There's No Place Like Home - Write a song about YOUR hometown. (2 minute minimum) (your submission is due October 10th 11:59PM Sun EDT)
You should use the name of the town in the song at some point. The town you pick can be your place of birth, where you grew up, or where you're living now; but it has to be someplace you have actually lived at some point in your life. If you once took a 2 week vacation to Florida...that does not count. We mean someplace you have roots of some sort.
Example:
One famous example would be "I Left My Heart In San Francisco". Here's 2 examples from one of our judges: "Here In Union" & "Killin' Time".
Submitting Entries:
- Entries must be received by the given deadline. Otherwise it'll be posted as a shadow. Received means that it has to appear in my e-mail inbox by the given deadline. I will be going by the time stamp on the e-mail in my inbox.
- Send your file in a format that Bandcamp accepts. (.aiff, .wav or .flac) (at least 16-bit/44.1kHz) You can find the specific requirements for Bandcamp files HERE.
- Name your file the song's title, but without spaces & punctuation.
- Title of the e-mail should be the title of the Challenge & your band's name.
- Include the song lyrics in the body of the e-mail. (If your song doesn't have lyrics...consider yourself eliminated. Instrumentals can be pretty, but SpinTunes does require lyrics.)
- Include information on anyone that needs credited if you collabed with someone.
- File sharing options if you need them: YouSendIt, RapidShare, ZShare & MediaFire. Please send an e-mail as I already stated, but with the download link if you need one of these services. Please follow directions so your file doesn't wind up in my spam or trash folder accidentally.
- If you have a BandCamp account, you can just send me a link to your song on BandCamp if you include all the info I mentioned above. Make sure you have it set as a free download, and have it set so that I don't have to put in an e-mail to download it if you pick this option.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
SpinTunes #2: Profiles
SpinTunes #2 Rules - SpinTunes #2 Schedule
Round 1 Challenge: There's No Place Like Home - Write a song about YOUR hometown. (2 minute minimum) (they had 11 days) (Results)
Round 2 Challenge: The Musician Strikes Back - We want you to write a sequel. A song that picks up where another famous song left off. (2 minute minimum) (they had 8 days) (Results)
Round 3 Challenge: Secondary Historical Figures - For this challenge we want you to write a song about an unknown character from history, and what connection they had to a major historical event (fictionalization is fine). Paul Revere's stableboy, General Custer's wife, Hitler's art teacher, King Richard's blacksmith, etc... (2 minute minimum) (they had 8 days) (Results)
Round 4 Challenge: It's-A Me, Mario! - Write a song from the point of view of a videogame character. (2 minute minimum) (they had 8 days) (Results)
(Profile order is based on who sent in their entry form first.)
Edric Haleen: Edric likes writing songs, even though they're often different than others may have been expecting at first listen. Care to know more? Check out the link below to visit his website. (Also, please consider checking out http://happinessboard.com to see -- and add to -- the Happiness Board! Guaranteed to put a smile on your face, or your money back!)Links: Website
R1: Lansing, Michigan
R2: O! Say Can You See?
R3: Voted Out I Was There
R4:
Charlie Wolf: Born in 1993, Charlie Wolf is a musician whose quirky folk songs have already won him a lot of acclaim from listeners. Though young, Wolf already has a large list of achievements--having released his first album, Our Wonder Years, and played at many of Los Angeles's finest acoustic venues. Wolf's songs, which often showcase his characteristic dry wit, are more than words and music. They are tender ballads, epic stories, and wry commentaries--or in Wolf's words: "songs of love, loss, and Canada".Links: Website - @charliewolf - YouTube Channel
R1: I Love LA
R2: Deadline Victim
R3:
R4:
JoAnn Abbott: Possessing more enthusiasm than actual music theory or even the ability to read music or PLAY anything, JoAnn had such a lot of fun last time that she is going for it again! Only this time with new recording equipment so if her songs stink it will not be due to mechanical probs, just to her innate talent…or lack thereof. She is looking for instrument playing pals to team up with, and will pay with cookies!Links: @calliopeva
R1: Voted Out Not In Copiague
R2: Georgia Morning (Shadow)
R3: Candle In The Dark (Shadow)
R4: Go For The Eyes (Shadow)
Emperor Gum: Graham Porter's one-man hyphen-loving classically-influenced post-alternative folk-rock band Emperor Gum, based in Cheltenham, UK.Links: Website - @EmperorGumNews - YouTube Channel
R1: Voted Out Cheltenham
R2:
R3:
R4:
Brian Gray: Brian is a software engineer from Los Angeles. He has studied violin, piano, percussion, voice, music theory, orchestration and composition, and is learning guitar. He sang a cappella at Pomona College in the Men’s Blue & White. In the fall of 2009 Brian started to record an album of nerd rock. He completed his first-ever original song, “Staff Meeting”, on October 22, 2009 and plans on having a complete album by May 2011.Links: Website - @BrianGrayMusic
R1: South Bend Aid
R2: Voted Out One More Cloud
R3:
R4: Hard To Get (Shadow)
Heather Miller: I remember as a kid, wearing a cape, somewhere upwards of 17 crazy pigtails and bouncing around the bedroom of a small trailer in Iowa, changing the colors to “Yellow Submarine” for as long as my dad would play it. Fast-forward to college, teaching myself chords with a loaned guitar and book of Easy Beatles Songs. Then homework to write a melody every day. Turning to my poetic-rambling filled journals, I picked out a few pieces and dove in.
