[neuroron]

The May song competition RESULTS ARE IN!!! - See Post #19 below for details.


The May song competition is officially open for entries - Contest dates are:

May 7th to 13th (enter) 14th to 18th (scoring)

This is a 1+1 format competition which means you can have one voice plus one instrument and simple effects.
If you are thinking of entering please check the Rules first

Post:
• song title
• writer credits (If it’s a collaboration with another Muse member please make that clear by including their Muser ID)
• audio link

To enter the contest you must have a minimum of 50 posts at the Muses Muse. You also must have been a member from the 1st of April 2012.
You may include lyrics, but any other text may be removed by the mod.

I will close the board for entries at 23:59 on May 13th PDT.

Also, scoring will be slightly different this time, so pay attention to the thread when we get near the scoring time – Good luck and have fun! Ron

[porcupine]

My link
Not That Lucky
© 2012 Charlie Eschbach, BMI

She's got them eyes that make my wallet lighter
she's got that look that makes my jeans tighter
the way she whispers in my ear, the things I wanna hear
then I wake up to realize
she is his and not mine

cause Im not that lucky
shell after shell without a pearl
No, Im not that lucky
champagne girl in my draft beer kinda world
every state from from cali to kentucky
Im not that lucky

I bought a ticket then saw it on tv
every number as it was meant to be
every one was a match, thinking how to spend my cash
on cars and trips to Montego Bay
but the ticket was dated yesterday

cause Im not that lucky
shell after shell without a pearl
No, Im not that lucky
champagne girl in my draft beer kinda world
can't catch a break from from cali to kentucky
Im not that lucky

People say luck will come my way, its on the call
Now, If it weren't for bad luck, Id have no luck at all

cause Im not that lucky
shell after shell without a pearl
No, I'm not that lucky
a champagne girl in my draft beer kinda world
can't catch a break from from cali to kentucky
Im not that lucky

[RickDieffenbach]

Dream a Happy Dream
©2011 Rick Dieffenbach

V1: Rest your head /close your eyes/ daddy’s gonna sing you a lullaby /
As you fall off to sleep tonight / dream a happy dream

V2: You’ve got mothers eyes / and daddy’s smile / you make all this struggle worth while/ As you fall off to sleep tonight / dream a happy dream

===============================
CHORUS:
Some day you’re be on your own, and may have children to
But for now let’s enjoy the ride, mommy, me and you
================================

V3: We dreamed of you / so long ago / and that cradle you’ll soon outgrow /
As you fall off to sleep tonight / dream a happy dream

V4: "Instrumental"

CHORUS:

V5: Rest your head /close your eyes/ daddy’s gonna sing you a lullaby /
As you fall off to sleep tonight / dream a happy dream

[Alistair S]

What True Love Means

Alistair Sutherland (Alistair S)

I'd watch her on the corner where the bus stop used to be
Back when I was seventeen and she was twenty-three
Something deep inside of me, bursting at the seams
Wishing I could know what true love means
(What true love means)

I left to join the army and I heard she settled down,
Married and had children with some guy from out of town
They said he had a habit of knocking her around
Made me want to put him in the ground
(In the ground)

Though we age and feelings fade, our memories don't die
They surface, by and by ...
Take us by surprise ...

She's waiting on my table, looking good at fifty-two
As she warms a cup of coffee for the boy she never knew
Something stirs inside me like a half-remembered tune
She was all I dreamed of in my youth
(All I dreamed of in my youth)

(And)
I feel as if I'm seventeen and she is twenty-three
Watching her and wishing she would turn and notice me
Something moves inside me like a rusty, old machine
And I could know what true love means
(I could know what true love means)

('Cause)
Something moves inside me like a rusty, old machine
I could know what true love means

[musefrommichigan]

http://www.songramp....p?trackid=52269

by Ann Mayo Muir

MYSTERY BOW

I'm a MYSTERY bow looking for action.
I can give you satisfaction
But I'm looking for the perfect mate to play
The Scottish Music in the Scottish way

I LOVE this music ‘cause I love to hustle
Down in the cracks with the gristle and the muscle
I love the lift, I love the drive
Without it I just can't survive

I'm a SMOOTH bow when I'm gliding
I STRUT my stuff when I'm sliding
PLAY with me and I'll tell it so
Everything you ever wanted will show

Your REPUTATION here is awfully high.
Being who I am I thought I'd check out why.
If one of you fits into my plans,
I'll be giving up my one-night stands.

I'm a SWEET BOW, a one of a kind,
I'll do the choosing if you don't mind.
COME SEE ME later darling, after the crush,
I'll put you through some paces that will make you blush.

I'm your bow, strong and steady,
JUMP like a racehorse when you’re ready.
DRIVE me well and I'll let you hear
Everything that you ever held dear.

In my MOTION there's an ocean of pleasure.
I've a notion, no other can measure up
To the sound you'll draw with me.
It's the highest quality.

I can READ your mind KNOW your heart,
HANDLE me well and I'll do my part.
I'll tell you everything you’re thinkin’, maybe more.
PLAY with me and you'll know the score.

I'm your bow, supple and sassy.
Folks who hear me say I'm classy.
Upon my stroke you can depend.
It's at your command from end to end.

I'm a STORYTELLER. I'm a gossip monger.
Your emotions feed my hunger.
Every little RUMOR, every MURMUR I've heard,
Passes through me cause I SPREAD the word.

