I'm just curious about something, and I'd appreciate it if you'd all weigh in on this. Here's my question:
Would you have entered the contest if a guitar had not been offered?
I've thought about this question myself, and I guess I'd have to say "no," even though I think it's a great contest idea. I remember reading about the contest and thinking, "Hey, I could make a song," but then just not getting around to it. Then when I saw that if only one person entered, that person would automatically win the guitar, I thought, "I'd be an idiot not to at least submit something." So I did. Not that I didn't believe in the idea of the contest... I think it's a really good one... I just know myself, and I doubt I would have gotten sufficiently motivated to do it by the deadline if there hadn't been the possibility of winning something.
I know, maybe it's selfish, but I'm just being honest.
Other responses? Is everyone else a musical altruist except me, or did the guitar motivate other people as well?
Good point, there. Heh heh. Let me phrase it differently:
Would you have submitted a song if it was just the type of thing where someone said it was a contest to see whose song was the best, but there was no actual tangible prize (like a guitar or money) offered?
Now that you say it, though, I guess it wouldn't be much of a contest unless there were a prize, would it? How did the Duran Duran contest work that Todd had a while back? I didn't know about his site back then.
I was never in it for the guitar. I just wanted everybody's love! Making the song was a really cool experience for us all. I think it turned out awesome! Ivory’s been a friend of mine for a long time and I’ve always enjoyed that beautifully haunting voice of her’s when I’ve heard her sing. Ken went far beyond the call of duty in mixing the thing. And how about that rhythm section, guys? It’s the shit! As I've said elsewhere on this forum, I suspect that we got outvoted by so many other songs because we kind of blew it on the mission to “mash” and all. Hey, it was an idea that I came up with, liked, and seriously thought turned out well. We got tons of positive feedback. Hell, I FEEL like a winner!
Probably not. I would have been surfing porn (or some other distraction from work) instead. Knowing that a guitar was on the line and that there was a chance there wouldn't be many entries, I email'd Todd and asked him how many entries there were (something like 48 hours before the deadline). He said he had hardly any entries and that there was a serious chance for a good entry.
So right there and then I sat down and spent the next six hours doing up the song. About half that time was spent trying to get my freakin computer to convert from the music format on the MacIntosh over to an MP3.
I have to say that I learned alot about multi-tracking and mixing on the Sound Studio software so that wasn't a total loss.
You know, nobody said squat about my guitar playing and I honestly played Blackbird better than the guitar dude at Sarah McLaughlan's concert at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley a little while back. He didn't have the right chords on the chorus. (She sang alright.) I am bummed about that.
I have enough money to buy me a new guitar if I wanted to. I've got a wife though and it would cost me *maritally* if you know what I mean if I came home with a new guitar. Really, your spouse can't say anything if you won the guitar in a contest.
I thought your guitaring was cool aswell ^_^. Aswell as singing...
Dont worry about your votes mate, most of these have probably been rigged somewhat, and the true winning songs (taxmangirls / ode 2 todd) are truely top notch songs.
I absolutely would have entered without the knowledge of a guitar prize. I heard about the contest on 9 March and had sorted out "Crafty Girl" within two hours: http://www.livejournal.com/users/qiqa/5608.html?thread=2280#t2280
I used to enter songs at the Crackerbox Deathmatch but when one of mine got so many votes it blew up the server I never went back. There's a new prizeless song contest at www.songfight.net but the people who vote there are all about playing your instruments correctly and singing on key. Whatever.
"There's a new prizeless song contest at www.songfight.net but the people who vote there are all about playing your instruments correctly and singing on key. Whatever."