Ah, Pat does that rather terse response in anyway signify that you believe that there is a separation of mechanic and musician? 
Yes.
To me, competition by nature conflicts with the spirit of playing a musical instrument (or doing anything artistic). At the end of the day, the only things that can be objectively judged are the ability to conform to pre-determined, usually technical standards. If you allow for subjective things like “flair,” “creativity,” “musicality,” etc., then competitors will always be able to say “It’s not fair.” This is the intrinsic bind of music competitions: if you want objective standards, ppl will complain of blandness. If you want creativity, people will complain of favoritism. Just watch the skating competitions at the Olympics.
This is why I stopped competing on GHB - yes, the competitions were “fair”, but the repertoire and stylistic latitudes were so small as to encourage quick burnout.
That said, I think competitions can be a great motivator to learn some technical aspects of playing music - so they have a great purpose. But it isn’t necessarily to encourage creativity or “musicality.”
Ah, Wormy!
Thank you for that verbose translation of the above… 
big time,
in my opinion, competions and everything that go with them are essential for young musicians and proabably the main motivation i’d say.
however, after the age of around 15 or 16, this is no longer the case and the competitions lose their importance. high profile comps like the senior fiddle or box are the exception.
however, for most musicians the fear of not actually succeeding in competitions is much greater than any possible happiness that may come from winning.
Seniors have generally developed their own styles and as always it is a matter of taste - one persons opinion on that individual. so while useful as motivation for youngsters, comps have lost their appeal for older musicians.
The mechanics of playing can be taught, learned and tested.
The rest of it is a bit more nebulous.
However, without the chops it doesn’t matter what you have to say… 
without the chops? what does this mean?
Without the techique.
yeah, technique is important, but i know some technical geniuses on various instruments that amaze you with their prowess
however, after 2 or 3 tunes at breakneck speed and flawless perfection, it becomes boring. there’s no magic, no heart to the brilliance. the life and soul is gone.
so, while technical ability is important, it is not enough. less proficient players technically can be much more inspiring in many cases.
sorry, wrong genre…
exactly
“Without SOME chops it doesn’t matter what you have to say” would be a better way to put that, Denny. I agree a certain level of competence is highly desirable - the kind of competence that allows one to play with steady, strong rhythm, to articulate a melody clearly, to add or omit variations at will, to use the expressive qualities of the instrument in question to the fullest.
At some point, however, technique CAN get in the way, even for those of us who do understand what’s going on. I’ve heard technically brilliant pipers who just sound like typewriters because they can’t play a long note anywhere in any tune. Their hornpipes sound like reels, and their reels are unintelligible. Their jigs are just a long string of notes with little or no phrasing. And they win All-Irelands with their stylistically tedious but technically immaculate execution…Gimme a break. If it became some kind of unwritten law that I had to aspire to that standard or be forever labeled a sh1te piper because I actually bother to think and feel about my music instead of just regurgitating bits of technique, I would quit on the spot because all the joy would be gone for me.
How about:
you need sufficient technique
Sufficient technique for the UP is not the same as sufficient technique for the Highland pipes or classical music, nor should it be, as individuality is an essential component of the art of uilleann piping.
While that individuality does not permit us to neglect being able to play steadily at tempos that a good dancer can manage, neither does it permit us to just flail aimlessly through tunes with poor timing and articulation. Strong rhythm, clear articulation, and the ability to add or omit variaton are essential to good piping. I have no quibbles with any of that and work very hard to play well.
But to hold up almost unlistenable, mechanical, speed-demon playing fueled by adolescent hormones and Lucozade as something to aspire to is BULLSH*T. It’s turning irish music into something like bluegrass has become and I can’t stand it. It’s full of aggression. It’s all about who has the fastest fingers, not who can make a tune sound lovely and true.
well…if you say that one more time I’m sure we will all agree with you. 
Oh right, I forgot it’s not OK to be passionate about anything artistic anymore, people might get the idea you actually care about what you’re doing…
For what it’s worth, I agree completely with you Pat.
And I can’t condone the anti-passion stance of so many. It’s as if they think I’m crazy, just because it matters to me.
Well, I care, too.
I heard McGoldrick and his merry men on Radio 2 tonight. I heard shiploads of technique, nay, cleverness, but not a scrap of passion. I’m not saying it wasn’t there - just that I didn’t hear it, and that’s a very important caveat.
Steve