no octopad in guitar center drum-off this year

there used to be a killer guitar competition in the state of Ohio. Knew a guy who won it twice the third time he came in second to a guy that played killer classical acoustic guitar. Not sure if that is still going on or not.

HA! Sounds like the perfect satire. Guitar competition going strong and very popular, until a classical acoustic guitarist wins..............


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2017 Drumming News:
"Guitar Center Drum Competition cancelled after 28 years. Due in part because the Octopad was discontinued,
and last years winner, Jose Beserria from Brazil, won by using no sticks, playing only with his hands."


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I just personally dislike the idea of music as competition in any sense. Isn't the idea to be the best you that you can be anyways?

I applaud the dropping of the Octopad, but I think I'd be more happy with GC sponsoring a summer series of "discovered" bands doing shows for a national audience using its network of stores as venues and the internet to get those bands exposure outside of their local markets. Everyone would win.


not THAT is an idea. but it would still probably be the band that sounds like whatever is the popular style right now. like. I don't they'd let a band in the style of say symphony x be the winner over a band that is playing generic core breakdown #3 .. It will always be subjective
 
Maybe they could just have a pair of sticks, have a stick twirling contest and forget the drums altogether?
 
I can't dispute what you say. I guess what I really want to say that in addition to the drum off, I'd like to see a "competition" that showcases the other side of the coin. For balance sake.

I find it curious that drums are almost the only instrument that has competitions.

Why is that?

I think it goes back to the instrument's roots, rudimental drumming. While ultimately you can argue that everything is subjective, there really is more of a right & wrong, good & bad, faster & fastest and degree of musicality, touch and dynamics in that genre (the last parts being the most subjective).

I think for a competition to be really legit you need some degree of standardized repertuorie, otherwise you're in a totally subjective place with a rubber ruler. With that point in mind, it makes sense that there are actually TONS of competitions for pretty much all of instruments in the classical world.
 
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IDK, IMO it would be no harder to judge. It's all 100% subjective anyway. It all boils down to the judge's opinions, there are no hard facts.

The lines are much clearer when assessing chops, than they are when assessing taste. The judges tend to be very like-minded on their decisions, there are rarely ties. Yes, we talk to each other after the winner is announced.

But regarding opinions on what's tasteful or what works in the real world, it's a very different matter. Just look at the various perspectives in this forum on drummers who over/under-play, and exactly what that means to each of us. It would be extremely difficult to separate contestants based on who's musically best, unless you have judges of a specific musical-professional temperament, and then it just ends up being biased towards what the judges would play.

With the chop-fest that is the Drum Off, I don't do any of that stuff, so I'm completely neutral to whether I would do those kind of fireworks or not. My perspective doesn't come into play, however I know when I'm seeing genuine technical skill being implemented well. Those are the drummers that get high marks from me. FYI, the point range in each category is 1 thru 10, and I rarely give anyone a 10. I've never given a perfect score. It takes a lot to impress me.

But I wouldn't be comfortable trying to judge another drummer's musical sensibilities... it would be strictly my perspective as a drummer who likes to underplay just a bit. Unless I was auditioning them to sub for me.

Bermuda
 
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