Back when I played clarinet in the sixth-grade band, there was a girl at school whom my dad liked to refer to as my “nemesis.” We didn’t have the Internet back then so, having no idea what this word meant, I took to the giant dictionary on the bottom shelf of the bookshelf in our living room.
A long-standing rival; an archenemy, is what it read.
I had to laugh, for I knew exactly what my dad had meant. In band, each instrument’s section was ranked by “chair” from first to last, and the clarinets were no exception. Each week, any student could “challenge” the person in the chair ahead of them, which consisted of the challenger and challengee performing the same musical passage followed by our esteemed conductor deciding who won. This girl (my “nemesis” according to my father) and I challenged one another just about every week, so we were constantly trading places between first and second chairs.
That’s right, we were nemeses.
At the time I remember feeling frustrated with the situation. I wished she weren’t there so I could have that first seat to myself once and for all!
But now, all these years later, I see that what I should have felt is thankful. After all, in truth, having a nemesis served me in multiple ways. How? I’ll tell you.
The Antidote to Comfort
Let’s face it: when you’re the coolest kid on the block and you know it, it’s easy to get comfortable (i.e. lazy). Which, although it might feel nice, does nothing to facilitate growth or progress. If you’ve got a nemesis, the simple possibility of them surpassing you will most likely keep you from getting too – err – comfortable, which is a good thing.
Inspiration
If there’s anything I learned from being a full-time professional musician for over 10 years, it’s that staying inspired is crucial (and as it happens, one of the most difficult things to find as the years go by). Anywhere you can find the inspiration to press on and grow is a beautiful thing, nemeses included.
Camaraderie
What’s this you say? Nemeses can be comrades too? Sure. Take my clarinet nemesis back in the sixth grade. When we weren’t officially challenging one another in school, we were meeting up on the weekends to play through clarinet duets (yes really). Chances are you’re good at what you do – damn good – and if you have a true nemesis, it means they’re damn good too. If that’s not something to bond over, I don’t know what is.
In Band … and Business Too!
Before you go thinking that nemeses only exist in Disney movies and sixth-grade bands, wait! Just today I met with a client who has an archenemy all their own. And although I’ve never said this to my client, it’s a downright beautiful thing to watch. They push and challenge one another at every turn, each one constantly honing their skills and bettering their marketing so the other doesn’t get too far ahead. They serve one another more than they’ll ever know.
So now do you see why having a nemesis can be a pretty sweet thing?
And here’s the best part: you probably have one and don’t even know it 😉
