James Laughlin recounts his early experiences competing in the World Solo Drumming Championships at ages 12–13, winning initially when he felt unaware of others and expectations, then struggling after puberty when increased self-consciousness turned him into a "nervous wreck." He reflects that stress can either be embraced to support performance or resisted, which can undermine performance at critical moments.
You know, as a kid, so 12 and 13, I was competing at the World Championships, World Solo Drumming Championships. And I remember the years that I did well, you know, I was very fortunate. I was 13, it was my first time I went, I won it, but I had no awareness of other people and I wasn't really conscious of other people and expectations. I just performed and enjoyed performing. I was really fortunate to win it. Same again the next year. But then after that puberty kicked in and my awareness of the world and what people thought of me, my expectations, I became a nervous wreck. And I realized pretty quickly that I could either like embrace the nerves and that stress feeling and it would actually support me, or I could try and push it away and forget about it. And it just halfway through the performance when it most mattered, like that shadow came up and just destroyed my performance.
