Make Your Own Challenges

[Spintown]

With SpinTunes 4 coming to a close soon. I'm just wondering if there are challenges out there that have not been done in Nur Ein or SpinTunes that you would like to see used at some point. I have a list of 30 or so ideas that haven't been used yet, but I'm curious about what people here want? So if you have suggestions for challenge ideas...post them.

[the idiot king]

i like the idea of a songfight-sanctioned four track fight. you don't necessarily need to limit yourself to four instruments, but that vocal and guitar had better be coming from one mic. you can use stereo synths, but creative bouncing will need to be there to cover it.

i'd encourage use of actual four tracks, but fewer and fewer people probably have one kicking around.

[nyjm]

I'm trying to drum up something to positively contribute, but while ruminating, I can tell you what I haven't liked about past challenges: some can seem overly restrictive. I appreciate the idea of pushing artists outside their comfort zones, encouraging them to explore different tools and paradigms. Challenges like "meaningful use of rubato" are excellent for this: it obliges us to consider how to use an unusual musical form as a tool to enhance our composition.

But, things like "must be a rap" (SpinTunes 3) or the current challenge of "all sounds must be from body parts" don't just push me out of my comfort zones; they shove me over the cliff. I look at those and go "Nope. Zero interest; too narrowing."

So, I would encourage the use of challenges that oblige the artists to explore unusual musical territory but that don't overly hem us in. Perhaps some things like

- through-composed (which has been used in Nur Ein)
- ABA structure
- no chorus
(^those are pretty similar...)

- unusual instrumentation (but be flexible, instead of overly prescriptive)
- stories with a twist ending
- no adjectives
- no verbs
- write a jingle
- significant use of sampling
- must have a bridge
- extended metaphor / allegory
- based on a parable

FAWM had a few interesting challenges this year:
- center the melody around a large interval
- make significant use of riff

[Spud]

How about we post a song title, and you make a song based on it?

[jb]

"don't make a terrible terrible song" seems to be the most difficult challenge for most people.

[Billy's Little Trip]

How about we post a song title, and you make a song based on it?

Dude, that would be awesome if someone would start a site doing this, and .......

......hey, wait a minute....

[the idiot king]

How about we post a song title, and you make a song based on it?

i like this suggestion. sidefights are all well and good and all. but i like writing songs to a title still. even if i only do it sporadically.

[JonPorobil]

How about we post a song title, and you make a song based on it?

You already do that. Spin is trying to solicit suggestions of things for him to do.

[Spintown]

Spud is always so helpful. How about I give you a title suggestion & you give me a challenge that's NOT a title.

"Don't Bring A Knife To A Song Fight"

No...that's too meta...

"Set In My Ways"

I didn't randomly pick words from the dictionary (which seems to happen here once in awhile), but I tried...

[jast]

Here's your challenge: make a difference in the world (optional challenge: a positive one).

[nyjm]

Here's your challenge: make a difference in the world (optional challenge: a positive one).

Challenge accepted! One song about Dr. Horrible coming up!

[Spintown]

But, things like "must be a rap" (SpinTunes 3) or the current challenge of "all sounds must be from body parts" don't just push me out of my comfort zones; they shove me over the cliff.

I can see some people being put off by such challenges, and I knew that before posting them. In defense of those types of challenges, they were given in the later rounds of the contest. We usually try to keep the first couple rounds more open, and more narrow/difficult in the later rounds. With the rap challenge I knew a lot of people would gripe about it, and they did. A number of people decided to pass on shadowing or entering a song that round. Many of the ones who griped about that round, who also entered a song, sent positive feedback about the experience afterwards. We didn't create any new MC's, but people learned something new or had fun for other reasons. With this current challenge I knew there would be people who would be put off by not having their go to equipment available...but the 4 finalist came through, and hopefully a couple of them managed to have fun with it.

[Caravan Ray]

Here's your challenge: make a difference in the world (optional challenge: a positive one).

Challenge accepted! One song about Dr. Horrible coming up!

Who is Dr Horrible? Is that the bloke in Jast's avatar?

[Spintown]

http://drhorrible.com/