I succumbed to my practical side for a few years after college, but lately little songs about life keep knocking at my door. I've been trying to answer more often.
Links: Website - @LyricalVenus - YouTube Channel
R1: Voted Out Fairfield
R2:
R3:
R4:
The Boffo Yux Dudes: We're serious in our lack of seriousness. Veterans from many a comedy skirmish, we're back again to create mirth and merriment for your listening and dining pleasure. Al is the tunesmith, while Tom wields the linguistics. And they both haven't managed to stop laughing when someone says 'Doody' yet. Go figure.Being the elder statesmen of the contestants, they plan on annoying the living crap out of everyone by using the same word over and over again in every song challenge. And that word is ‘Blarf’.
Links: Website - @BoffoYuxDudes - YouTube Channel
R1: Voted Out It's My Hometown, Syracuse, Baby!
R2:
R3:
R4: Floating Away (Shadow) - One Level Down (Shadow) - Elf Shot The Food (Shadow)
Inverse T. Clown: Inverse's recent frustrations with the various thwarted objectives of life in general have landed him here: at another songwriting competition. Hopefully, the world is ready for another wave of synthetic, arcadian music, because Inverse has an amount of pent-up genius ready to explode out of his body in a mess of blood-soaked ribs and soul-rocking awesome. You have all been warned.Links: Website - @InverseClown - YouTube Channel
R1: The Pinpoint Accurate Telling Of The Origin Of Salem, OH
R2: Hey, Jessie
R3: Voted Out I Have A Leap
R4: I'm Tops (Shadow)
Governing Dynamics: Governing Dynamics is a one-man alternative-post-emo rock band here to rock your socks off. Or possibly make you sort of mopey and depressed. It all depends on the challenge, really.Links: Website - @travisnorris
R1: Stars Over Avalon
R2: Melt In The Sun (So Many Pretty Ways)
R3: Voted Out Los Alamos
R4: One Four One (Roach) (Shadow)
Austin Criswell: My name is Austin Criswell. I am a singer/songwriter who just wants to play music for people to enjoy. I have been playing guitar for about 8 years now and i love it! I love music in general! It is seriously what gets me through the day sometimes. I never sang in front of people until about 4 years ago, im a shy guy, and i havent looked back since. I dont really want to be famous i just want my music to be heard :)Links: @ACMusic7 - YouTube Channel
R1: Mount Holly
R2: Deadline Victim
R3:
R4:
Danny Blackwell: Danny Blackwell is a British composer who made his name in Spain by winning the prestigious 'Greenspace' award for young talent with a musical project called MONO YA MONO. He has played concerts with acts such as Sonic youth and Anthony and the Johnsons and recorded with hit producer Matthew Herbert. He is currently working on a book on Japanese Haiku poetry and eating too much cake.Links: Website - YouTube Channel
R1: A Song About Woodsetts
R2: Voted Out Like A Family & La Reina (Shadow)
R3:
R4:
Steve Durand: Steve Durand is a trumpet player and songwriter who likes to infuse his music with swing and jazz stylings.Links:
R1: In Paradise With You
R2: Miranda
R3: Voted Out Cuban Missile Mambo
R4:
Common Lisp: Common Lisp, aka Paul R. Potts, is a middle-aged computer geek who has been playing guitar since he first bashed out Iron Maiden songs in garages in Northwestern Pennsylvania back in the 1970s. A few years ago he re-dedicated himself to guitar playing and decided he wants to take music much more seriously... but not in a sad, grumpy way. Besides covers, he has written and recorded two songs for Song Fu and collaborated with Joe "Covenant" Lamb. He cannot sing, but this doesn't stop him from trying.Links: Website - @paulrpotts - YouTube Channel
R1: Leaving Ann Arbor
R2: Voted Out Science (In The Service Of Beauty)
R3: Sherman's Lament (Shadow)
R4:
Ross Durand: I've been writing songs for about as long as i can remember, as well as studying classical music. I still write and someday someone will discover me, or ar least people will listen to my stuff at my funeral and think, "Damn, he was pretty good!"Links: Website
R1: From There
R2: Folsom Breakout Blues
R3: Voted Out Ivan Vaughan
R4:
via Satellite: It was a dark dark day when musicians Kylie, JM, and Joey left their home planet and hitched a ride on an orbiting moon to reach the earth. Their mission? Musical domination. Their method? Ingraining their sound into the minds of internet listeners everywhere. Collaborating their powers from Michigan and Arizona, they are coming to you live via Satellite.Links: @via__Satellite - YouTube Channel
R1: Deadline Victim From Home (Shadow)
R2:
R3:
R4:
Ben Walker: Ben is an internet songwriter, geek pop troubadour and Hammondista. He wrote the Twitter song, headlined the first Twestival, wrote the Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall song, headlined the River Cottage Autumn Festival, played Ben's Big Gig live to the internet, played in the Tumblr office on his Man (hat on) tour of New York, wrote an album of 12-second songs and freaked people out by setting their tweets to music. He also plays rock Hammond with Little Fish.Links: Website - @ihatemornings - YouTube Channel
R1: Oxford
R2: Voted Out When I'm A Hundred And Two
R3:
R4:
David Ritter: David Ritter is an Internet Musician who writes songs in the Geeky category of things. He holds a bachelor's degree in music but asks that you don't hold that against him. He writes about things he enjoys with hopes you like them and can openly dance to them. David started a Song a Week Project in January 2010 where he writes and records a song a week and releases it on his website: MacMufasa.com. He's written popular songs about Grant Imahara, Wil Wheaton's Shirt, Marvel Cats, and many more.Links: Website - @MacMufasa - YouTube Channel
R1: Voted Out Fired
R2: Cage Of Love (Shadow)
R3: Portal Of Doom (Shadow)
R4: Pitfall! (Shadow)
Swatshots: Matthew and Ethan have been friends since 2nd grade where they only met sporadically at recess. Now, so many years later, Ethan is a Music Education major and Matthew is an English major at different Illinois universities. The duo has finally decided to put their creative abilities to the test with this competition.Links:
R1: Voted Out Level
R2:
R3:
R4:
Ominous Ride: Ominous Ride was born in a Birch lean-to amidst smoky slurs and foul recognitions. In the past decade, the group has recorded two-dozen albums, and has toured the better part of the northern hemisphere. Unfortunately, the vast majority of OR’s music was lost when the group’s tour bus accidentally drove into a live volcano. The band's most recent album, Look at my Hand in B Flat, is arguably the group’s most minimalistic, exhibiting stark moments of beauty within otherwise mediocre compositions. As one fan put it, “I wish I could have been conceived to this album.”Links: Website
R1: Voted Out San Francisco
R2:
R3:
R4:
wait WHAT: Glen Nesbitt, Shelby Prendergast, and Alex Benavidez are mysterious. Or ARE they?Links:
R1: LBC
R2: Deadline Victim
R3:
R4:
Rebecca Brickley: Rebecca often goes by “Beka”, which is confusing, and she’s sorry. Coming from a background in jazz piano, Beka now writes pop/rock music in the vein of Regina Spektor and Sara Bareilles. Sometimes she also tries play the guitar in abandoned coffee shops. Her hobbies include interning at DFTBA records, quoting the LOTR movies verbatim, and embarrassing herself in public. She’s also a junior at her university, studying music composition and audio production.Links: @bekabee - YouTube Channel
R1: Here
R2: Elderly Dream
R3: Oh Mercy
R4: Where I Am (placed 4th)
Chris Cogott: When Chris isn't rappelling into dark and dank treacherous caves, or zip-lining over the highest treetops deep in the deadly Mexican jungle, he can often be found hardly at work, writing and recording songs for you. Should I, oops, I mean, should HE blame Heather for his complete lapse and fail of totally missing the first SpinTunes? After all, Travis says we could blame her... NO! Of course not. He doesn't even know Heather. He only has himself to blame. This time through, there will be song(s) and hopefully some of you might like them.Links: Website - @chriscogott
R1: Fairfield
R2: Roadward Bound
R3: Final Flight
R4: In Bright Falls (runner up)
Zarni De Wet: Singer/songwriter that hails from South Africa currently at the Berklee College of Music. Hates celery. Thinks 500 days of summer is the story of her life. Almost pursued a career in chemistry but realized she was too obsessed with the quirks of people and needed to be in touch on a 1:1 basis.Links: Website - @zarnidewet - YouTube Channel
R1: Where I'm Gonna Go
R2: Stacy's Dad
R3: Eric
R4: The Bleeding Effect (placed 3rd)
Duality: She’s from Xondor, where kittycats grow large like bush dragons, and pianos flow like tacos. He’s from Scotland, and likes Vikings, PayDays, pretty guitars, and telling creepy stories while smiling. The Bluebearded Master of SongFu did Joecast the Invisible Girl’s strange poetic tunes. It didn’t make the self proclaimed Angel of Death shy, so they decided to create the enigma of Duality..a fusion that stimulates and mystifies all observers. They have a great time, and both really like pie.Links: Website - @Duality237 - YouTube Channel
R1: To The End Of The World & I Just Can't Find A Virgin (Shadow)
R2: Voted Out Mars Ain't The Kind Of Place & Today (Shadow)
R3: Columbia (Shadow) - Historical Verity (Shadow) - St. Andrews (Shadow) - Triangle (Shadow)
R4:
Russ Rogers: Russ has been a professional singer/songwriter, musician and comedian for more than twenty years. He recorded three albums with Kit and Kaboodle. He competed in Masters of Song Fu by himself and along with Rhod Durre, as part of Godz Poodlz. Godz Poodlz also competed in SpinTunes #1 and have an album on Bandcamp. Russ founded the White Elephant Music Club on facebook. http://facebook.com/whiteelephantmusic Russ has a solo family entertainment show called "Rusty's Rocking Jamboree!"Links: Website - @RockingJamboree - YouTube Channel
R1: Voted Out Song For St. Michael
R2:
R3:
R4:
Ryan Ruff Smith: Ryan Ruff Smith is a songwriter and musician from Minneapolis, MN. He writes for and plays in a retro pop group called Spencer McGillicutty and is currently starting work on his first official solo album.Links: Website - @spencerpop - YouTube Channel
R1: Golden Valley Sunday
R2: Baby, We're Through
R3: Voted Out The Driver (Dallas, 1963)
R4:
Charlie McCarron: Charlie is an experimental composer from Stillwater, MN. His musical claim to fame is a “polyalbum” – a cinematic double album where you can play both CDs at the same time. These days he enjoys writing folky acoustic tunes, but he can also be seen wielding a wiimote and laptop from time to time in his aleatoric band, The Cagetones. One of his favorite distractions is the Cover of the Month Club.Links: Website - @charliemccarron - YouTube Channel