I CAN’T KEEP a secret, I kiss and tell.
I WEAVE them up in a musical spell.
Your slightest pressure and I will show
The sweetest feelings that you'll ever know.

I'LL HELP you reach your highest goal.
I'll be under your control. I keep the beat
I make the sound!
What would you do without me around?

[TamsNumber4]

CHASING MIRAGES on SoundClick


Chasing Mirages
by MFBIII
© 2012

My soul is a desert
I'm thirsty for you,
I'd cross the Sahara
and Death Valley too,
to drink from the quenching
of your eyes so blue,
you're my only oasis
I'm burning for you


Chorus-

I've spent my life
chasing mirages
love's tempting
displays of despair,
with more than my fill
of lost causes,
seeking dreams that
were not really there....


Like a pioneer finding his
sweet promised land,
like a soldier escaping
from Custer's last stand,
I've discovered Nirvana
in the depths of your eyes
and broke free from those endings
where love always dies.


Chorus-

I've spent my life
chasing mirages
love's tempting
displays of despair,
with more than my fill
of lost causes,
seeking dreams that
were not really there....


Now my soul is a lake
sparkling bright in the sun,
'round the island of you
where two..... are always one,
and I only grow thirsty
for the kisses you give,
plus your love that I'll cherish
for as long as we live.


Chorus-

I've spent my life
chasing mirages
love's tempting
displays of despair,
with more than my fill
of lost causes,
seeking dreams that
were not really there....


tag

that were not really there....
that were not really there....
that were not really there.

[HoldenTheFuries]

"Whiplash" on Youtube <--- I thought this comp would be a good opportunity to do a live one-take.

Sorry to those bumming internet or with slower connections, I empathize with you, as I am one of those types myself. :-)

Enjoy!

Whiplash

Copyright 2012 - Sean Halls
Song & Lyrics By: Sean Halls
Tuning: C-A-D-G-B-D

---

Verse:

I left a bottle full of smoke,
and the letter that you wrote,
I know you couldn't find some,
so now you're always on one...

Pre-Chorus:

You scratched until
we fell apart...
You left a tooth and
a nail in my heart...

And I know it's
nothing new, but I'm
clinging on to,
just a bit of bad news...


Chorus:

I couldn't stand up for my ride,
Had to wait beside the line...
I got whiplash in due time,
Left a tooth and nail behind -
And we all fall down.

Verse:

I close my eyes but stay awake,
Looking for a new escape...
From the trouble that remains,
In the story: that "we laid..."

Pre-Chorus:

You... walked... away...
With scars on your arms.

Chorus:

I couldn't stand up for one life,
so then I tried to make things right...
I got whiplash in due time,
left a tooth and nail behind -
And we all fall down.

Bridge:

And now that we're alone,
All our time is wasted...
I'm slipping off,
into narcotic vaction.

Where we all fall down,
Yeah, we all fall down...
Yeah, we all fall down...


Chorus:

I couldn't stand up for my ride,
Had to wait beside the line...
I got whiplash in due time,
Left a tooth and nail behind -
And we all fall down...
Yeah, we all fall down.

---

Production Notes:

Recorded live into my Macbook using the built-in mic thru IMovie, I put on a bit of reverb and compression and made a small notch on two bands of eq (~-1db @500hz, ~-2 db@1300hz) in Garageband for post.

Thank you very much!
-Sean Halls

[SoddyBottoms]

Sister Halle


Words and Music by Soddy Bottoms



Let me tell my story about a man of the cloth

from another time and my innocense lost

That Preacher said son don't bet your soul

It's heaven or hell boy which way will you go


I aint sure bout me but I know bout him

I seen eem doin Halle Lord she's married to Slim

That Preacher said son don't bet your soul

I wonder what he'd say if he knew what I know..



That Preacher said son don't bet your soul

I wonder what he'd say if he knew what I know..

He said aw Sister Halle your sent from above

You've Sunday schooled me with yo heavenly love


Instr.

Somedays I wonder, Lord I really do

how much is bulls-t and how much is true

I Just ask Sister Halle she say you hung the moon

everbody loves Halle I know you do too



Preacher said son don't bet your soul

It's heaven or hell boy which way will you go

I aint sure bout me but I know bout him

I seen eem doin Halle Lord she's married to Slim



Preacher said son don't bet your soul

I wonder what he'd say if he knew what I know..

Preacher said son don't bet your soul

I wonder what he'd say if he knew what I know..

[daddio]

Naked Ladies and Acrobats
WendyD and daddio
vocals by WendyD

Sometimes I wonder
just where you went
and how I lost you somewhere
in that circus tent
I thought I could see you
behind the men
in the pork-pie hats
In the time of naked ladies
and acrobats

You took my hand
Godiva rode into view
and the world became naked
everything was so new
and the spotlight shown down
down upon us
I was only sure of that
In the time of naked ladies
and acrobats

I thought I could hold to the promise I saw in your eyes
Godiva looks so lovely, in the way that she rides
And everything is beauty until your feet touch the ground
Then the tent rolls up and moves on to some other town

Beauty is naked
And love is a song
Sometimes we break it
Sometimes it plays on
But I still think I see you
Behind the men
in the pork-pie hats
In the time of naked ladies
and acrobats

[ScenesFromPalacio]

Clouds

Music/lyrics Steve Ison


Just like this earth seems my world keeps turning
Different moods spinning round and round
The sky is blue then the clouds start forming
and i fall like rain back to the ground


My growings much like the seasons changing
I flourish out when the weathers right
Then shrink like leaves when the winter's calling
Just waiting for the warm spring light

And sometimes i can feel so high
I'm flying like an arrow to the sun
And some days thats but a memory
Guess the whole of my life is never won..

