Don't worry about the showcases.I think this is it. When I went to that showcase, there was people there vibing to my shyt, but not as much as others. Set myself up for this.
I do em too and theres Avery specific type of tracks you gotta play to the crowd
Depends on the judges and their preferences too. But generally shyt gotta be hype from start to finish. Have a head snapping swing. And crips tight drums.
Im doing one of those iStandards monday in Boston just to keep me motivated and test new material in a large group of people.
But I don't care if I win or not. Just do it as a passion for fun. If it's good people will recognize. But do it for self first. Everything in life is a learning experience. Even failure is knowledge. Actually failure can be the best source of knowledge.