New contesting idea!!!

[Mike Saville]

To avoid all those weeks and weeks (and sometimes months) of rehearsing the same piece over and over I propose a 'Sight Reading Contest'.

Here's how it could work:
- Bands are still divided into sections as now, with each band bringing along a piece of music to play, this piece is put into a draw.
- When the draw is done each band receives an order of play and a piece of music. (it could be worked so you don't get the music you brought)
- Each band is then given thier music when they go into rehearsal for half an hour before going on stage.

You could use this format for Marches/Entertainments programmes and increase/decrease pieces of music.

Some tactics would come into play as you would not want to take along a difficult piece of music lest you receive one in return. Also if you happen to draw a piece you know then your lucks in!

It needs some work, but who knows 2010 could be the first All Commers Sight Reading Challenge!

 

[Keppler]

hehe what a great idea. I do like.

 

[picju96]

It's good, but what about the advantages of the bands that have been going years, and have therefore built up a huge library? My band's only 6 years old and doesn't have much music... We'd be at a great disadvantage not knowing much music!

 

[IckleSop]

great idea i love slight reading

 

[Euph-Bari]

great idea :!: :!:
but alot of the bands woudn't be sight reading as you can't be sure they havn't played the piece before - there would be some way around that

 

[Mike Saville]

It may happen that a band will get a piece it has seen before (good luck to them) but it wuld be impossible for any band to practice everything in case it came up.

My original idea was that every band would sight read a test piece written specifically for the contest, but this would give an unfair advantage to those bands drawn last as they woud be able to listen befoe hand.

. . although maybe that's how we get an audience for the whole of a contest??

 

[andywooler]

That's a great idea - how about extending it as follows:

New commission, never seen by the bands before and also, given to the adjudicator on the day - no time then for him/her to have formed an opinion as to how the piece should go

 

[JessopSmythe]

Sounds good to me. You may get "lucky" and come across a piece you know but in my experience, the worst thing to put infront of a band is something the think they can remember but last played about 5 years ago. That should cancel out most of the supposed advantage and make it fairly even

 

[Mike Saville]

I like the idea of adjudicators sight reading as well!

Any ideas as to what the prize categories might be? I'm thinking they might be slightly different to he norm??

 

[bigcol]

It's a great thread this!!

I do think that contesting needs to be shaken up - the present system is so flawed and open to suggestive criticism.

I like Alan Morrison's idea of having a criteria - a list of things that the adjudicator is looking for. That's a start.

We do need new ideas - the "test piece" idea is rather stale and I would love to see more things introduced, like sight reading, musicianship and so forth.

 

[Dan]

I like the idea of adjudicators sight reading as well!

Any ideas as to what the prize categories might be? I'm thinking they might be slightly different to he norm??

Surely this would have the same kind of effect as:

My original idea was that every band would sight read a test piece written specifically for the contest, but this would give an unfair advantage to those bands drawn last as they woud be able to listen befoe hand.

By the time the bands drawn last came to play, the adjudicator would no longer be sight reading the score and may have a different perspective on it

 

[PeterBale]

It may happen that a band will get a piece it has seen before (good luck to them) but it wuld be impossible for any band to practice everything in case it came up.

My original idea was that every band would sight read a test piece written specifically for the contest, but this would give an unfair advantage to those bands drawn last as they woud be able to listen befoe hand.

. . although maybe that's how we get an audience for the whole of a contest??

Why not contact publishers regarding new works that are due to be released? Certainly within the Salvation Army there are usually plenty of pieces in the pipeline, and I should imagine other agencies would have something they could make available. The day could then be a showcase for new music, with the opportunity for bands to order any pieces that create an impression.

 

[blondie]

I think this idea is great in its simplest form. If you started (hypothetically) introducing some of the 'catches' listed above then you are potentially opening the contesting process to the same kind of flaws that we all moan and grumble about presently. I'm the same as IckleSop
and enjoy sight reading, because even this at its most basic level will sort 'the men from the boys'.

Again good idea Mike :!: :!:

 

[Kari Anson]

Although I'm not too hot on my sightreading this idea is fantastic. Could you not put this forward to some brass banding committee or organisation and see how far you got with it? You could take royalties for simply having such a wonderful idea.

 

[aimee_euph]

I'm quite good at sight reading....sort of 8)

 

[geordiecolin]

How about, a newly commisioned piece is sent out to the bands and the adjudicator a couple of weeks before the contest?

This would rule out any advantage gained by playing last, unformed adjudicators views and prevent any posibility of bands having previously performed the piece.

The obvious flaw though is that some bands would spend every night for a fortnight practicing, whilst some bands may only manage a couple of rehearsals.

Good idea though, a good way of improving sight reading and introducing new works.

 

[jfenwick]

to make sure a band hasn't played the piece before you could have newly commisioned (if thats how you spell it) pieces or new arrangements.

 

[Brian]

New Contesting idea

I always liked sight reading, both as a player and conductor. But reading past posts on other matters in the forum, if the piece is presented to you on the day, what will the percussionist (s) be required to take . and will they need 1/2 /3 or 4players...could have problems...or better still don't have percussion..problem solved.. :lol: :roll:

 

[jfenwick]

ahem. that was cheeky

 

[Euph-Bari]

heez got a point though it would be better off without

they could always tell you what percussion you needed in advance