Thoughts run wild like the wind that's blowing
Some soft and warm as a summer breeze
The air then turns and my mind starts flowing
to thoughts so cold that they could freeze..


And sometimes i can feel so high
I'm flying like an arrow to the sun
And some days thats but a memory
Guess the whole of my life is never won..

Doo-d-Doo-Doo-doo-doo Ahh-ahh

[Jason Kalman]

Constellations

Words and Music by Jason Kalman

Verse I
This weight that’s upon my shoulders
This weight that has trapped my soul away
Is it fate or is it random?
Is it me that can change it all?

Chorus I
Maybe retribution for the sins I’ve sowed
Or the constellations that will turn this globe around the sun

Verse II
There’s no rest for the tired and the weary
No chapter called “Peace” in Sun Tzu’s “Art of War” at all
Where’s the break in the storm that ‘s battering
I need a place of sanctuary

Chorus II
Maybe retribution for the sins I’ve sowed
Or the constellations that will turn this globe around the sun

Bridge
Exploding Comets
Brilliant colors in the night sky
A taste of sulfur and the pain of blinding lights
A killer virus, splitting atoms and the warming
All this I feel as I am floating in this space
Floating in this space

Instrumental

Verse III
Radiation breaking up the storm clouds
A beacon bleeding in the Armageddon sky
All this I see through my broken glasses
All this I feel as the pain is soothing me

Chorus III
Maybe retribution for the sins I’ve sowed
Or the constellations that will turn this globe around the sun

[Thinman]

Gravity Pull
© ANeckenderMusic

There must be some mathematical beauty
A brutal empire can’t crush
Some unification theory
Space and time is twisted enough
All the planets spin around
We are prisoners of the ground
Gravity holds us all down

We got tablets of stone
And we got rulers on their thrones
But the Queen dropped her crown
It’s broken on the ground
Gravity drags us all down

Birds might fly
High in the sky
But everything falls
Nobody knows why

I don’t need St Teresa’s heart in a glass
I got a lover’s heart to trespass
I watch every flake of snow
Settle on the cold ground below
Gravity drags us down don’t you know

All the planets spin around
We are prisoners of the ground
Gravity holds us all down

[scubed]

Brand new version of old song

Burning Honey

Burning Honey

© 1993, 2012 by Sharon Stepler

Didn't need love, I didn't need desire.
Didn't need heartaches in the night.
I'd had enough of that bitter fire
That burns ice cold and gives no light.
I didn't mean to let you please me.
Didn't plan to lose my heart.
I was afraid that your fire would freeze me?
I didn't want these flames to start, but you

You Give Me Love like Burning Honey.
A Hot, Sweet Golden Flame
Pours over Me When I Hold You.
Taste it When I Whisper Your Name.

You say you wouldn't leave me crying.
You say I shouldn't be afraid.
Try not to listen but the sparks are flying,
And as they kindle my resistance fades.
Can't break away when these flames are rising.
My mind is running but my heart returns.
This fire is so hypnotizing;
I'm fascinated by the way it burns.

You Give Me Love like Burning Honey.
A Hot, Sweet Golden Flame
Pours over Me When I Hold You.
Taste it When I Whisper Your Name.

Now it flows like a fiery river.
Can't swim, I'm going down.
Too late to try and save me.
You know I love you, baby, just let me drown.

Drown in Your Love like Burning Honey.
Hot, Sweet Golden Flame
Pours over Me When I Hold You.
Taste it When I Whisper Your Name.
Taste it When I Whisper Your Name.

[Ironknee]

“PLEASE LEAVE YOUR MESSAGE”
By Tom Tognaci

http://soundclick.co...cfm?id=11640033

It’s nine o’clock on this Saturday night.
The ice box is empty, there’s no beer in sight.
TV’s lousy, and this bedroom seems small.
And she should be home after all.

I close my eyes and I have to confess
The point that I argued just seems less and less.
I want to tell her, beg, grovel, and crawl
But I know what I’ll get when I call....

..Please leave your message after the tone
I’ve already stepped out
There’s nobody home.
My life’s a bit crazy,
Calling back may take days,
But please leave your message, anyways.

Tell me if you care.
Tell me if you’re there
Listening to me right by the phone
Oh, but, I’ll keep calling
Between my bawling
Cause I'm missing you here at home

With head in hands, and full of regret,
But with the tongue of a fool that’s just what I get.
And so, it’s true, pride sets up the fall….
‘Cause I know what I'll get when I call

[neuroron]

Entries are Closed, The May (1+1) Song contest is open for entries.

At least one member associated with each entry MUST send in a score sheet
Send your scores to me by PM by midnight PDT May 18th

Scoring method:

Give each entry, EXCEPT YOUR OWN, a score from 1.0 to 10.0; i.e., you may score with one decimal point of precision – for example: 4.3, 7.2, 10.0… where a 10.0 would represent among the best songs of all time and 1.0 among the worst.

I will convert the scores to ranks (within each scorer) for tabulation of the results – So each entrant will see an absolute and rank score from each scorer.

