In recent years, I have an overwhelming feeling that I am becoming very superstitious when it comes to how I handle piping competitions. Just as sports athletes often engage in the same pattern, eat the same meals, or routinely wear certain clothes – all to reenact a behavior they once had after a winning streak. To maintain a certain level of perceived perfection, I too have developed my own series of superstitious acts prior to entering the competition circle. I often see other pipers (or drummers for that matter) doing stretches to stay loose, having a certain type of drink or mentally preparing for how they plan on performing. My series of superstitious acts include eating a banana in the morning of every competition, listening to the same songs (beginning with Countrylypso) while taking a stroll through the festival grounds – which keeps me in a strong mental state – and finally, a quick swig of whisky (to take the edge off) in the final tuning area.
My new found superstitions are not without reason. For the past two years, our band has won every U.S. competition where we played. Our group is solid, with dedicated players who give it 110% each time they go out. Our goal is not winning, but playing the best we can each time we set out to compete.
So what does this superstition really mean? I believe it ‘s merely a way to identify maintaining a mental focus. I believe it can be applied to all facets of life. For now, it seems to be working (at least with piping), but I bet I jinxed it by writing this post…
Moments 