Performance Critique: Bunka no Tenkai J-Song

This is a little unexpected, but things work out anyhow, like for a performance critique I made over a year ago. The current one certainly concerns the performance from a festival event from last month, where I performed another song ("Boku no Best Friend e") for the first time, and thus it's a debut performance - incidentally, the same set of circumstances as for the previous critique. And that seems to be significant to be discussed, as it also seems to play into the results of that performance.

I am able to make this critique, certainly, because I have a video recording of it. A friend wanted to repay the favor for my recording of something else (not related to Pokémon) at a convention, so that meant recording this J-Song performance. I was going to retrieve that recording a few days post facto, but then problems happened that prevented me from doing so and thus making this critique. I was only able to retrieve the recording just recently, which allows me to make this critique.

The start of the performance.

So, as noted, besides the common thread of "debut performance", there is another common thread: messing things up, no matter how slight. The first of these is lyrical flubs, as in messing up what to sing. I actually made a minor flub near the start of the second verse, which happened because I nearly blanked out at that point. After listening to the recording, however, I couldn't seem to tell the difference, even if I had sung the part as intended. In that sense, I had a good recovery, especially as it didn't lead to further lyrical flubs down the line.

The supposed lyrical flub at "hadashi no mama"?

Next are tempo flubs - going too fast or too slow while singing - which I have to say is a rarity for me since I consider myself to be rhythmically aware. In this case, though, by way of nearly blanking out earlier, that seems to have affected my perception, and I went a bit fast after the minor flub above. While I did recover close to the end of the second verse, the flub had already been realized and it can't possibly be fixed - in other words, "fait accompli". Beyond these two minor yet technical flubs, nothing else occurred, which is somewhat commendable.

The tempo flub, realized at "kokoro tsunaide..."

After the performance, I received a comment from one of the other competitors, who said that the performance was enjoyable. Although we didn't discuss the specifics of the performance, it seems that we were able to overlook its flaws and just consider it for what it is - or was, by the time we discussed it. Yet that might also be because people nowadays tend to not discuss criticism in public, no matter how positive it might be and even though it might be sought, as in the case for making this critique.

The end of the performance, with Pikachu in hand.

Of course, that then does beg the question: what would constitute a good, winning singing performance for my case? I've been in many competitions for several years, and that seems to be a hit-or-miss affair, notwithstanding technical flubs like the ones above or any other issue that might affect a performance. While I'm constantly seeking the answer with my continued participation in singing competitions, the answer to the above question seems to elude me just as much as it might seem obvious.

My experience with them, also as has been mentioned earlier, still seems to highlight the fact that I need to "break in" songs before I get used to performing them, and that seems to be needed for this song as well. It demands to be performed at another (competitive) opportunity to see how far I can take things with the song. While it may not provide the answer I need regarding how I can achieve good results, that should at least be able to reflect what I like (Pokémon) and how that manifests musically for me.

One year ago: Pokémon Café Remix Personal Feature Wishlist

Two years ago: Thrills and Spills in Quick Unite Battles

Three years ago: The Deprecation of HMs

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 10/12/2019

Five years ago: Finding and Re-Finding Players

Six years ago: The (De Facto) Series Mascot