R1: Stillwater MN Air
R2: Over The Bridge
R3: Voted Out Queen Of Heart
R4: The Pac-Man Duet (Shadow)
Mitchell Adam Johnson: I write songs. I value melody. I'm going to Beetlejuice in 30 minutes. That is why my bio is short.Links:
R1: London
R2: When Donna Came Back
R3: Pictures Of Love
R4: In Another Castle (Winner)
Gweebol: Gweebol is something between a moppet and a muppet.Links:
R1: Darktown
R2: Thank You Mr. Postman
R3: Voted Out She Said, As She Handed Him The Telephone
R4:
Bram Tant: Bram is a 20 year old Computer Science student from Belgium who loves playing the guitar and writing songs. He has previously competed in the Masters of Song Fu songwriting competition and is a member of the "Too Much Awesome" music community.Links: Website - @dantesxx - YouTube Channel
R1: Living In The Countryside
R2:
R3:
R4:
Mark Humble: Mark Humble is a singer songwriter who has written and arranged songs for Disney, Sesame Street, and the Smithsonian. He has composed music for A&E International’s Biography. His CD, “Guilty Pleasure Cabaret” is available on cdbaby.com , itunes and amazon.com. You can see Mark play his latest songs on his YouTube channel, misterhumble. His next live show is at the Sidewalk Cafe in New York City on January 29th, 2011. Mark lives in Brooklyn with his wife Marnie and their daughter Lucy.Links: @markhumblemusic - YouTube Channel
R1:
R2:
R3:
R4: I'm Q*Bert, Babe
Caleb Hines: Software engineer by day, Caleb occasionally pretends to be a musician on the internet by night. He is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist (recorders, flute, ukulele, melodica, piano, bass, computer, etc) who is more familiar with 300-year old music than with the more “modern” stuff. Since discovering Jonathon Coulton, he has been updating and diversifying his style, largely through competing in Song Fu.Links: Website - @calebhines - YouTube Channel
R1:
R2:
R3:
R4: The Writing On The Wall
Monday, September 13, 2010
SpinTunes #2: Sign Up Page
The time has come for SpinTunes #2 to get underway. The rules are in place. New judges have been selected & they are currently working on the challenges. And now it's time to see who will be competing in SpinTunes #2.
I will need everyone who wants to participate to copy & paste the following text into their e-mail. Fill in the needed info, and then e-mail it to me at the address I provided below. Make sure you put "Spintown Contest" as the subject of the e-mail so I don't think it's spam. Also use an e-mail that I can reach you at if need be. Don't panic if you don't get a confirmation e-mail immediately after signing up. I'll message you back within 24 hours of getting your e-mail.
Judges:
Here's a list of the people that will be making the challenges, reviewing your work & of course voting on the songs:
1. Kevin Savino-Riker - The current champion of SpinTunes.
2. Dr. Lindyke - Runner up in Masters Of Song Fu #6.
3. Jeff MacDougall - Runner up in Masters Of Song Fu #1 & TMA co-founder. (He lost to some nobody named Jonathan Coulton)
4. Zack Scott - YouTuber & amateur musician.
5. Glenn Phillips - I was part of the Nur Ein 3 winning band The Worldly Self Assurance, and I was a judge for Nur Ein 4. I have 15 Song Fight/Nur Ein wins under my belt as well (8 different bands).
Schedule:
Sign ups will last until September 28th 11:59PM (T) EDT.
The first challenge will be posted September 30th 1AM (R) EDT.
My best guess as to what the whole schedule will look like can be found HERE.
I will need everyone who wants to participate to copy & paste the following text into their e-mail. Fill in the needed info, and then e-mail it to me at the address I provided below. Make sure you put "Spintown Contest" as the subject of the e-mail so I don't think it's spam. Also use an e-mail that I can reach you at if need be. Don't panic if you don't get a confirmation e-mail immediately after signing up. I'll message you back within 24 hours of getting your e-mail.
I _____________ give Travis Langworthy permission to upload any music I submit into his contest onto his blog (Spintown) & bandcamp. I realize it will become part of an album consisting of numerous other artists, and that it will be available for anyone to download for free. I also promise to give my very best effort in each round to complete the challenges. Providing NEW songs that have not been released before in any form. I also agree that anything that goes wrong during this competition is Heather's fault.
Name: (Name you or your group wants to be referred to during the competition.)
Bio: (Give a brief description of your group/music/history in 500 CHARACTERS or less. I know it's brief, but it's more than Twitter allows. :p Besides, links to your sites will be provided if people want to learn more about you.)
Twitter: (If you got one & want to share. *optional* If there's multiple accounts for multiple band members that's fine.)
YouTube: (If you got one & want to share. *optional*)
Band Website: (If it's different than either of the above. *optional*)
Pictures: (I need a band picture or logo. The image should be 100x100, and if it's not I'll do my best to make it so. Don't forget to actually attach the picture.)
