Guru snare competition results!

Stunning display of abilities on this one! Congratulations to all the winners. I do have to say though, I really liked Madge's entry (I dug the dress too). She was just sittin' on that groove and layin' it down. The other winners were great too, but I guess I'm just into less notes these days.

Well done all!
 
A big thumbs up from me to all who competed - just for getting through that wicked arrangement. I'm impressed by you all - you too Madge! To do what you did with your limited experience showed musical intelligence.

I have to say something about Istvan's take. A couple of the others struck me (in my profound ignorance) as more complete performances but my favourite passage came from him in the first half of the tune. It just flat out sounded good.
 
I do have to say though, I really liked Madge's entry (I dug the dress too). She was just sittin' on that groove and layin' it down.

To do what you did with your limited experience showed musical intelligence.

Wow! Those words mean even more to me than the snare would have done. Thank you for making me go a bit teary!
 
Category winners & overall winner videos are in the first post of this thread :) There were a number of excellent submissions in the pro section, any one of which could have won the category, but in the end, it's down to what elements resonated with the judge. Thus is the nature of competitions judged subjectively.

It's worth remembering that entrants were judged within the context of their experience / ability, so it was perfectly possible for a beginner to win over a pro. The overall winner was entered into the semi pro category.

I had my favourite entries for all kinds of reasons, & so did others I talked to on the subject.

I had a great time doing this. And this is kinda how the art world is- doesn't matter really how "good" you are at all. I mean, you gotta have some level of competence... but it boils down to a subjective choice by those who are in charge of decision making.

It's kinda why I keep my head to the grindstone and not reflect upon things I've *done* but rather things I'm *doing*.
 
it boils down to a subjective choice by those who are in charge of decision making.
Exactly Bill. I loved your submission. Classy, skilful, & delivered with flair. There were other submissions in your category that I liked just as much too. In the end, it wasn't my call, & I think it's cool to have something like this judged "externally", especially by a musician of another persuasion ;) Glad you enjoyed it Bill :)

Magenta should win something for bringing us folks in North America the term "Chuffed to bits"

I will now have to find the right occasion to slip that one in.
Indeed :)

A big thumbs up from me to all who competed - just for getting through that wicked arrangement.
Thanks Grea, & yes, it wasn't an easy one. Most people are used to competitions these days that are little more than lotteries - almost no thought required. This one required some real dissemination & preparation.

Stunning display of abilities on this one!
Thanks Matt, although I did expect you to throw in a submission at some stage :(

Well done to all involved.
Yes, & hopefully you can chime in if we do another one next year?
 
I have to say something about Istvan's take. A couple of the others struck me (in my profound ignorance) as more complete performances but my favourite passage came from him in the first half of the tune. It just flat out sounded good.

I liked his performance, too. I'm curious to see if we liked the same parts. Can you give me minute markings on the YouTube vid, please? Or was it the feel of the whole first half?
 
I must have missed this thread.

Congrats to the winners!! :)

Would be great to have some feedback on our individual entries! Hope mine wasn't too diabolical, my excuse is my lack of preparation and winging it ;-)
 
MY RUNNER-UP PRIZE HAS ARRIVED!!!

I'm beyond chuffed to bits - I never ever thought I'd win a prize for my drumming, of all things! Even if it was by default.

Hugely grateful thanks to Evans and of course, again, to Yolanda and Guru Drums :D

Oh and if anybody was wondering what I was wearing under That Frock, scroll down ...
 

Attachments

  • Guru prize.jpg
    Guru prize.jpg
    122.3 KB · Views: 399
  • Cat slippers.jpg
    Cat slippers.jpg
    182.7 KB · Views: 403
Nice one Madge! Loving the socks/slippers/footwear too.

:)
 
I liked his performance, too. I'm curious to see if we liked the same parts. Can you give me minute markings on the YouTube vid, please? Or was it the feel of the whole first half?

I liked his backbeat, was a bit surprised at the decision to play open hats but it sounded good to me, not your standard funk approach.