I will post the results on May 19th.

Here are this month’s entrants:

1. Not That Lucky – porcupine
2. Dream a Happy Dream – Rick Dieffenbach
3. What True Love Means – Alistair S
4. Mystery Bow – musefrommichigan
5. Chasing Mirages – TamsNumber4
6. Whiplash – HoldenTheFuries
7. Sister Halle – Soddy Bottoms
8. Naked Ladies and Acrobats – WendyD and daddio
9. Clouds – ScenesFromPalacio
10. Constellations - Jason Kalman
11. Gravity Pull – Thinman
12. Burning Honey – Scubed
13. Please Leave Your Message – Ironknee

[Alistair S]

So, do we need to separate the songs, Ron?

What happens if we give multiple songs the same score?

[neuroron]

Alistair S, on 14 May 2012 - 01:56 PM, said:

So, do we need to separate the songs, Ron?

What happens if we give multiple songs the same score?

Maybe a little better to separate them, but unnecessary. If two songs were tied for second for a given scorer, I would give them each a 2.5 (since they were actually 2nd and 3rd) and the next lower score a 4.

For example:
Raw (Absolute) Scores:
Song A - 9.0
Song B - 8.4
Song C - 8.4
Song D - 8.1

My conversion to ranks:
Converted Rank Scores:
Song A - 1
Song B - 2.5
Song C - 2.5
Song D - 4

Just as a reminder, and I think this is clear from most of the scores, YOU give the raw/absolute scores - I will take care of ranking.

PM me or post a reply if this is still not clear - Ron

[neuroron]

Last day for scores: 17 total score sheets so far, 10 contestants and 7 non-contestants - it's a tight race!!! All contestants make sure to get your score sheets in before midnight tonight - Ron

[neuroron]

Congratulations to all entrants for their hard work and creativity!!!

The winners this month are:

1st: What True Love Means – Alistair S: 3.68 (average rank), and average raw score 7.74
2nd: Naked Ladies & Acrobats – WendyD/daddio: 4.24 (average rank), and average raw score 7.41
3rd: Clouds – ScenesFromPalacio: 4.52 (average rank), and average raw score 7.37

There were a total of 23 scorers, including 9 non-contestants: Dannyk1, Bernabby, Nige, Zeek, KimberlyinNC, Sally Gardens, Graybeard, Jonie and SomeFellow. As always, we really appreciate the input and effort of the non-contestants. The scorers gave an overall average raw/absolute score to the songs of 6.72, ranging from an average of 4.67 to 7.79

Here are the score breakdowns, by ranks and raw scores - as it turns out the winners would have been the same by either ranks or raw scores. I hope this method gives some useful feedback - Thanks for bearing with me - Ron


Rank Scores:

What True Love Means – Alistair S: 3.68
1 5 1 2 1 2.5 2 5 5 2 3 8 5 3 6 10.5 1 5 1 9 2 1

Naked Ladies & Acrobats – WendyD/daddio: 4.24
4 1 3 8.5 5 6 2.5 9.5 3 6 1 5 1 2 2 7 4.5 4 3.5 5 5.5

Clouds – ScenesFromPalacio: 4.52
5 3 1 6 10 5 4.5 4 2 4 6 6.5 4 5 10 4.5 3 1 2 2 8 3

Mystery Bow – musefrommichigan: 5.20
6 6 2 7 3.5 3 1 6 11 9 3 1 3 1 5 1 4.5 5.5 10 9 7 10

Constellations - Jason Kalman: 5.23
2 3 4 11 9 7.5 7.5 9.5 1 1 10 9 2 1 4 4.5 8 3.5 8 1 3 5.5

Please Leave Your Message – Ironknee: 6.84
9 3 7 4 11 7.5 10.5 6 12 7 5 2 9 9 8 4.5 7 2 11 5 9 2

Sister Halle – Soddy Bottoms: 6.98
7 7 9 3 8 4 4.5 9.5 13 13 12.5 5 3 5 2 1 9 8 3 9 10 8

Dream a Happy Dream – Rick Dieffenbach: 7.05
3 11 6 5 6 2 7.5 6 11 7 4 10 12 7 9 10.5 2 10 4 5 5 12

Gravity Pull – Thinman: 7.32
10 5 8.5 7 9 12 1 4 8 11 12.5 4 6 8.5 11 4.5 12 5 12 5 1 4

Not That Lucky – porcupine: 8.14
10 10 12 12 12 7.5 4 9 3 4 8 12 8 8.5 5 10.5 11 8 6.5 5 6 7

Burning Honey – Scubed: 8.36
11 9 8 13 1 10 7.5 12 10 2 8 6.5 7 7 12 12 10.5 10 12 6.5 5 4

Chasing Mirages – TamsNumber: 8.75
8 12 11 2 3.5 10.5 4 7.5 12 9 10.5 11 10 10.5 3 10.5 5.5 12 8.5 11.5 12 8

Whiplash – HoldenTheFuries: 10.16
12 7 12 10 13 11 12 9.5 7.5 10 12 10.5 6 11 10.5 10.5 13 5 8.5 11.5 11 10


-------------------------------------------------------------

Raw Scores:

Not That Lucky – porcupine: 6.24
6.00 6.00 5.50 3.50 6.00 6.00 9.00 6.20 8.30 7.50 6.00 4.00 6.00 6.50 5.50 7.00 5.80 6.00 6.70 7.00 6.30 6.50

