Learning from a Loss
On selected Thursdays, ACB Production Manager Mike Scalise makes his recommendations on a cappella performance in a DO and DON’T format.
DO: Turn a loss in competition into an opportunity to work on your weaknesses.
DON'T: Hem and haw about the judges’ “unfair decision.”
In any competition, there have to be winners and losers. Your group won’t always come out on top, but the key is to see what the winning group is doing in order to succeed. It could be the group’s outstanding vocals, choreography, or vocal percussion. It may very well be a combination of all three. Learn and understand the key factors that turn average groups into winning groups.
In fact, even if you do win a competition, you should still treat it as a learning experience. Dissect your competition experience to learn what you did right, what needs improvement, and how you’re going to become a stronger group in the future. It’s an involved process that may include watching videos, listening to CDs and watching other groups perform.
Those groups that consistently win are often the ones that have studied the field and paid attention to the comments judges provided to them on scoring sheets. They’re the groups that have accepted each competition experience—whether it resulted in a victory or a loss—as an opportunity to learn, and they have emerged all the better for it.