Merlefest mandolin contest

[Alex Fields]

I may try registering for the contest this year (I haven't before), and I was just looking at the regulations for the first time and saw that it says part of the final round involves playing a bluegrass standard with a guitarist/singer. That's a problem for me, because I don't play much bluegrass and I am not by any stretch of the imagination familiar with all or even most of the bluegrass standards. I couldn't even write a list of what they are. Of course, if you don't know the song you can just ask for the chord progression and then pick up the melody by ear, but that still seems like a huge disadvantage. Is this part of the contest intended to test a player's knowledge of the standards, or their ability to play by ear, or what? Either way it seems biased toward certain types of players about whom there is nothing objectively better.

My real question, though, is whether anyone can give me a list of what would qualify as the kind of 'standard' they have in mind. Also, if anyone has a list of songs used in past years, I'd like to see it. Thanks.

[bradeinhorn]

check out some of the rice and skaggs duets or other like albums. i'm sure you'll find some nice ideas in those. also- you might try to contact past winners to ask them about it. several have myspace pages i'm sure.

i'm sure it's not to test your knowledge of standards - probably just to test your ability to improvise tastefully in the vein of bluegrass. it is largely a bluegrass festival, so i'm not sure what you mean by "it seems biased towards certain types of players about whom there is nothing objectively better." Knowing that this contest involves this stage, I'd just prepare yourself as best you can.

[Alex Fields]

Yeah I suppose it's not a legit complaint that a bluegrass festival's mando contest is biased toward bluegrass mando players...but then again I would hesitate to call Merlefest a bluegrass festival. Most of the music there I would not call bluegrass.

[bradeinhorn]

bluegrass ain't bluegrass.

[Ken Berner]

I cannot agree that MerleFest is a "bluegrass festival". It may have been in the past, but over the last couple of years the focus has been on "Americana music" and that covers a lot of ground. I would think that anyone participating in any of the instrumental competitions would be judged fairly at this event, regardless of what genre you specialize in.

[JeffD]

bluegrass ain't bluegrass.
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Like all good jokes there is some truth there.

Nobody goes to that restaurant anymore cuz its always too crowded.

[hedding]

i'd say just pick what you like and hope they like it too.

[bradeinhorn]

regardless of whether or not it is a "bluegrass" festival, if that is one of the required categories for the competition, your energy would be best spent preparing for it. Calling it unfair is like complaining that the pie eating contest you entered is biased to those that like to competitively eat pie because you prefer to eat hot dogs.

[mandolirius]

<i'm sure it's not to test your knowledge of standards - probably just to test your ability to improvise tastefully in the vein of bluegrass.>

I imagine it's also a judging consideration. It would be very difficult to evaluate the broad range of mandolin styles in a contest format.

[mandosis]

In the first portion of the contest, performers present 2 songs of their own choosing - instrumental only, no talking or singing allowed.

The judges then choose the top three who move on to round 2. They are assigned a song to play with "professional players" who are attending Merlefest (no, not usually the headliner acts); the ability to play along in a jam type setting and to take a solo are part of the competition. The contestants are given a few minutes backstage to develop/arrange the song with the professionals, but this portion really seems to emphasize impromptu playing with others.

Merlefest offers a variety of "Americana" venues (there's something for everyone, it's great that way), but a very strong bluegrass influence is present in the instrumental competitions and venues like Mandomania.

Warning - personal opinion alert, it's only a personal opinion folks:

There are always a few contestants who insist on playing a Chris Thile song. Please, don't be tempted. Playing one of his songs in a competition is an invitation for comparison - and no matter how good you are....

[Alex Fields]

Rebecca Lovell played a Thile song and won.

Not that I would think of playing a Thile piece. I don't like any of them quite enough. If I played something other than one of my own pieces it would be classical, or my arrangement of a fiddle tune, or an East European tune. Or who knows maybe I'd do something fun like a solo mandolin arrangement of a Beatles song but probably not.

[Mandodan12]

what thile song did recebba lovell play?

[bradeinhorn]

what thile song did recebba lovell play?
when mandolins dream. you should be able to find it on youtube, i think.

[Alex Fields]

It's also on Chris' instructional DVD. I think the DVD even comes with sheet music for it?

[Emonortem]

It's also on Chris' instructional DVD. #I think the DVD even comes with sheet music for it?
nope, she had to transcribe it by ear.

[Albert Whiting]

The tab for it is on mandozine.com.

[CollingsPicker]

can some one post when mandolins dream on here please
i cant find it any where else

David

mando.land@yahoo.com

[bradeinhorn]

here ya go:


rebecca L. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aqoTGc5mME)

[Jonathan Peck]

When mandolins dream, that's a nice piece. I use it to warm up on before I play something difficult http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif