Rename The Grammies

[brandondrury]

Hey dudes/chicks,

I want to have a "Grammy Award" equivalent. While I generally feel that awards for music are pretty stupid, for some reason it makes more sense on the home recording level.

Basically, I want to add a button in Bash This Recording that allows people to nominate a song for a Not-Exactly-A-Grammy Award. At the end of the year, maybe I can come up with some winners or something and basically recognize the dudes/chicks who are cranking out exceptional work. Then we can bug them more and new members will know these people know what they are talking about or something.

Maybe they can have a Trophy by their username or something.

I'm just tossing the idea out there, but I'm pretty sure I want to do it.

So I need a name for this. It can't by "Grammy Awards". It could be funny to make a parity of Grammy and name it something stupid like Slammy. Then again, maybe there is something more fitting to Recording Review. Maybe "Bashproof Awards"

Brandon

[Bigduggieface]

While I admire the good intentions, I'm not sure that the ultimate outcome of this proposal will amount to anything that approaches (or is ever equivalent to) the Grammy Awards.

I think that Brandon's proposal itself alluded to the inherent ridiculosity and ultimate futility of distributing shiny awards to popular music artists, whether the awards be actual or virtual. We all know that the most popular music is not necessarily the best music.

I'm all for some sort of democratic voting system when it comes to our social systems and governmental decisions.

Music should never be a democracy nor an imposed system. All art should be completely free of all constraints and censorship.

I hope that the creative musicians who frequent this forum agree with me.

[fortyseven]

Originally Posted by Bigduggieface

Music should never be a democracy nor an imposed system. All art should be completely free of all constraints and censorship.
I hope that the creative musicians who frequent this forum agree with me.

While I do agree in principle with what you're saying I do also believe it would be nice if there were a way to recognise someone who has worked hard.

[brandondrury]

I'm not sure that the ultimate outcome of this proposal will amount to anything that approaches (or is ever equivalent to) the Grammy Awards.

Good! That's about the most meaningless award imaginable! I don't have any plans of ever winning one, but I imagine that if i did, I would just put it in a box in a garage. Maybe not.

I think that Brandon's proposal itself alluded to the inherent ridiculosity and ultimate futility of distributing shiny awards to popular music artists, whether the awards be actual or virtual. We all know that the most popular music is not necessarily the best music.

Actually, I don't know that. I believe that music is subjective. When you figure out the best color, I'll find you the best song. Even that crap on the radio today means something to someone.

So while there is always the possibility of bias, censorship, etc I don't see why it's a bad thing to pat a guy on the back for doing a great job.

Things are more complicated by the fact that there is a nothing artistic about S/PDIF or routing in Cubase. In other words, if the Slammies (I made it up off the top of my head) allow a person to build a reputation than his/her words mean more than someone who is brand new when it comes to what gear to purchase.

This way when a guy says X sounds like crap, you can see how many Slammies he has.

I don't know. I'm just thinking out loud.

It seems that these sorts of things (much like the song contests I've done) get tainted when people intentionally set out to win. I think that setting out to be awesome is the first way to kill creavity in the writing process and it leads to corruption and things of that sort. I'm not sure how I'd maintain a don't-give-a-shit attitude about the award in order to maintain creative merit.

Brandon

[nippecraft]

Hey everyone!

Just my two cents, instead of a "grammy"-like award. Maybe someone can setup like a media player for everyone to listen to all the submitted clips. Sort of like our own radio station, if you may. And post all the notable songs, worth giving an award to. Maybe a top ten of the week or top 40 of some kind. And the way one can get into the ranks is by voting. just my two cents, that is all. I digress.

thanks Guys!

[Bigduggieface]

Originally Posted by brandondrury

I believe that music is subjective. When you figure out the best color, I'll find you the best song. Even that crap on the radio today means something to someone.

It seems that these sorts of things (much like the song contests I've done) get tainted when people intentionally set out to win. I think that setting out to be awesome is the first way to kill creavity in the writing process and it leads to corruption and things of that sort.

The way I see it, voting for a song or an artist becomes a popularity contest. If there were an objective method to determine whether someone has "worked hard" or if one song or artist is "better" in some way, I'd be all for it. There is no objective criteria to determine these sorts of issues.

We are all making music with various equipment, budgets, musical styles, and experience levels. Let the artist with the most CDs or singles sold to the music-buying public be the winner! Consumers vote with their pocketbooks and I think that's as true a vote one will find on this issue.

Also, what precautions could be made to ensure that no shady voting is going on? People voting for themselves, or having their friends do it, etc.

Boy, do I sound negative about this issue. I'm just think that voting for music is a dubious enterprise.

[brandondrury]

If there were an objective method to determine whether someone has "worked hard" or if one song or artist is "better" in some way, I'd be all for it. There is no objective criteria to determine these sorts of issues.

The effort means nothing to me. Some of my favorite music I've recorded was done drunk, tracked, mixed, and mastered all in one afternoon.

As for the "better" thing it is always subjective. It's supposed to be.

I guess it is a voting thing, but I never really looked at it that way. I was simply looking at it like having the ability to add up the number of "Good job!"s you had gotten.

We are all making music with various equipment, budgets, musical styles, and experience levels. Let the artist with the most CDs or singles sold to the music-buying public be the winner! Consumers vote with their pocketbooks and I think that's as true a vote one will find on this issue.

Maybe you are on to something. Maybe I just need to get off my butt and setup a system where artist can sell their music and this would take care of my Slammies. While still corruptible, forcing people to put their money where their mouth is going to dramatically reduce the problems on my end.

Boy, do I sound negative about this issue.

Nah. I've had these exact problems with song contests lately. I always intended them to be fun "get togethers" where we all just showed what we made this week without anyone really expecting to win. The last win turned into a boxing match because some people didn't like the production tactics employed by the song deemed most popular by voting.

It seems impossible to keep these things fun, but still recognize the people that really do stand out.

Brandon