Judges:
Here's a list of the people that will be making the challenges, reviewing your work & of course voting on the songs:
1. Kevin Savino-Riker - The current champion of SpinTunes.
2. Dr. Lindyke - Runner up in Masters Of Song Fu #6.
3. Jeff MacDougall - Runner up in Masters Of Song Fu #1 & TMA co-founder. (He lost to some nobody named Jonathan Coulton)
4. Zack Scott - YouTuber & amateur musician.
5. Glenn Phillips - I was part of the Nur Ein 3 winning band The Worldly Self Assurance, and I was a judge for Nur Ein 4. I have 15 Song Fight/Nur Ein wins under my belt as well (8 different bands).
Schedule:
Sign ups will last until September 28th 11:59PM (T) EDT.
The first challenge will be posted September 30th 1AM (R) EDT.
My best guess as to what the whole schedule will look like can be found HERE.
SpinTunes #2: Official Rules
Schedule:
It will have a similar schedule to Song Fu. There will be 4 rounds. You will have 8-11 days to write, record & send in your song. There will be a short break between each round. During this time the song will be voted on, reviewed & prep for the next round will be made. For more info click: HERE.
Voting:
The voting will be done like Nur Ein. There will be 5 judges who are not participating in the contest. Each round they will individually rate all the songs from favorite to least favorite. Then the judges scores will be posted & added up. Popular vote only counts in a tie. Here's an example of what the scoring would look like:
Eliminations:
Each round people will be eliminated from the competition. The number of eliminations each round will not be known until after the round 1 songs are turned in. I want the number of people eliminated in rounds 1-3 to be the same (or close to the same), and 4 people left for the final round. So if 25 people submit songs for round 1: 7 people would be eliminated in round 1, 2 & 3....leaving 4 people in the final round. More details to be posted when the round 1 deadline has passed.
This is not a head to head contest, each round the competitors with the lowest vote totals are eliminated. After the eliminations all the point totals goes back to 0. You don't get to keep points from previous rounds.
Ties are settled by a popular vote in the form of a poll I'll start for each round. If somehow that is a tie as well, the point totals from the previous round will decide the winner. The final deciding factor is me if by some miracle everything is tied.
Final Round:
In the last round, everyone who has been eliminated (who also submitted at least 1 song) will be allowed to rank the songs. This round the judges have no say in matters, but they will still be required to review each song. Rules for a tie are altered just a bit. Popular vote is the first deciding factor, and then the judges are the last deciding factor.
Challenges:
The challenges will be similar to the old Song Fu & "Non Optional" Nur Ein challenges. If you go through the old challenges you'll see that they could be anything. You could be given a theme, restrictions, a technical challenge and hopefully you're forced to do things you've never done before. The challenges will be created by myself & the other judges.
Submitting Entries:
- Entries must be received by the given deadline. Otherwise it'll be posted as a shadow. Received means that it has to appear in my e-mail inbox by the given deadline. I will be going by the time stamp on the e-mail in my inbox.
- Send your file in a format that Bandcamp accepts. (.aiff, .wav or .flac) (at least 16-bit/44.1kHz) You can find the specific requirements for Bandcamp files HERE.
- Name your file the song's title, but without spaces & punctuation.
- Title of the e-mail should be the title of the Challenge & your band's name.
- Include the song lyrics in the body of the e-mail. (If your song doesn't have lyrics...consider yourself eliminated. Instrumentals can be pretty, but SpinTunes does require lyrics.)
- Include information on anyone that needs credited if you collabed with someone.
- File sharing options if you need them: YouSendIt, RapidShare, ZShare & MediaFire. Please send an e-mail as I already stated, but with the download link if you need one of these services. Please follow directions so your file doesn't wind up in my spam or trash folder accidentally.
- If you have a BandCamp account, you can just send me a link to your song on BandCamp if you include all the info I mentioned above. Make sure you have it set as a free download, and have it set so that I don't have to put in an e-mail to download it if you pick this option.
Hosting:
Each round I'll be uploading the songs onto BandCamp as an album. The songs will be set for free download only. BandCamp will make it easy to download songs, share 1 song individually or the album as a whole.
Prize:
I didn't plan on there being a prize. No trophy. No cash. I wouldn't be against someone designing & donating a T-shirt for the winner. But the real prize is knowing you won & the music itself. If you need gifts & hundreds of popular votes to motivate you to write songs in this competiton...it ain't for you. Nothing against those things, we just ain't having it. (aside from tie breakers)
The winner will be allowed to be a judge in the next competition, unless they wish to compete.
Listening Party:
I'm planning on hosting a listening party for each round. Hopefully much like Song Fu we can all get together in one virtual place while the songs are played for the very first time for people. Usually this took place shortly after the submission deadline, and the songs were posted onto the site after the listening party.
I plan on holding the listening parties HERE, and the date & times for the listening parties can be found on the schedule.
Meet The Judges:
Here's a list of the people that will be making the challenges, reviewing your work & of course voting on the songs:
1. Kevin Savino-Riker - The current champion of SpinTunes.
2. Dr. Lindyke - Runner up in Masters Of Song Fu #6.
3. Jeff MacDougall - Runner up in Masters Of Song Fu #1 & TMA co-founder. (He lost to some nobody named Jonathan Coulton)
4. Zack Scott - YouTuber & amateur musician.
5. Glenn Phillips - I was part of the Nur Ein 3 winning band The Worldly Self Assurance, and I was a judge for Nur Ein 4. I have 15 Song Fight/Nur Ein wins under my belt as well (8 different bands).
* I am the alternate judge. If a judge is unable to do his/her job, I'll step in and take over. If the judge has to withdraw from the contest totally, I'll fill in until I can find a replacement. If I happen to have a guest judge lined up already, there will be no need for me to step in as alternate. (Buck stops with me, but then I blame Heather.)
