January 2008 Monthly Competition Submissions Thread

Right, to not confuse time zones... you may turn it in any time February 1st!!! Please note that by 12:00 A.M. (Central Time, U.S.A.) Feb. 2nd, if your post is not on this board, I will NOT accept your piece, sorry, there has to be a cut off.

Originally Posted by jujimufu

Hey, M_is_D, is everything ok? As soon as I mentioned that I won't be marking the compositions if I don't get more compositions submitted you suddenly became very angry that your composition will not be graded. You seem more interested in winning than learning. A victory in a semi-competitive environment such as YC, or in any environment really, has absolutely no value if you don't learn from it. You don't only learn from losing, you learn from winning as well.

Huh? I got mad because I noticed submissions weren't coming in, which I found worrisome. I don't like entering something while no one else shows signs of activity. You naturally associated being mad with someone who just wants prestige and glory to themselves. I don't really expect to win this. I entered because the format that was suggested was one I was familiar and confortable with. And besides, what's the interest in winning a competition where the best (and only ) thing you receive are constructive comments from reviewers?

Originally Posted by jujimufu

Now, if you're not interested in learning, I am not interested in writing a review for you. And it will be a pity, because I've already started writing a review which has reached 6 pages already and I haven't touched 3 of the criteria yet. So, if you think you're angry that you spent some time writing this composition hoping you'll win in this competition and you won't because the other people haven't submitted their pieces, then imagine how finding out that you are not interested in reviews will make me feel after writing that lengthy review of your piece.

Now you're just putting words in my mouth. From your assumption I'm not interested in learning, you're assuming I'm not interested in reviews. Reviews are all you get in these competitions, I'm not trying to get anything else.

Originally Posted by jujimufu

That's a funny thing to hear, at least from you, since you submitted the piece only 5 hours after Morivou opened the submission thread... You did have more time, in fact you had 18 days, which is something more than two weeks and a half, to make your piece better.

That was, I admit, my mistake; I thought the submissions deadline was much shorter than it is, for some reason.

Originally Posted by jujimufu

So can I assume that you consider your piece perfect?

No. It's far from it.

Originally Posted by jujimufu

If so, then I will be a bit more strict in my marking. If not, then I will also be stricter because it means you neglected your composition, as you had an extra two weeks to make it better but you didn't.

You can be as strict as you find reasonable. But the way you're phrasing it, you sound like you'll do it out of spite.

Originally Posted by jujimufu

Please make sure you behave yourself and don't just swear at people like that. You only make it worse for yourself and social skills is half the job in the artistic world. It's not just talent.

My teacher calls me a lazy idiot almost every single class and yet he adores me. 'Social skills in the artistic world' means a lot.

Originally Posted by Morivou

To Tomas:
I too, if I had not already reviewed the piece and sent it to you (with no response from you with so much as a thanks or even something regarding the comments) would have graded the piece lower and been much harsher on my comments. PLEASE be more careful in the future. You don't want to loose any of our respects, do you?

I submited a piece, as expected, and received an equally expected review - which I agreed with. I assume that the action of not sending a completely meaningless 'thanks' through pager or PM was a pre-written social rule upon which I made a faux pas - things I never value much.

So now because you think I was rude you'd grade the piece lower? Under that perspective, Wagner's music is pure crap, and any nice guy who writes music is better. You'd be ignoring the music and rating it lower just because you don't like the attitude of who wrote it. It's senseless and frankly immature.

I assume that the action of not sending a completely meaningless 'thanks' through pager or PM was a pre-written social rule upon which I made a faux pas - things I never value much.

Uh, if someone does something for you, you thank them! It's just good manners - it's just common decency! If you don't thank them, don't expect them to do it again.

Although I agree that a piece shouldn't be thought less of just because its creator is getting on your nerves.

I submited a piece, as expected, and received an equally expected review - which I agreed with. I assume that the action of not sending a completely meaningless 'thanks' through pager or PM was a pre-written social rule upon which I made a faux pas - things I never value much.

Yes, and when you order a pizza you expect it, yet you say "thank you" to the person who's giving it to you. Plus, if you really care about reviews, then you are thankful about the review that morivou sent you, and you don't pretend to be, so you can as well say "thank you" and mean it. And don't worry about the people who say thank you without meaning it, because they are very randomly found, what you will mostly find is people who don't say thank you when it's appropriate.

So now because you think I was rude you'd grade the piece lower? Under that perspective, Wagner's music is pure crap, and any nice guy who writes music is better. You'd be ignoring the music and rating it lower just because you don't like the attitude of who wrote it. It's senseless and frankly immature.

He didn't say anything like that. But by not being polite you really don't give a good impression. And if I were to give you a review, I would give a different review to a person who really doesn't care about many things other than himself than to a person who really seems friendly and eager to learn.

Huh? I got mad because I noticed submissions weren't coming in, which I found worrisome. I don't like entering something while no one else shows signs of activity. You naturally associated being mad with someone who just wants prestige and glory to themselves. I don't really expect to win this. I entered because the format that was suggested was one I was familiar and confortable with. And besides, what's the interest in winning a competition where the best (and only ) thing you receive are constructive comments from reviewers?

You have no reason to be mad, then. You just have to let it go and wait for the next monthly competition, or another competition. You shouldn't care about the other people in this contest if all you care about is the review. You will get the review on your piece no matter how many people have or have not entered the competition. However, the only difference a lack of participants would make is your piece not being graded, which is when you started ranting about the lack of participants.

Now you're just putting words in my mouth. From your assumption I'm not interested in learning, you're assuming I'm not interested in reviews. Reviews are all you get in these competitions, I'm not trying to get anything else.