Dream a Happy Dream – Rick Dieffenbach: 6.49
7.25 5.90 7.00 8.70 5.30 9.50 6.00 6.70 6.60 7.00 7.00 6.10 4.00 7.00 3.00 7.00 8.50 5.00 6.90 7.00 6.40 5.00

What True Love Means – Alistair S: 7.74
8.00 7.00 9.50 6.20 10.00 8.00 9.90 7.70 8.00 8.80 7.50 6.60 6.50 8.00 4.50 7.00 9.00 7.00 9.00 6.00 7.00 9.00

Mystery Bow – musefrommichigan: 7.25
6.30 6.90 8.10 7.80 5.80 9.00 9.00 8.00 5.90 6.90 7.90 8.00 8.20 8.00 7.50 8.50 8.00 7.00 5.00 6.00 6.20 5.50

Chasing Mirages – TamsNumber: 6.12
6.00 5.80 5.10 9.10 5.80 5.00 9.00 6.40 6.50 6.80 5.00 6.00 5.00 6.00 6.50 7.00 7.00 4.00 6.60 5.00 5.00 6.00

Whiplash – HoldenTheFuries: 5.71
6.20 5.00 7.20 3.30 6.30 4.00 6.00 6.40 6.70 6.20 5.00 7.30 4.50 6.00 7.00 5.40 7.00 6.60 5.00 5.10 5.50

Sister Halle – Soddy Bottoms: 6.59
6.25 6.20 6.10 9.00 4.30 8.50 7.00 6.00 5.50 6.00 4.50 7.80 7.00 7.50 7.50 9.00 6.20 6.00 7.20 6.00 5.50 6.00

Naked Ladies and Acrobats – WendyD and daddio: 7.41
6.75 7.40 8.00 7.50 5.60 7.70 8.00 6.00 8.70 7.50 8.90 6.50 10.00 7.50 8.50 4.00 8.00 7.30 8.00 6.80 7.00

Clouds – ScenesFromPalacio: 7.37
6.50 7.30 9.00 8.50 4.10 8.00 7.00 9.00 9.40 8.20 7.30 6.30 6.80 7.50 2.50 8.00 7.50 10.00 7.30 8.00 6.00 8.00

Constellations - Jason Kalman: 7.25
7.50 7.30 7.50 7.00 4.20 7.50 6.00 6.00 9.50 9.00 6.70 5.50 9.00 9.00 6.00 8.00 6.50 8.00 6.60 9.00 6.60 7.00

Gravity Pull – Thinman: 6.58
5.50 7.40 7.50 4.40 7.00 4.00 10.00 8.50 7.00 6.40 4.50 8.00 6.30 6.50 2.40 8.00 5.50 7.00 6.40 7.00 8.00 7.50

Burning Honey – Scubed: 5.97
5.00 6.10 6.20 5.00 6.40 6.50 6.00 5.00 6.00 8.50 6.90 6.30 7.00 6.20 5.00 2.00 7.00 6.00 4.00 6.70 7.00 6.50

Please Leave Your Message – Ironknee: 6.72
5.75 7.30 6.30 8.90 3.60 7.50 5.00 8.00 5.70 7.40 7.40 7.70 6.40 5.50 3.60 8.00 6.80 9.00 6.50 7.00 5.90 8.50

[Alistair S]

I'm very surprised at this, but grateful. I'm not really happy with the song or the recording and would have placed my entry somewhere around the middle. I'm just glad to get something out after a long, dry spell. Thank you, anyway

My own favourite was Steve's, though MusefromMichigan and Don/Wendy both ran him very close. I enjoyed all of the entries in different ways and would like to thank Ron for running the contest and (as always) all the non-contestant voters.

[daddio]

This was an interesting group of songs. I had Thinman out in front fairly comfortably but after that it was hard to separate them. As a group they were very close.
Neuron did yeoman's work tallying the scores. It sure seems to me that he did double work. Thanks for running the comp, Ron. And I'll echo Alistair's thanks to the non-contestant voters.

[scubed]

Congratulations to Alistair, Wendy & Don, and Steve - three really great songs!

I really enjoyed all the entries this month & struggled a bit to separate them in the scoring. That is a happy problem to have.

Despite "Burning Honey's" poor showing (not a surprise), I kinda like this song & haven't given up on it. I kept playing around with the arrangement after I made this recording & will post the song for critique when I have an updated version ready - will be grateful for your feedback then.

Thanks to all the non-contestant voters and an extra-special thanks to Ron. Not only did you run the show, you gave us two ways to look at the scoring, which I found very interesting & helpful. I didn't understand your explanation of how it works - I'm a liberal-artsy sort of gal - but I appreciate the results & hope it wasn't too much extra work for you.

[jonie]

Congratulations Alistair, Don, Wendy, and Steve. All three were in my top five.

I had Alistair's "What True Love Means" ranked in my first place slot. I love the lyric - endearing story, and for me, the music, melody, and vocals matched it perfectly. It was all around the song I enjoyed most, though they were all very good this month.

I had Rick Dieffenbach's "Dream a Happy Dream" ranked second. What a delightful listening experience. I love a good lullaby and I think he's got a great one.

Tams got my 3rd place ranking with her beautiful song "Chasing Mirages" I thought she did perfect justice to an exceptionally beautiful lyric. Lovely melody, vocals and perfect prosody.

