OMEA

Written by Santi Daza

Musical competitions are only one of the most important events for a musician. You choose a piece of music, practice for countless amount of hours to try to perfect it, all leading up to the one performance in front of judges. These competitions are everything for any musician, as it’s a challenge that brings the best reward; the chance for a perfect performance.

For many, the performance isn’t perfect. Anything can go wrong. You could yawn during a piece and skip a couple of measures. A note could be played out of tune. You had a bad sleep and although you practiced for hundreds of hours, you had a bad day on the night of your performance.

For me, it’s always been a scary event. As a violinist for 6 years, I’ve heard many teachers talk about getting people to do OMEA, which are the Ohio Musical Education Association competitions. Very few people do them every year, but I’m always proud of those few who have the bravery and confidence to attend.

OMEA season starts once the new year begins. In January, music teachers ask their students to sign up for the event and figure out what pieces they’ll play. I found out that a friend of mine, Aya Zougar, signed up for OMEA this year and I decided to interview her.

S - Why did you decide to do OMEA?

A - It’s always been a tradition of mine, I’ve done it for 4 years now and there’s always this excitement you get leading up to the big day. The best feeling is when you’re on stage, playing for the judges.

S - That’s very impressive. Do you ever get scared for the big day?

A - My first time doing OMEA, I was scared the whole time. From the day I signed up to performance day, I was terrified of screwing up. However, I performed great and got all 1s, and every competition after that was a lot more chill, now that I know that I could do it.

S - That’s great to hear. My last question is, with OMEA being 3 weeks away, what are your thoughts on it?

A - Even from 3 weeks away, I already know that I’m prepared. I practice every day, and I’ve memorized the piece. I’m very excited about the big day.

Aya’s solo performances have always been great, and she’s only one of the many talented musicians here at Hilliard Darby High School that do OMEA competitions. To those that do, I applaud you.

Photo credit - https://mobile.twitter.com/OMEAOhio/photo