Events happening in communities or nations are what make history. Bards have taken it upon themselves to keep tabs of the significant achievements or happenings in different parts of the world. In the past, bards were highly respected and appreciated, for they were not only impeccable storytellers but were also highly skilled. Bards made a living going from one village to the next, telling the villagers great stories they gathered on their travels. Villagers appreciated the bards by offering them food and a place to sleep for the period they spent in their village.
To be great bards, the professionals had to have several skills up their sleeves. Composing poetry and music that accompanied the stories not only made the villagers happier but also helped them remember the events vividly. Sometimes bards had to stay in certain villages for a longer time to learn their language and culture. After mastering the language, the songsters would move on to other communities to give their stories. Since bards were highly respected and travelled a lot, many people aspired to become just like them.
Bard Competitions
The art started by bards still remains alive up to date. Although the professionals are no longer referred to as bards, events are still recorded, and stories told all around the world. Nowadays, bards are referred to as lyricists, songwriters, or composers. The better a professional is able to tell their story and incorporate other components such as music, the more successful they are bound to be. Specific organisations even hold events where the professionals come to showcase their prowess in barding.
Different organisations have different timings for their events. There are those that prefer to hold the competitions annually while others hold them after two years. To participate in these competitions, there are specific requirements that competitors should meet. Although the requirements vary depending on the places they are held, here are some of the common ones.
- An Auditioning Piece
To join any competition, an audition is required to select professionals who go to the next level. The pieces are required to be between 5-15 minutes. Sometimes the judges choose the theme or let the contestants choose an item they want to go with. Nowadays, the competition is not solemnly focused on storytelling; other forms such as poetry, dance, music, or theatre are encouraged. It is crucial that competitors have a great auditioning piece to increase their chances of moving to the next levels of the competition.
- Quality Work
No audience enjoys work that is not well done. Judges at the competitions are always looking for quality in the work of the competitors. Blending as many skills as possible in your performance will increase the quality of your work. Using the right props and musical instruments goes a long way in improving the quality of your performance. Pay keen attention to the details in your presentation to ensure that you have everything right. The smallest thing, such as having the wrong pitch, might cost you a great deal during the presentation.
- Time Management
In these presentations, managing time is of utmost importance. A maximum of 15 minutes to complete your act means that you have to plan your time carefully. Lots of practice before the day of the presentation will aid you in knowing which parts of your piece consume much time. Also, be keen to identify the elements that require to be given more time. Rushing through the presentation might save time but also means that the essential parts of your script or poem will not be presented as they are supposed to. Due to the strictness by the board, ensure you practice a lot before going into the audition room.
- Creativity
Being a bard is all about creativity. Anyone can tell a story. What distinguishes between an ordinary storyteller and a bard is the creativity in narrating the story. How greatly a bard is able to move an audience is of utmost importance. In order to move an audience, bards must first be in touch with their emotions. The better they can respond to emotions, the easier it shall be for them to make other people feel the same. At these instances is where creativity comes to play. A bard must be extremely creative if they wish to move crowds.
- Vocal Skills
Audibility is very important. One has to ensure that every person in the room is able to hear them quite clearly. It would be unfair to the people at the back of the room if they were not able to listen to what you are saying. In order to capture the attention of the audience and maintain it for the rest of a performance, the sound is important. If the room is too big for a plain voice to be heard, secure several microphones to aid you. Do not forget to hook your instruments onto microphones also. Be sure that every aspect of your presentation is audible.
- Proper Registration
To join a competition, registration is required. Most of the events require participants to fill in a form then submit it. If the details on the form are inaccurate, then the board could decide to dismiss the candidate. Therefore, you should be very careful when filling in the forms and also ensure that you do not make mistakes. Also, meet the deadlines put in place for the forms. Any which are submitted late may be discarded.