I also enjoyed and had ranked pretty high:

Mystery Bow, Naked Ladies and Acrobats, Clouds, and Please Leave Your Message (not necessarily in that order).

I think my lowest raw score was a 5.4. I thought they were all very listenable and all the songwriters deserve credit for their talents.

I don't understand the scoring either, sharon but have every confidence that Ron does.

[musefrommichigan]

A big Congratulations to Alistair, Wendy & Don, and Steve, I really enjoyed these songs and the contest. I just woke up so I can't gather my thoughts well.
Thanks Ron for running a good contest. Thanks Alistair for mentioning my song. (-: Everyone did a great job! __
Annie

[Thinman]

Hey Ron

I don't understand -some tone-deaf tight-arse only gave me a 2.4 which should've given me a Rank 13 but I didn't get Rank 13 ?

robby

[SoddyBottoms]

Congrats to the Winners !

I had Jason as my top pick and Scubed my # 2 .. Good stuff from everyone .. Thanks to Ron for his hard work...

[SoddyBottoms]

Thinman, on 20 May 2012 - 08:03 AM, said:

Hey Ron

I don't understand -some tone-deaf tight-arse only gave me a 2.4 which should've given me a Rank 13 but I didn't get Rank 13 ?

robby

It's because they gave me a lower mark and I got your 13

[neuroron]

Thinman, on 20 May 2012 - 07:03 AM, said:

Hey Ron

I don't understand -some tone-deaf tight-arse only gave me a 2.4 which should've given me a Rank 13 but I didn't get Rank 13 ?

robby

Score sheets from contestants only had 12 scores so the highest rank in those cases was 12 [13 in the cases of a noncontestant scorer]- I didn't create another score using the scorers' mean, like we had been doing since there was no statistical reason to do so. I was debating creating this dummy number to show the whole Excel spreadsheet - since the blanks would give away the identity of each scorer, but me sense is no one is really interested in the actual calculations - Though I don't understand why

Also Robby, as you can tell from the summary of the rank songs, you got two (untied) 1st places, which you wouldn't necessarily have been able to discern in the past. I think it's a sign of a good song when people feel strongly both ways - good and bad - about it.

BTW, there was minimal work involved in this since I was just able to use standard Excel statistical functions. I'm going to take this data to look at inter-rater correlations/reliability - I'm sure most of you are interested in that

[Alistair S]

neuroron, on 20 May 2012 - 02:27 PM, said:

I'm going to take this data to look at inter-rater correlations/reliability - I'm sure most of you are interested in that

I might be - if I knew what it was!

[Ironknee]

WOW!!! Three winners this month! Congratulations Alistar, Wendy & Don, and Steve!!!!

Very exciting stuff!

And, with all these numbers and thier points, I hope everyone knows where they stand with much more clarity and understanding.

[Thinman]

neuroron, on 20 May 2012 - 02:27 PM, said:

Thinman, on 20 May 2012 - 07:03 AM, said:

Hey Ron

I don't understand -some tone-deaf tight-arse only gave me a 2.4 which should've given me a Rank 13 but I didn't get Rank 13 ?

robby

Score sheets from contestants only had 12 scores so the highest rank in those cases was 12 [13 in the cases of a noncontestant scorer]- I didn't create another score using the scorers' mean, like we had been doing since there was no statistical reason to do so. I was debating creating this dummy number to show the whole Excel spreadsheet - since the blanks would give away the identity of each scorer, but me sense is no one is really interested in the actual calculations - Though I don't understand why

Also Robby, as you can tell from the summary of the rank songs, you got two (untied) 1st places, which you wouldn't necessarily have been able to discern in the past. I think it's a sign of a good song when people feel strongly both ways - good and bad - about it.

BTW, there was minimal work involved in this since I was just able to use standard Excel statistical functions. I'm going to take this data to look at inter-rater correlations/reliability - I'm sure most of you are interested in that

Thanks Ron

What's the problem with knowing the identity of each scorer ?

I want to know !

Robby

[Salley Gardens]

Thinman, on 20 May 2012 - 11:21 AM, said:

What's the problem with knowing the identity of each scorer ?

I want to know !

It protects the scorer from all the sour grapes thrown at them, and accusations of either being too ignorant to score well, or scoring vindictively, or giving high scores only to their friends.

To this day I regret revealing I handed out a "4" in a contest. If you want people to feel good about scoring, they have to feel free to score according to their own sensibilities in safety, without threat of argument or character assassination.

[daddio]

Salley Gardens, on 20 May 2012 - 05:47 PM, said:

Thinman, on 20 May 2012 - 11:21 AM, said:

What's the problem with knowing the identity of each scorer ?

I want to know !

It protects the scorer from all the sour grapes thrown at them, and accusations of either being too ignorant to score well, or scoring vindictively, or giving high scores only to their friends.

To this day I regret revealing I handed out a "4" in a contest. If you want people to feel good about scoring, they have to feel free to score according to their own sensibilities in safety, without threat of argument or character assassination.

I agree. I think it's especially important to get non-contestant voters since participants are required to vote. I think people have to feel free to vote their true opinions with fear of recrimination.

[kimberlyinnc]

Congrats to Alistair
Daddio, Wendy, and Steve!!!

Some great songs!!!