Mostly I just dug his take on it in the first half, where I think the arrangement was most clear in his head (as can happen when you've been "cramming"). I dug the Purdie pshp pshp pshps at 0:45 and I felt he handled the riffs really well - very cleanly.

At around 0:54 I liked the way Bill took the dynamic down. If I was entering the comp, I would have ripped that off for sure (sans the licks - though necessity, not taste).
 
Awesome Magenta your first accolade. You should be proud. The competition was really a tough one with so many great interpretations of an awesome challenge-some great videos just dripping groove-really helped me see the lack it in myself. I'm pretty "groove" deficient (but I'm working on it) but I was proud I participated and took a "swing" at it. In fact three crazy impetuous swings at it-but dang it was fun and "I did it my way" in my best Sinatra singing voice. I'd do it again with the same outcome.
 
Awesome Magenta your first accolade. You should be proud. The competition was really a tough one with so many great interpretations of an awesome challenge-some great videos just dripping groove-really helped me see the lack it in myself. I'm pretty "groove" deficient (but I'm working on it) but I was proud I participated and took a "swing" at it. In fact three crazy impetuous swings at it-but dang it was fun and "I did it my way" in my best Sinatra singing voice. I'd do it again with the same outcome.

Thank you very much indeed, and I completely identify with everything you say: I'm pretty groove-deficient too, and yes it WAS fun, even though it caused me a fair amount of anguish before it started to be enjoyable. It took balls to enter, from the pros just as much as from the less experienced, and you were like a terrier, Art, not giving up until you'd given it your best shot.

Essentially, when you enter this contest you are competing against yourself, which means you just can't lose, although it does entail potentially operating far, far out of your comfort zone and playing to your weaknesses more than to your strengths. But nobody laughs and points: on the contrary, if I had £1 for everybody who congratulated me on entering the competition, I'd almost be able to afford to buy the snare :D
 
Exactly Bill. I loved your submission. Classy, skilful, & delivered with flair. There were other submissions in your category that I liked just as much too. In the end, it wasn't my call, & I think it's cool to have something like this judged "externally", especially by a musician of another persuasion ;) Glad you enjoyed it Bill :)

Indeed :)

Thanks Grea, & yes, it wasn't an easy one. Most people are used to competitions these days that are little more than lotteries - almost no thought required. This one required some real dissemination & preparation.

Thanks Matt, although I did expect you to throw in a submission at some stage :(

Yes, & hopefully you can chime in if we do another one next year?

Definitely Andy, I'm a techno idiot. Hopefully by then I've figured it all out how to record/upload.
 
I must have missed this thread.

Congrats to the winners!! :)

Would be great to have some feedback on our individual entries! Hope mine wasn't too diabolical, my excuse is my lack of preparation and winging it ;-)

You did a fine job with it, Mark, even if played on a *&%$ ekit ;)
 
I liked his backbeat, was a bit surprised at the decision to play open hats but it sounded good to me, not your standard funk approach.

Mostly I just dug his take on it in the first half, where I think the arrangement was most clear in his head (as can happen when you've been "cramming"). I dug the Purdie pshp pshp pshps at 0:45 and I felt he handled the riffs really well - very cleanly.

At around 0:54 I liked the way Bill took the dynamic down. If I was entering the comp, I would have ripped that off for sure (sans the licks - though necessity, not taste).

Thanks for the detailed reply, Grea. I liked his hi-hat work in general, too. I enjoyed the way he used it almost as a crash at times, especially supporting that one recurring punch that hits on the "e" of a count.

Bill's entry just blew my mind all around for the technical prowess. It was a little busy for my aesthetic preferences sometimes, but he has great control and chops. Agree on the way he drops the dynamic back there! Amazing performance.
 
I think this was one of the most enjoyable things I've done in recent memory -- challenging, exciting, and interesting. I loved seeing the takes on the song through dozens of different creative filters. After I uploaded my vid I was paging through the videos and more than once I muttered, "Oooh, I wish I'd thought of that!"

Judging this contest must have been like trying to pick out the roundest beachball. Well done to everyone, especially the winners, and big ups to Andy and Yolanda for being so cool as to put on this contest for us.
 
Back
Top