I am not. I am just saying what your behaviour implicates. And if you don't think that this is what you actually mean, then you should behave accordingly.

That was, I admit, my mistake; I thought the submissions deadline was much shorter than it is, for some reason.

Well, that's none of our problems, plus you must have realised that a while ago, so you could as well submit a newer version of your piece. That is no excuse, I am sorry.

You can be as strict as you find reasonable. But the way you're phrasing it, you sound like you'll do it out of spite.

No, what I mean is that I would review a piece differently if it was for a person who actually cared about the reviews than if it was a person who didn't.

My teacher calls me a lazy idiot almost every single class and yet he adores me. 'Social skills in the artistic world' means a lot.

My teacher calls me a worthless bum, yet I got 94% in the final exams and he likes chocolate. What you just said is absolutely irrelevant. I don't see how your "social skills" have interacted in your local "artistic environment" to help you manage something... What I mean is that attitude is everything in real life, and especially in the arts where everything depends on the person. You don't have a boss who tells you what to do, you have to do things yourself. You have to go grab opportunities to work, you have to do the work, you have to have a good image of yourself, otherwise no one will care.


What was done was done, I will finish off your review and send it to you. I will see how many more participants have entered and will mark or not mark the submissions respectively.

Take care, and please try to be more careful in the future.

Originally Posted by jujimufu

Yes, and when you order a pizza you expect it, yet you say "thank you" to the person who's giving it to you. Plus, if you really care about reviews, then you are thankful about the review that morivou sent you, and you don't pretend to be, so you can as well say "thank you" and mean it. And don't worry about the people who say thank you without meaning it, because they are very randomly found, what you will mostly find is people who don't say thank you when it's appropriate.

Ah... our pizza service is crap. I'll be damned if I ever thank one of those bastards. Which is hardly the case with Morivou, although his (and your) reaction to not sending a pager message saying 'thank you' is frankly exaggerated. I personally don't give a crap if people say thank you to me - most actually don't. In my opinion actions are what matters.

Originally Posted by jujimufu

He didn't say anything like that. But by not being polite you really don't give a good impression. And if I were to give you a review, I would give a different review to a person who really doesn't care about many things other than himself than to a person who really seems friendly and eager to learn.

I might not be particularly friendly, but I'm not any less eager to learn than other people - neither do I just care about myself.

Originally Posted by jujimufu

You have no reason to be mad, then. You just have to let it go and wait for the next monthly competition, or another competition. You shouldn't care about the other people in this contest if all you care about is the review.

Without other people, it's not a contest.

Originally Posted by jujimufu

You will get the review on your piece no matter how many people have or have not entered the competition. However, the only difference a lack of participants would make is your piece not being graded, which is when you started ranting about the lack of participants.

I actually pretty much ignored your comment about the gradings. What I care about is the written comments, criticisms and suggestions about the piece, not some x/y numerical grade. I started ranting about the lack of participants after that post because it was when you made it clear it was a very possible reality that only a small fraction of the original contestants would be submitting pieces.

Originally Posted by jujimufu

I am not. I am just saying what your behaviour implicates. And if you don't think that this is what you actually mean, then you should behave accordingly.

What I implicate is subjective. Too bad you saw it in a different way than it is.

Originally Posted by jujimufu

Well, that's none of our problems, plus you must have realised that a while ago, so you could as well submit a newer version of your piece. That is no excuse, I am sorry.

And then you people would have to write new reviews... lame, huh? Especially when I didn't say thanks to the first one.

Originally Posted by jujimufu

No, what I mean is that I would review a piece differently if it was for a person who actually cared about the reviews than if it was a person who didn't.

The reviews are all I care about and all I expect. The reviews, not the gradings.

Originally Posted by jujimufu

My teacher calls me a worthless bum, yet I got 94% in the final exams and he likes chocolate. What you just said is absolutely irrelevant. I don't see how your "social skills" have interacted in your local "artistic environment" to help you manage something...

They have. If my family hadn't manipulated a kid into dropping the idea of touring Italy in order for me to do it, I would have never gotten as far as I did. And that kid was nowhere near my level. What I've achieved so far in the artistic environment (not local, mind you: I've toured two foreign countries) wasn't by being nice.

Originally Posted by jujimufu

What I mean is that attitude is everything in real life, and especially in the arts where everything depends on the person. You don't have a boss who tells you what to do, you have to do things yourself. You have to go grab opportunities to work, you have to do the work, you have to have a good image of yourself, otherwise no one will care.

All serious musicians I've met care about good playing, not good image.

Originally Posted by jujimufu

What was done was done, I will finish off your review and send it to you. I will see how many more participants have entered and will mark or not mark the submissions respectively.

Excellent. That's all I ask for.

Only three submissions???? You guys have a few hours left, PLEASE don't let it be between three people. (Not that their pieces are bad or anything)

I'm cleaning stuff up... almost done. Got my info written out ready to copy-paste and everything.

M_is_D, don't say bad words. Using them is like using bas grammar; it shows someone who is not educated or classy. There is really no reason to use them, and a lot of people can get offended. They are only to be used in extreme purposes.

Also, you said, "The reviews are all I care about and all I expect. The reviews, not the gradings." I'm confused. If that's all you care about and not the score, why did you get so crazy about how you want more people to enter. You had said that you wanted it to be a contest with participation. That doesn't really effect the reviews too much.


Aside from that, let's stop arguing. This thread is just for entries and whatnot. Lets just keep it that way.

Less than two hours away!!