Yesterday, GermanHarpist asked if anyone felt like summarising the rules in a new thread, so here goes.
I've re-read the previous thread on this contest and tried to take everyone's' views into account. Also, in order to try and avoid a lot of the ambiguities we had last time around, I've trawled through some of the threads from the previous competition, so I hope what follows is OK, at least provisionally.
1) The song for the entry will be Summertime.
2) It is to be played solo, i.e., without a backing track.
3) No singing in your performance.
4) It will be played either acoustically or acoustically into a mic (I think I got that one clear, but if not, please correct me.)
5) The deadline for submission is July 31st. (EDIT: now changed to August 15th) (EDIT AGAIN: now changed to September 1st)
6) Your submission can either be a video or audio only track (see YouTube's upload page for preferred formats.)
7) Maximum duration for your entry will be 4 minutes.
8) The upload can either be made to Harpfriends or another channel. If you choose the latter then, for ease of listening to all the entries in one place, it has to be added to a Harpfriends playlist (yet to be created.)
9) The name of your entry will be HPC 2 - followed by your MBH handle; not so a much a rule, more, like last time, a matter of convenience.
I hope this is OK. If not then come back pronto. I felt that Patrick Barker had a good point about levels of play, but it seems that the consensus didn't go along with what he thought. I hope you still enter, PB. Your last entry was great.
The maximum duration of 4 minutes is just my suggestion. The song is usually played quite slowly, so that should be plenty of time for people to develop their ideas in. Also, if we have a whole bunch of entries and they went on for too long it could become very time consuming for each of us to judge. OK?
EDIT: I've intentionally left out Isaac's previous rules on voting because they included input from the pros as part of the outcome.
So far, no one has asked for their input this time around, and I'm certainly not going to ask them to give us any more of their time than they already do.
Anyway, we've got loads of time to figure out how we're gonna vote.
---------- 'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
http://www.youtube.com/user/SlimHarpMick
Last Edited by on Aug 18, 2009 3:27 PM
Like I said in the other thread, 'MBs at dawn.' haha! ---------- 'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
Thanks Mickil, I'll still enter; the arguments against skill levels were logical and justified.
I was hoping backing tracks tracks would be allowed for the sake of improvised solos after playing the melody, but those are just my thoughts... ---------- "Without music, life would be a mistake" -Nietzsche
right, I've recorded my version [warts and all] but only audio as an mp3 [I don't have a camera]. Are there instructions somewhere as to what to do with it now? in simple language please, I am new to uploading to youtube or wherever it is going.
lumpy, I think what you have to do is convert it into a video file. Thats pretty easy if you have windows and Windows Movie Maker.
You'll see a function (on your left, hopefully) that says import sound file. Then you have to find some pic that you want to put on top of the sound file (just drag it into the main window and than into the timeline.
Then all you have to do is save the video file... and upload it to youtube.
If you need some clearer instructions please ask. I'd be happy to do a little video! ---------- germanharpist, harpfriends on Youtube
Last Edited by on Jul 18, 2009 4:09 AM
Do wanna do the playlist or shall I? I've never done one, but I doubt it's too tricky to figure out. ---------- 'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
Thank you. I still had to work out that adding to a playlist thing. You've probably just saved a lot of people a lot of time, that is, if we have a lot of people, which I hope. ---------- 'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
I got there at last [just got time to have another go today as it is raining!!], I seem to be first, which is the only way I'll get to be first in the contest :^) At least, I think I have managed to add it to the harpfriends playlist, can someone check that it is actually there as it took me a while to sort out how to do it even with the help of GH's video's. As I understand it, you upload the video to your own account and make it viewable by the world and then you can sign in to harpfriends and add it to the playlist. I think I may have tried to make myself a friend of harpfriends as well in the process. if that is wrong, someone please shout at me :^)
Last Edited by on Jul 26, 2009 12:17 PM
yeah I know, but that's mine done, and I'm on hols next week, and in the middle of trying to sell the house so gotta do it when I can.... or did you think my entry is not up to standard? That's me, warts and all. I'd rather get feedback on my normal playing than on something I've honed for weeks. ;^)
It seems as though there isn't as much interest this time around, though I hope I'm wrong. I get the impression that there a quite a few members who might not be aware of it.
Is it my imagination, or have quite a few fellas dropped off the radar of late? ---------- 'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
http://www.youtube.com/user/SlimHarpMick
Last Edited by on Aug 05, 2009 11:51 AM
I must admit, I have not had any time at all to even start to think about learning the song, what with building the cafepress store and other stuff... I don't think I'm gonna be able to do it either as I'm headed out for a short vacation next week... I'll see what I can do this week, but at this point, I'm not sure that I'm gonna make it for this contest... :(
I believe that mickil has bumped the deadline again to Sept. 1 for anyone who still wants to participate, but needs more time. I'm sick of playing it already, so my submission goes up today. I hope we get a lot more!
Yeah, MrS, German made the suggestion that we put it back a couple of weeks. Seems like a good idea as quite few folks seem to have other commitments right now.
I know what you mean about 'sick of playing it'. Way back in the last Ice Age, I said to Ant that I'd do a vid response to his Key To The Highway. I kept tinkering with it; now I hate it. I'll still put it up Ant, though, by now, you probably hate it as well. haha ! ---------- 'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
I think that's a good idea. I think that a good chug is really hard work; it's a brilliant workout for those who play the street.
Do you remember Doc Gussow''s first Iron Harp Challenge? Lee Sankey, I think. That's in my queue of stuff to steal from - oops, I mean work on. Man, is that some serious chugging and some?
I hope the other fellas go along with your suggestion. ---------- 'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
http://www.youtube.com/user/SlimHarpMick
Last Edited by on Aug 15, 2009 2:31 PM
Yep, great idea! And, as always,... the one that brings up the next HPC first has to organise it? Just kidding. ;)
"I also think a chug-a-long would be a good idea for the next HPC. It's something I want to be working on." ...and I bet there are loads of others on the forum that think the same!
my summertime's been up for ages [although I did have to re edit the pictures to remove all mention of the band I was chucked from. can you not see it?
No, you're not gonna be the only one. I know a few of us are working on it. I expect most of us will put it up at the last nano second. ---------- 'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
Nice one Sorin. I think you'll find that in the small print of the rules that if you include a guitar in your video, you get automatically disqualified. Only kidding! Hope mine turns out half as good as yours. ----------
Thanks tooka! I did read the rules and I did find the part " that if you include a guitar in your video, you get automatically disqualified" , that the reason why I have 2 guitars in the video .:p