My top choices went to Daddio and Wendy, I thought the writing was extraordinary in it and I loved the singing/playing in it as well. Nice work guys...(and gals);-)

My 2nd choice went to Alistair. The lyrics drew me more than anything. haunting. I find Alistair's style is something common thread in most of his songs, but found it lovely, nonetheless..

My 3rd place went to my buddy, ANNIE aka...musefrommichigan. Smart, and clever song. Funny TOO! It is great to see you back on the muse, and you did an excellent job on this...

I didn't give anyone below a 6.0 --I felt every song this time around had lots going for them.
The lower scores of 6 or just above 6 were due to my feelings that the music sounds similiar to what they often do, and my ears long to hear something a bit out of the usual from them, though their lyrics were good, that part held me back some to be honest.

I enjoyed the chance to score with that extra .10th % because when there are two songs that are close, but I like one a tiny bit more, and this way, I can score accordingly and it will benefit instead of lumping them all into one score. I am also able to avoid scoring too low to make a difference in the subtle likes and dislikes in a song. Now to be honest, If I were grading on what song seemed more "commercial" to me, and one I could hear on the radio, in current music today, I may would have scored a bit differently on some of the songs, but I do go with my gut as to what lyric tugs at my heart or brings out something in me that makes me smile, the most, as a favorite.

I appreciate your hard work on that Ron. I still wish everyone would vote one way, but that is basically a moot point. It would be easier for the person adding up things


great job guys!!!



Kimberly

[RickDieffenbach]

Ron - thank you for keeping the herd moving in a straight lone. Me included. 'appreciate it.

Many many fine tunes, and I have to say that Alistair's blew me away instantly when I heard it. It's a story rich delightful tune that hit on every cylinder.

Robbi - I loved the cleverness of your song, and fun to boot to listen to. You are a solid performer every time.

Scenes and Wendy - a big well deserved congrats.

So many other good tunes. Enjoyed them all.

Rick

[Ironknee]

Thinman, on 20 May 2012 - 07:21 AM, said:

neuroron, on 20 May 2012 - 02:27 PM, said:

Thinman, on 20 May 2012 - 07:03 AM, said:

Hey Ron

I don't understand -some tone-deaf tight-arse only gave me a 2.4 which should've given me a Rank 13 but I didn't get Rank 13 ?

robby

Score sheets from contestants only had 12 scores so the highest rank in those cases was 12 [13 in the cases of a noncontestant scorer]- I didn't create another score using the scorers' mean, like we had been doing since there was no statistical reason to do so. I was debating creating this dummy number to show the whole Excel spreadsheet - since the blanks would give away the identity of each scorer, but me sense is no one is really interested in the actual calculations - Though I don't understand why

Also Robby, as you can tell from the summary of the rank songs, you got two (untied) 1st places, which you wouldn't necessarily have been able to discern in the past. I think it's a sign of a good song when people feel strongly both ways - good and bad - about it.

BTW, there was minimal work involved in this since I was just able to use standard Excel statistical functions. I'm going to take this data to look at inter-rater correlations/reliability - I'm sure most of you are interested in that

Thanks Ron

What's the problem with knowing the identity of each scorer ?

I want to know !

Robby

I don't need/want to know names....but, I would find it interesting as to how the non-contestants scored, in comparison to the contestant scores?? -Tom

[Jason Kalman]

Congrats to all! Every song was very good. I had Annie in first. I absolutely loved the throwback melody and sexy yet cleverly masked undertoned lyrics throughout, very playful and fun. Brilliant job. Thrilled you dug the song Soddy! Your tune was another blues classic! Thanks to Ron for running a flawless competition!
Jason

[musefrommichigan]

WOW, Jason, just to read that one person felt that way about my song gives me such a kick! Thank you from Annie

And Kimberly being third is equally worth being kicked, ha ha thank you so much.

[neuroron]

Ironknee, on 21 May 2012 - 03:09 AM, said:

I don't need/want to know names....but, I would find it interesting as to how the non-contestants scored, in comparison to the contestant scores?? -Tom

I can give you the breakout by contestants and non-contestants - I just need to move things around on the spreadsheet - I have a really busy day today but will post it tonight or tomorrow morning, or if it's better for people I can email them a PDF or something if you PM me your email - Ron

[Zeek]

I had Alistair 1, Scenes 2, and Daddio/Wendy 3. They were in essence all tied for #1 for me. Fantastic that 3 totally different vibes could hit me in the gut like that. Great work everyone. Lot of bright lights shining through here. Not a bad song in the bunch, by far.

Zeek

[Thinman]

Applying Sherlock Holmes' "process of elimination" I am gonna determine the personage what donated me a 2.4 !

I've eliminated all the non-contestants (cos the aforementioned 2.4 only got me a rank of 12) - pretty damn smart me eh ?

And all the contestant scorers are being very obliging in telling me their lowest scores !!!......................the investigation is ongoing..............

It might save me time though Ron if you would tell me the identities of scorers - I don't wanna do any character assassination (HONEST) - I just wanna know so I can research what "butters their muffins" and attempt to get a better mark next time (HONEST)! - (although I might also be tempted to institute a more "stringent" marking process of my own too)

Now - where did I leave my dear stalker, magnifying glass and violin ............ ?

Robby

[scubed]

Robby, you don't think your song deserved a 2.4 (and I agree - I rsally like the lyric &'scored it much higher than that, Sherlock ). Someone gave "Burning Honey" a 2 - and I am confident that even the work-in-progress version I posted didn't deserve such a low score. But so what?

