The time draws near for the Hive's second music contest! We've come up with a long and vaired list of themes, and now it's time to decide which will be the theme of the competition!
1. Environmental: Write a piece of music depicting a specific environment.
This theme has several possible variations. A single environment could be listed, or contestants could choose from a list of environments.
Votes: 8
Score: 23
2. Starcraft: Write a piece of music that fits Starcraft II. Essentially, what does Starcraft sound like to you?
Votes: 1
Score: 3
3. Action Music: Write a piece of music which creates a sense of action, rush, and/or combat. This theme has two possible variations. One would require all submissions to be composed as background music, the other would not.
Votes: 3
Score: 3
4. Cinematic (Non-specific): Write a piece of music that could serve as background music for a cinematic.
Votes: 1
Score: 2
5. Cinematic (Specific): Write a piece of music to replace the background music of a Blizzard cinematic of your choosing. A possible variation would limit the choices to Warcraft 3 cinematics only.
Votes: 1
Score: 4
6. Self-Portrait: Portray yourself (or your image of yourself) in a piece of music. All submissions must have a written explanation of how the submission depicts its creator.
Votes: 6
Score: 21
7. Word: Take a single word and use music to convey any meaning it has to you. This theme has several possible variations. One variation would require all contestants to use the same word (which would be listed in the main post). Another variation would be to create a list for contestants to choose from.
Votes: 2
Score: 4
8. Poetry: Take a piece of poetry (this includes scenes from plays such as Faust and Shakespeare's plays) and write a piece of music to fit it. If you wish to include a vocal part, you are allowed to use the poem for the lyrics. All submissions must be accompanied by the poem you based your piece on. Poems in other languages are allowed so long as you provide a rough translation, and/or an explanation of the poem's meaning.
Votes: 1
Score: 3
9. Variations: Take a simple, non-copyrighted melody (preferrably a well known one, such as a folk song), and create as many variations of it as you can in a single piece. See how many different sounds you can get from using different rhythms, instruments, modes, keys, harmonies, and methods of ornamentation for this one melody, while still keeping your piece coherent and enjoyable.
Votes: 1
Score: 1
10. Character: Write a piece depicting a character from either Warcraft or Starcraft lore.
Votes: 4
Score: 11
11. Location: Write a piece depicting a place in the Warcraft universe.
Votes: 2
Score: 7
12. Lore: Write a piece depicting a specific event in the history of Warcraft or Starcraft.
Votes: 7
Score: 12
I'd like to clarify that this is not a poll. You will notice that there is no poll for this thread. We've decided to run this a little differently. Voters will be asked to make a post, containing, in bold text, their name, and their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th choices for theme. Here's an example (and my own vote):
CoBra b
1st Choice: #6
2nd Choice: #8
3rd Choice: #12
4th Choice: #9
Below each theme, you might have noticed, there are two spaces marked "votes" and "score." "Votes" will show how many votes a theme has received, regardless of its placement within those votes. Score will show how many "points" a theme has received, based its placement in the votes it has received (1st Choice = 4 points, 2nd choice = 3 points, 3rd choice = 2 points, 4th choice = 1 point).
You are allowed to change your votes any time by editing your post. If you do so, please notify me, and I'll edit the score.
Voting will remain open until:
An adequate amount of people have voted.
One theme is significantly ahead of all others in both votes and score.
1. Environmental: Write a piece of music depicting a specific environment.
This theme has several possible variations. A single environment could be listed, or contestants could choose from a list of environments.
Votes: 8
Score: 23
2. Starcraft: Write a piece of music that fits Starcraft II. Essentially, what does Starcraft sound like to you?
Votes: 1
Score: 3
3. Action Music: Write a piece of music which creates a sense of action, rush, and/or combat. This theme has two possible variations. One would require all submissions to be composed as background music, the other would not.
Votes: 3
Score: 3
4. Cinematic (Non-specific): Write a piece of music that could serve as background music for a cinematic.
Votes: 1
Score: 2
5. Cinematic (Specific): Write a piece of music to replace the background music of a Blizzard cinematic of your choosing. A possible variation would limit the choices to Warcraft 3 cinematics only.
Votes: 1
Score: 4
6. Self-Portrait: Portray yourself (or your image of yourself) in a piece of music. All submissions must have a written explanation of how the submission depicts its creator.
Votes: 6
Score: 21
7. Word: Take a single word and use music to convey any meaning it has to you. This theme has several possible variations. One variation would require all contestants to use the same word (which would be listed in the main post). Another variation would be to create a list for contestants to choose from.
Votes: 2
Score: 4
8. Poetry: Take a piece of poetry (this includes scenes from plays such as Faust and Shakespeare's plays) and write a piece of music to fit it. If you wish to include a vocal part, you are allowed to use the poem for the lyrics. All submissions must be accompanied by the poem you based your piece on. Poems in other languages are allowed so long as you provide a rough translation, and/or an explanation of the poem's meaning.
Votes: 1
Score: 3
9. Variations: Take a simple, non-copyrighted melody (preferrably a well known one, such as a folk song), and create as many variations of it as you can in a single piece. See how many different sounds you can get from using different rhythms, instruments, modes, keys, harmonies, and methods of ornamentation for this one melody, while still keeping your piece coherent and enjoyable.
Votes: 1
Score: 1
10. Character: Write a piece depicting a character from either Warcraft or Starcraft lore.
Votes: 4
Score: 11
11. Location: Write a piece depicting a place in the Warcraft universe.
Votes: 2
Score: 7
12. Lore: Write a piece depicting a specific event in the history of Warcraft or Starcraft.
Votes: 7
Score: 12
I'd like to clarify that this is not a poll. You will notice that there is no poll for this thread. We've decided to run this a little differently. Voters will be asked to make a post, containing, in bold text, their name, and their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th choices for theme. Here's an example (and my own vote):
CoBra b
1st Choice: #6
2nd Choice: #8
3rd Choice: #12
4th Choice: #9
Below each theme, you might have noticed, there are two spaces marked "votes" and "score." "Votes" will show how many votes a theme has received, regardless of its placement within those votes. Score will show how many "points" a theme has received, based its placement in the votes it has received (1st Choice = 4 points, 2nd choice = 3 points, 3rd choice = 2 points, 4th choice = 1 point).
You are allowed to change your votes any time by editing your post. If you do so, please notify me, and I'll edit the score.
Voting will remain open until:
An adequate amount of people have voted.
One theme is significantly ahead of all others in both votes and score.
Should we run the poll for the actual contest this way?
I've been thinking about this, and I think it might work out well. If we made it so that voters actually had to provide a post containing their vote and the reasoning behind it, then we could eliminate most (if not all) of the random people voting for pieces because of their style or genre. In addition, we could also just not count posts with reasons like "oh yeah, that one sounded the most like Blizzard music."
At any rate, I see three options for how to run the poll:
1. Simply have a poll and run it as usual.
2. Run the poll like this.
3. Have no poll.
Tell me which option you'd prefer.
I've been thinking about this, and I think it might work out well. If we made it so that voters actually had to provide a post containing their vote and the reasoning behind it, then we could eliminate most (if not all) of the random people voting for pieces because of their style or genre. In addition, we could also just not count posts with reasons like "oh yeah, that one sounded the most like Blizzard music."
At any rate, I see three options for how to run the poll:
1. Simply have a poll and run it as usual.
2. Run the poll like this.
3. Have no poll.
Tell me which option you'd prefer.
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