* There could be "Guest Judges" who drop by from time to time. A guest judge has to be approved by me ahead of time. I'm not promising anything, but if I can swing something cool for you all I want to leave that open as a possibility. When a guest judge ranks & reviews a round, it does count toward the scores for the round. If a song is disqualified by the regular judges, the guest judge's rankings will be edited to stay in line with the judges decision.
* If judges want me to post a short bio or links to Twitter, YouTube or a band web site just send me the info and I will. Make it 500 characters or less like the competitors have to do though.
Judge Responsibilities:
- Reviewing entries each round. Shadow entries don't have to be reviewed, but it would be nice if you found the time. You can type up your review or you can vlog it on YouTube. If you decide to Vlog your review on YouTube, it needs to be kept private until after I post the reviews on the blog. You can even send a video review to me, and I'll upload it onto the SpinTunesMusic YouTube channel.
- Making the challenges via a super secret website I set up, and maybe attending 1 meeting in TinyChat.
- After the songs get posted each round the judges will be allowed to post their thoughts on who failed to met the challenge. (in the super secret location) 48 hours after the songs get posted we need to have a decision on what songs did or didn't meet the challenge. If you don't speak up in that window of time you'll have to live with a decision I make on my own. More details will be shared in the super secret location when the time comes.
Twitter:
For those of you that don't want to check this blog every day, but also use Twitter, I'll be posting updates on Twitter as well. @SpinTunes was created just for this contest. You can unfollow it right after the contest if you want, my ego can take it. There is a Twitter list that includes all the judges & competitors (SpinTunes List). Well, at least all the ones I know that are on Twitter.
Song Sharing:
You are allowed to share your songs before the LP. In my opinion the songs will be better if you can go to another musician in this contest, share what you've got & get feedback. So if you want to share with a few friends or fellow competitors before the listening party feel free to do so.
However...
I would prefer it if you kept it low key, and not pimp it all over the net (via Twitter, YouTube, etc...) until after the LP, but that's up to you as well. It does take a little excitement away from the LP if people have already heard the songs. Common sense. Just don't try to get feedback from a judge, or from me since I'm an alternate.
Rerecording & Remixes:
In the previous contest some people sent their song in ON TIME, but then after the deadline wanted me to post an updated version onto the album (they added bells & whistles). My response to that is ok, BUT you will be judged by what you turned in before the deadline. So anyone who decides they want to make a better mix of their song, and have it replace the one they sent before...that's fine. Send me the info, and I'll switch the files out. I might not do it instantly, but it will be done. Now I'm not going to have someone send me a new mix every month because they like remixing their own stuff all the time, but I'll allow 1 update of each song down the road. These songs are something you should be proud of, and some people are bugged by not being able to add everything they want in that small window I give them...so hopefully this helps...while still being fair.
Wrap Up:
I can't promise there won't be a bump or two as this competition goes along, but I can promise that I'll be more open & reachable than a certain someone who's name sounds like doom. This is the 2nd go around, and I still expect mistakes. My goal is to not repeat the same mistakes from SpinTunes #1. You can ask questions on Twitter, here by leaving a comment or even on Formspring. (links in sidebar) I would rather people didn't use my e-mail UNLESS you're a judge or competitor.
Oh and remember, if anything does go wrong...it's Heather's fault.
It will have a similar schedule to Song Fu. There will be 4 rounds. You will have 8-11 days to write, record & send in your song. There will be a short break between each round. During this time the song will be voted on, reviewed & prep for the next round will be made. For more info click: HERE.
Voting:
The voting will be done like Nur Ein. There will be 5 judges who are not participating in the contest. Each round they will individually rate all the songs from favorite to least favorite. Then the judges scores will be posted & added up. Popular vote only counts in a tie. Here's an example of what the scoring would look like:
Eliminations:Each round people will be eliminated from the competition. The number of eliminations each round will not be known until after the round 1 songs are turned in. I want the number of people eliminated in rounds 1-3 to be the same (or close to the same), and 4 people left for the final round. So if 25 people submit songs for round 1: 7 people would be eliminated in round 1, 2 & 3....leaving 4 people in the final round. More details to be posted when the round 1 deadline has passed.
This is not a head to head contest, each round the competitors with the lowest vote totals are eliminated. After the eliminations all the point totals goes back to 0. You don't get to keep points from previous rounds.
Ties are settled by a popular vote in the form of a poll I'll start for each round. If somehow that is a tie as well, the point totals from the previous round will decide the winner. The final deciding factor is me if by some miracle everything is tied.
Final Round:
In the last round, everyone who has been eliminated (who also submitted at least 1 song) will be allowed to rank the songs. This round the judges have no say in matters, but they will still be required to review each song. Rules for a tie are altered just a bit. Popular vote is the first deciding factor, and then the judges are the last deciding factor.
Challenges:
The challenges will be similar to the old Song Fu & "Non Optional" Nur Ein challenges. If you go through the old challenges you'll see that they could be anything. You could be given a theme, restrictions, a technical challenge and hopefully you're forced to do things you've never done before. The challenges will be created by myself & the other judges.
Submitting Entries:
- Entries must be received by the given deadline. Otherwise it'll be posted as a shadow. Received means that it has to appear in my e-mail inbox by the given deadline. I will be going by the time stamp on the e-mail in my inbox.
