The Benefits of Contest and Event Guidelines and Rules

Lois Veenhoven Guderian

© 2025

Everything we human beings think and do is learned. Although we are already developing the capacity to think and do while we are in the womb, from the moment of birth we are learning how to function and survive in the particular culture and society on earth where we are born. Thus, our understandings of societal norms such as what is acceptable behavior and conduct is culturally situated. We learn to function and behave according to the laws and norms of the culture where we are born and/or live.

Over time, as a culture develops, sub-cultures grow within the primary culture. Some are variants of the primary culture, and some are quite unique in the way they function. Under the umbrella of laws and norms established by the primary culture, each sub-culture develops ways of doing, living and conducting human business. In order for the subcultures to survive and thrive, it often becomes necessary to establish laws, guidelines, rules, and at times, regulations for meeting the purposes of their existence. These provide a framework for the efforts of human activity and are essential to the members’ having the ability to carry out the group’s mission, purposes and processes in a productive way.

The term “culture” can mean different things. As a relatively young country with numerous immigrant populations, in the United States, adding “multi” to the word “culture” or “multicultural” certainly applies. When it is used in combination with the word  “wars” we have “culture wars.” The term “culture wars” is in reference to social groups that develop from within a society that have opposing views on what is best for society. These often have politically-charged agendas. A third meaning of “culture” has to do with sub-cultures that develop within the primary culture due to having the same interest or profession. These also function under their own sets of rules and norms that have evolved over time. Private studio music study such as learning how to play the piano, and everything that goes with it, is one such culture that has evolved in the United States and other countries of the world. It is a cultural group that actually brings individuals who are teachers of piano, regardless of the home culture, together. Pianists/ teachers of piano believe that learning to play the piano is a life activity of great value to humankind. Pianists/teachers of piano help their students and students’ families learn that piano playing artistry is achieved by way of…

Practicing

Performing

Entering (students) in competitions

Participating in programs of study whereby students work for levels of achievement and are tested

Participating in public displays of achievement such as recitals

Participating in events that include piano playing in some form of sharing music

These have become the norms of the piano teaching and playing profession – a culture of its own. Along with these norms that have evolved for private teaching in piano and other instruments have come the establishment of rules and regulations for these events. Every contest or performing event has its rules and regulations. Without them, there could be no semblance of consistency or fairness in the evaluation of students’ work. Under stated rules and regulations, even if the human efforts to evaluate fairly are at times imperfect, or an evaluation is at times subject to the influence of opinion or the limited background knowledge of a judge, educator, student or parent, without contest rules and regulation for conduct, the door would be wide open to any number of disputes over scoring.

For private teachers who have grown up under the performance practices of Western music, the norms of how to behave at competitions, performing events and recitals is likely second nature. However, it is not necessarily second nature to our students and their families. Intentional efforts to make our students and families aware of the rules, regulations and expectations for conduct is very important to the success of our students and the success of events. An organization that has established expectations, guidelines and rules for conduct is in fact helping and supporting its educator-members. Under the organization’s rules, the teacher is removed from the responsibility of being the disciplinarian in these efforts. One can simply say, “These are the rules!”

That being said, there is nothing more effective than teaching and leading by example. When we ourselves emanate exemplary behavior and adherence to the rules and regulations established for events that include performance and evaluation of students’ work, we are teaching our students and their families the value of the long traditions of our profession. We are also supporting ourselves in maintaining our own professional community of educators when we exhibit respectful behavior towards each other at event sites.

As we prepare to enter the first of many such events that our NWSMTA hosts, and in doing so use the new NWSMTA Rules and Guidelines for Events, let us remember to teach “event behavior” as well as the craftsmanship and artistry of playing. Let us lead by example if and when we are challenged by judges’ scores and/or the behavior of the public when it falls outside of what is hoped or expected. Let us remember that humans learn how to think and do. We educators have a responsibility and a beautiful opportunity to help towards the education of society in how to learn and share music, through performance, with and for our fellow humankind.

Lois Veenhoven Guderian, PhD, NWSMTA President