Air guitar is the only way many people will get into the music industry. No skill needed. Anyone can do it. And you can do it anywhere because your instrument is always with you. Being able to play air guitar used to be something that nobody respected, until now. With the many championship contests in the country, the World Air Guitar Championship has now entered the fray. Playing air guitar isn’t just something the spastic looking guy does when he’s drunk anymore.
It is becoming a respected hobby Practicing air guitar has become an art form in recent years. Air Guitar Championships are similar to other forms of competition in that they are held with a support system. You must win each of your matches to advance to the next round of the group. The competitor goes through the regional competition before proceeding to the United States final, where all the regional winners compete against each other. Winning the US final will get you a free trip to Finland for the world final. Your prize is notoriety because no jackpot money is offered.
The rules are simple and self-explanatory. Each performer will play a song that she has chosen and hopefully practised, for sixty seconds. Then there’s the mandatory round, which is where the judges pick a song for you, and you have to play their song for sixty seconds. The tricky part of the mandatory round is that the sixty seconds of the song can start from anywhere within the song. So you might get stuck playing the end of a song you don’t even know about. The rules say you must play an invisible instrument, and that instrument must be a guitar (no drums allowed). Additionally, aerial roadies are permitted, but must clear the stage before the performance can begin. There’s a rule against backing bands, so if you’re thinking of taking your friends along for the ride, make sure they stay in the audience and not on stage. Performances are judged based on their technical ability, stage presence, and the “airiness” of their performance.
The Air Guitar World Championship can be seen as silly or just a creative form of expression. While it seems like a waste of time, many people use this as a creative outlet for pent up energy or just a way to have a good time goofing around. Bringing out the creative spirit we once had as children can be a great experience. Often, we overlook the beauty and fun we can have in life because we’re too afraid of looking foolish.