- Send your file in a format that Bandcamp accepts. (.aiff, .wav or .flac) (at least 16-bit/44.1kHz) You can find the specific requirements for Bandcamp files HERE.
- Name your file the song's title, but without spaces & punctuation.
- Title of the e-mail should be the title of the Challenge & your band's name.
- Include the song lyrics in the body of the e-mail. (If your song doesn't have lyrics...consider yourself eliminated. Instrumentals can be pretty, but SpinTunes does require lyrics.)
- Include information on anyone that needs credited if you collabed with someone.
- File sharing options if you need them: YouSendIt, RapidShare, ZShare & MediaFire. Please send an e-mail as I already stated, but with the download link if you need one of these services. Please follow directions so your file doesn't wind up in my spam or trash folder accidentally.
- If you have a BandCamp account, you can just send me a link to your song on BandCamp if you include all the info I mentioned above. Make sure you have it set as a free download, and have it set so that I don't have to put in an e-mail to download it if you pick this option.
Hosting:
Each round I'll be uploading the songs onto BandCamp as an album. The songs will be set for free download only. BandCamp will make it easy to download songs, share 1 song individually or the album as a whole.
Prize:
I didn't plan on there being a prize. No trophy. No cash. I wouldn't be against someone designing & donating a T-shirt for the winner. But the real prize is knowing you won & the music itself. If you need gifts & hundreds of popular votes to motivate you to write songs in this competiton...it ain't for you. Nothing against those things, we just ain't having it. (aside from tie breakers)
The winner will be allowed to be a judge in the next competition, unless they wish to compete.
Listening Party:
I'm planning on hosting a listening party for each round. Hopefully much like Song Fu we can all get together in one virtual place while the songs are played for the very first time for people. Usually this took place shortly after the submission deadline, and the songs were posted onto the site after the listening party.
I plan on holding the listening parties HERE, and the date & times for the listening parties can be found on the schedule.
Meet The Judges:
Here's a list of the people that will be making the challenges, reviewing your work & of course voting on the songs:
1. Kevin Savino-Riker - The current champion of SpinTunes.
2. Dr. Lindyke - Runner up in Masters Of Song Fu #6.
3. Jeff MacDougall - Runner up in Masters Of Song Fu #1 & TMA co-founder. (He lost to some nobody named Jonathan Coulton)
4. Zack Scott - YouTuber & amateur musician.
5. Glenn Phillips - I was part of the Nur Ein 3 winning band The Worldly Self Assurance, and I was a judge for Nur Ein 4. I have 15 Song Fight/Nur Ein wins under my belt as well (8 different bands).
* I am the alternate judge. If a judge is unable to do his/her job, I'll step in and take over. If the judge has to withdraw from the contest totally, I'll fill in until I can find a replacement. If I happen to have a guest judge lined up already, there will be no need for me to step in as alternate. (Buck stops with me, but then I blame Heather.)
* There could be "Guest Judges" who drop by from time to time. A guest judge has to be approved by me ahead of time. I'm not promising anything, but if I can swing something cool for you all I want to leave that open as a possibility. When a guest judge ranks & reviews a round, it does count toward the scores for the round. If a song is disqualified by the regular judges, the guest judge's rankings will be edited to stay in line with the judges decision.
* If judges want me to post a short bio or links to Twitter, YouTube or a band web site just send me the info and I will. Make it 500 characters or less like the competitors have to do though.
Judge Responsibilities:
- Reviewing entries each round. Shadow entries don't have to be reviewed, but it would be nice if you found the time. You can type up your review or you can vlog it on YouTube. If you decide to Vlog your review on YouTube, it needs to be kept private until after I post the reviews on the blog. You can even send a video review to me, and I'll upload it onto the SpinTunesMusic YouTube channel.
- Making the challenges via a super secret website I set up, and maybe attending 1 meeting in TinyChat.
- After the songs get posted each round the judges will be allowed to post their thoughts on who failed to met the challenge. (in the super secret location) 48 hours after the songs get posted we need to have a decision on what songs did or didn't meet the challenge. If you don't speak up in that window of time you'll have to live with a decision I make on my own. More details will be shared in the super secret location when the time comes.
Twitter:
For those of you that don't want to check this blog every day, but also use Twitter, I'll be posting updates on Twitter as well. @SpinTunes was created just for this contest. You can unfollow it right after the contest if you want, my ego can take it. There is a Twitter list that includes all the judges & competitors (SpinTunes List). Well, at least all the ones I know that are on Twitter.
Song Sharing:
You are allowed to share your songs before the LP. In my opinion the songs will be better if you can go to another musician in this contest, share what you've got & get feedback. So if you want to share with a few friends or fellow competitors before the listening party feel free to do so.
However...
I would prefer it if you kept it low key, and not pimp it all over the net (via Twitter, YouTube, etc...) until after the LP, but that's up to you as well. It does take a little excitement away from the LP if people have already heard the songs. Common sense. Just don't try to get feedback from a judge, or from me since I'm an alternate.
Rerecording & Remixes:
In the previous contest some people sent their song in ON TIME, but then after the deadline wanted me to post an updated version onto the album (they added bells & whistles). My response to that is ok, BUT you will be judged by what you turned in before the deadline. So anyone who decides they want to make a better mix of their song, and have it replace the one they sent before...that's fine. Send me the info, and I'll switch the files out. I might not do it instantly, but it will be done. Now I'm not going to have someone send me a new mix every month because they like remixing their own stuff all the time, but I'll allow 1 update of each song down the road. These songs are something you should be proud of, and some people are bugged by not being able to add everything they want in that small window I give them...so hopefully this helps...while still being fair.
