With syf coming up and having olvl this year , i feel really pressured. I feel useless because i keep letting people around me down. I am unable to play well for syf and my results are not that good no matter how much i try. No matter what marks i get , i feel that it is not enough. My parents are always expecting me to get straight As but i cant because i am not good enough. My band teachers and conductors also expect me to play well because i am in my senior year after all. I feel like i cannot do anything at all and i feel helpless. Everyone around me have talents and i feel talentless. I like music and i like playing my instrument but the stress around me is making me hate whatever i am doing. I know the more stressed up i get , the worser i would do but i cant help but feel stress.
I’m really sorry you’re feeling this way. It sounds like you’re carrying a lot on your shoulders with SYF and O-Levels happening in the same year. That’s a lot of pressure, especially when it feels like everyone around you has high expectations.
I want you to know that just because you’re struggling right now doesn’t mean you’re not good enough. Trying your best, even when things are tough, already shows strength. It’s easy to feel like you’re letting people down when you have high expectations for yourself, but your worth isn’t measured by grades or how well you play your instrument.
It’s okay to not be perfect. It’s okay to struggle. It doesn’t make you talentless or useless. You do have talent—you love music, and that passion means something. The stress is making it hard for you to enjoy it, but that doesn’t mean the love for it is gone.
Right now, instead of thinking about what you should be achieving, try taking a step back and recognizing what you have already done. You’ve worked hard. You care deeply about what you do. And that’s already something valuable.
Hello @idk2! I’m sorry you’re feeling this way. Carrying the burden of expectations from your parents, instructors, band, and most importantly, yourself, is very difficult.
I am aware that you may feel inadequate, but that is untrue. The fact is, you care a great deal and you’re doing a lot. That’s amazing, not worthless. Even when it’s challenging and you feel like you’re falling short, you’re pushing yourself. It requires strength.
It’s OK to be imperfect. It’s OK to struggle. It’s OK to have both affection and frustration about something. Stress just indicates that you care, not that you are unable or don’t fit in the music industry.
Please don’t use performance or grades to determine your value. Your exam results do not define you. You are more than simply your musical prowess. There is so much more to you than that. You are talented, even if it seems like everyone else is. The fact that you’re here, trying, practicing, and moving ahead is something unique, even if you can’t see it right now.