[porcupine]

Congrats Alistair, Daddio/Wendy and Steve
There is something to like in every song in the contest though
My fav was Alistair's, great story.

Great job at running the contest.

Porcupine

[Alistair S]

I'm happy to share my scores.. who knows, it may help the deductive process!

6.0..... Not That Lucky – porcupine
7.0..... Dream a Happy Dream – Rick Dieffenbach
N/A.... What True Love Means – Alistair S
8.1..... Mystery Bow – musefrommichigan
5.1..... Chasing Mirages – TamsNumber4
5.0..... Whiplash – HoldenTheFuries
6.1..... Sister Halle – Soddy Bottoms
8.0..... Naked Ladies and Acrobats – WendyD and daddio
9.0..... Clouds – ScenesFromPalacio
7.5...... Constellations - Jason Kalman
7.4...... Gravity Pull – Thinman
6.2...... Burning Honey – Scubed
6.3...... Please Leave Your Message – Ironknee

Normally, I'd have grouped more people on the same score, but (initially) thought Ron wanted them separated.

[neuroron]

Sharon & Robby,

What's interesting to me is examining the distributrion of scores and what that tells you about your audience.
There was pretty good uniformity of assessment of Sharon's (relatively tight unimodal distribution of scores) where Robby's was much more "love it or hate it," more spread with what looks like a bimodal distribution.

Scubed
|
2.00
|
4.00 4.00
5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00
6.10 6.20 6.50 6.70 6.30 6.90 6.40 6.50 6.00 6.00 6.20 6.00
7.00 7.00 7.00
8.50
|

Thinman
|
2.40
|
4.50 4.40 4.00
5.50 5.50
6.30 6.50 6.40 6.40
7.00 7.00 7.00 7.50 7.40 7.50 7.00
8.00 8.50 8.00 8.00
|
10.00

[musefrommichigan]

I gave no scores below 6.5... but I would suggest letting it go.. I have had some of the lowest scores ever in my time here. Certainly knowing who did it is not going to make it better because, if your are upset now, you will always know and feel bitter about it.
There is always a next time to knock 'em dead...which means "impress them, a term with a far different meaning then it appears. One thing for sure is this, I want my voting private and if I find that others find out about it, I will not participate again.
Annie

[bernabby]

Thinman, on 20 May 2012 - 05:03 AM, said:

Hey Ron

I don't understand -some tone-deaf tight-arse only gave me a 2.4 which should've given me a Rank 13 but I didn't get Rank 13 ?

robby

What's your problem, dude? Why do you have to insult people with your name calling just because you think so highly of your song? The scoring range is 1 thru 10 with tenth of a point allowances. Seems to me that you should be thankful for the decimal scoring else that would have been a 2. Just accept the generousity of the additional .4 you got. People are not going to want to participate in scoring for fear of angry egos hunting them down. Just relax and move on to your next song. Spend your time more wisely in a creative spirit rather than a vengeful one. You, yourself, acknowledge that your songs don't necessarity resonate with everyone. You have your own unique audience where you will have a higher hit/miss ratio. I vote the songs as I hear them. That's what we should all do. I don't like to see intimidating comments about people's voting. Man, that's totally disrespectful. People spend a lot of their time listening and expressing what they hear through their votes. Your comments only discourage people from participating. You don't like your scores then don't play. People's egos should not exceed their respective talents.

[FunkDaddy]

Thinman, on 20 May 2012 - 01:21 PM, said:

Thanks Ron

What's the problem with knowing the identity of each scorer ?

Perhaps this...

Thinman, on 20 May 2012 - 08:03 AM, said:

I don't understand -some tone-deaf tight-arse only gave me a 2.4

[scubed]

neuroron, on 21 May 2012 - 11:20 AM, said:

Sharon & Robby,

What's interesting to me is examining the distributrion of scores and what that tells you about your audience.
There was pretty good uniformity of assessment of Sharon's (relatively tight unimodal distribution of scores) where Robby's was much more "love it or hate it," more spread with what looks like a bimodal distribution.

Ron, you are exactly right (and thank you for taking the time to run the numbers this way ). If one is trying get useful feedback from contest scores, this is how to do it. (And, in looking at scoring this way, one should probably discount any outliers - low OR high. Or maybe just the low ones. )

[ScenesFromPalacio]

Congratulations to Alistair (very touching lyric -well expressed-it really grew on me ) and Wendy n Daddio (Just a beautiful song with loads of natural space )

My favourite was Wendy n Daddio's closely followed by Jasons which had a wonderful exhuberant sunniness n great hook ..
Just behind them were muse from michigan (quirky n fun -brilliant vocal -sounds like an old time standard ) n Thinman (a cool song with neat,interesting chord changes -definitely one of the best of his i've heard )
There were alot of excellent tracks this month and i listened to the songs 3 or 4 times on seperate occassions to try and seperate them -which was hard..Something to enjoy in all of them f'sure..

Thanks Alistair Zeek n Rick for the mentions and for Ron for running it with so much effort n enthusiasm doing the new score breakdowns..

I dunno if the rules have changed -but i think its a mistake i've been put up there on the winners podium lol
I was under the impression Gold n Silver qualified for the end of year (so are the 'winners' ) n bronze was basically nowhere..