Wrap Up:
I can't promise there won't be a bump or two as this competition goes along, but I can promise that I'll be more open & reachable than a certain someone who's name sounds like doom. This is the 2nd go around, and I still expect mistakes. My goal is to not repeat the same mistakes from SpinTunes #1. You can ask questions on Twitter, here by leaving a comment or even on Formspring. (links in sidebar) I would rather people didn't use my e-mail UNLESS you're a judge or competitor.
Oh and remember, if anything does go wrong...it's Heather's fault.
SpinTunes #2: Schedule
Before anyone freaks out, this schedule may not hold up. I would like to stay on this schedule, but this isn't set in stone. Right now it's just a goal. If we can stick to this schedule we will avoid having to take any breaks between rounds do to the holiday (Thanksgiving). If I have to make adjustments, I'll post them on this page, the front of the blog, and on Twitter.
This schedule is in Cincinnati time. Don't know the time in Cincinnati? Google is your friend....and I usually keep a timer counting down for the important deadlines. You can find a link to that timer right under the SpinTunes banner up above.
September 28th 11:59PM (T) Sign ups end.
September 29th 1AM (W) - Profiles get posted.
September 30th 1AM (R) - First challenge is announced.
October 10th 11:59PM (Sun) - First song deadline.
October 11th 8:00PM (M) - Listening party will be held HERE, and hosted by Spin.
October 12th (T) - Songs are uploaded onto BandCamp.
*During this gap:
- judges will rank the songs
- judges will review the songs*
October 16th before 11PM (Sat) - Reviews & Eliminations are posted.
October 17th 1AM (Sun) - Second Challenge is announced.
October 24th 11:59PM (Sun) - Second deadline.
October 25th 8:00PM (M) - Listening party will be held HERE, and hosted by Spin.
October 26th (T) - Songs are uploaded onto BandCamp.
*During this gap:
- judges will rank the songs
- judges will review the songs*
October 30th 8PM (Sat) - Judges reviews are due.
October 30th 11PM (Sat) - Reviews & Eliminations are posted.
October 31st 1AM (Sun) - Third Challenge is announced.
November 7th 11:59PM (Sun) - Third deadline.
November 8th 8:00PM (M) - Listening party will be held HERE, and hosted by Spin.
November 9th (T) - Songs are uploaded onto BandCamp.
*During this gap:
- judges will rank the songs
- judges will review the songs*
November 13th 8PM (Sat) - Judges reviews are due.
November 13th 11PM (Sat) - Reviews & Eliminations are posted.
November 14st 1AM (Sun) - Final Challenge is announced.
November 21st 11:59PM (Sun) - Final deadline.
November 22nd 8:00PM (M) - Listening party will be held HERE, and hosted by Spin.
November 23rd (T) - Songs are uploaded onto BandCamp.
*During this gap:
- judges will rank the songs
- judges will review the songs*
November 29th 11PM (M) - Judges reviews are due.
November 30th 1AM (T) - Reviews are posted & the winner is announced.
This schedule is in Cincinnati time. Don't know the time in Cincinnati? Google is your friend....and I usually keep a timer counting down for the important deadlines. You can find a link to that timer right under the SpinTunes banner up above.
September 28th 11:59PM (T) Sign ups end.
September 29th 1AM (W) - Profiles get posted.
September 30th 1AM (R) - First challenge is announced.
October 10th 11:59PM (Sun) - First song deadline.
October 11th 8:00PM (M) - Listening party will be held HERE, and hosted by Spin.
October 12th (T) - Songs are uploaded onto BandCamp.
*During this gap:
- judges will rank the songs
- judges will review the songs*
October 16th before 11PM (Sat) - Reviews & Eliminations are posted.
October 17th 1AM (Sun) - Second Challenge is announced.
October 24th 11:59PM (Sun) - Second deadline.
October 25th 8:00PM (M) - Listening party will be held HERE, and hosted by Spin.
October 26th (T) - Songs are uploaded onto BandCamp.
*During this gap:
- judges will rank the songs
- judges will review the songs*
October 30th 8PM (Sat) - Judges reviews are due.
October 30th 11PM (Sat) - Reviews & Eliminations are posted.
October 31st 1AM (Sun) - Third Challenge is announced.
November 7th 11:59PM (Sun) - Third deadline.
November 8th 8:00PM (M) - Listening party will be held HERE, and hosted by Spin.
November 9th (T) - Songs are uploaded onto BandCamp.
*During this gap:
- judges will rank the songs
- judges will review the songs*
November 13th 8PM (Sat) - Judges reviews are due.
November 13th 11PM (Sat) - Reviews & Eliminations are posted.
November 14st 1AM (Sun) - Final Challenge is announced.
November 21st 11:59PM (Sun) - Final deadline.
November 22nd 8:00PM (M) - Listening party will be held HERE, and hosted by Spin.
November 23rd (T) - Songs are uploaded onto BandCamp.
*During this gap:
- judges will rank the songs
- judges will review the songs*
November 29th 11PM (M) - Judges reviews are due.
November 30th 1AM (T) - Reviews are posted & the winner is announced.
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