on arranging music and developing a “clean” technique, no matter what speed you play. Listen a lot to others who are competing. Ask a lot of questions. Talk about how to prepare. Don’t worry about winning as much as improving! – Joe

12 – Stephen Humphries – 2007 Hammered Dulcimer Champion

I competed three years in a row, and each year there were different challenges. One thing that was consistent each time was the typical challenge of keeping the instrument in tune! 

Besides that, I think the hardest part was not allowing nerves to get to me. It’s so easy to over-analyze every little thing and psych yourself out to the point that you end up making more mistakes than really should happen. I think that the preparation was really the hardest (or most vital) part. 

One of the best things I learned through entering the contest was how to prepare. I learned that if I did the work to prepare ahead of time, then there was really no need to be nervous when the time came to compete. Once I was there, it was just a matter of doing what I had been practicing. – Stephen

13 – Aaron O’Rourke – 2010 Mountain Dulcimer Champion

When I started competing, I don’t think I was ready. That’s what made it so educational for me. I learned a lot of tricks from my friends who were also competing that I still use today. So, if you want to compete, but don’t know if you’re ready, just go compete! 

Looking back, I kind of laugh at my teenage-self for taking contests way too seriously. Just bring a positive attitude and make friends with others at the contest. The end result doesn’t really say much, if anything, about who you are as an artist. 

Take it seriously only to the point that it can help you learn. Don’t take it seriously to the point that it handicaps your ability to enjoy the experience. The best part of contests is not winning. The best part is learning, getting better, and making friends. – Aaron

14 – Karen Alley – 2014 Hammered Dulcimer Champion

Competitions have been a truly profound learning experience for me, both as a person and as a hammered dulcimer player. 

First of all, competitions have helped me to challenge my technique and musicality as I reach for new pieces and creative ideas. They’ve given me the motivation to fit in extra practice time and really make sure my arrangements represent my best self as a player. 

Second, they have helped me tremendously with performance anxiety. Performing, just like any other skill, takes practice. I’ve done enough competitions now to understand how I react to pressure and be able to manage that in a healthy and positive way.

Remember that the most valuable parts of music competitions are gained whether you win or lose, and give yourself permission to be proud of your successes even if you don’t perform flawlessly. 

I’ve heard that some music competitions can be pretty cut-throat. I’ve never run into any of that at a dulcimer contest. When you sign up to compete at a place like Winfield, your competitors become your biggest supporters. It’s a unique community experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything. I’d encourage anyone to step out of their comfort zone and give it a try. Contact me if you’re interested in lessons to help prepare for a contest. – Karen

15 – Tina Gugeler – 2000 & 2015 Hammered Dulcimer Champion

When preparing for competitions, I record myself. I listen back to the recording and take notes of what I liked and didn’t like. I can decide to improve areas that don’t have the dynamics I want or maybe try a different chord. You cannot do that if you don’t listen to yourself. 

It is also hard to make changes if you choose the tune two weeks before the competition, so choose your pieces 6-12 months in advance to have a chance to experiment with them and play them well. 

If the competition doesn’t dictate what kind of tune to play, play tunes you love. If they are from your heart, the tunes will sound better. Do not try to guess what tunes judges may like. – Tina

16 – Matthew Dickerson – 2012 Hammered Dulcimer Champion

Competitions aren’t so much about the technical aspect of playing. They’re about showcasing ability in diversity and bringing flavor to the table. 

When you select your tunes, pick ones that are varied in tempo, mood, genre, key, etc. When you can play two different tunes and sound like a different player in each one, then you’ve got something. 

Bring out the emotions of each piece whether it is cheery, dark, or jazzy. And make sure you are comfortable with every piece, so in case you do make a mistake, you know what to do and how to recover. Remember, it’s not the technical aspects, it’s your ability to communicate with the music that matters. – Matthew

17 – Duane Porterfield – 2014 Mountain Dulcimer Champion

The rewards of competing go way beyond winning. All those years when I didn’t win or even place, strangers became friends and the encouragement and confidence I gained helped me to become a performer and to teach workshops. Dulcimer people don’t compete against each other; we compete with each other. 

I would advise a first-time competitor to play for the experience of being in a competition. Play for the audience. Play for the applause. Play what YOU play, your ability and your style. Take it all in and have fun. 

I’ve competed with beginners, traditional players, those who sway to the music and never look at their hands, and those who are scared to death and never look up. I haven’t met anyone who has regretted the experience. Share your music, that’s what it’s about. – Duane

18 – Mark Gilston – 2016 Mountain Dulcimer Champion

The journey of competing has done wonderful things for my playing and confidence building. Entering a contest forces me to think about playing with emphasis and on playing cleanly as opposed to technical pyrotechnics. It also helps me become more disciplined in my practicing. 

I’ve met many wonderful folk along the way. I’ve had a chance to play great music, and make lifelong friends. Competing at a national level is a learning experience I would recommend for anyone who has a love of music and is serious about the dulcimer. – Mark

The tips in this article were compiled by Erin Mae Lewis – 2004 Mountain Dulcimer Champion. Contact: erin@erinmaemusic.com