Gsoul82

Hey all,
I had been thinking about adding a few new genres or categories to our challenge possibilities. Bono brought it up the other day, so I know I'm not alone now. I'm wondering who else is thinking about this.
I've been thinking about certain specialty challenges. These are ones where everybody doesn't have to do the same song. For example, with 4th of July approaching, here in the United States, and this being an international forum, I thought about the idea of a National challenge, where everybody picks a song that has to do with the country they live in. For example, I might do something like Georgia by Ray Charles.
Maybe a celebration challenge that focuses on holidays would be cool too.
Bono already brought up musicals. Does anybody else have any ideas?

Hey all,
I thought now would be a good time to suggest how things are going to go down for next month. Being short on time and the fact that people just don't log in every single day sometimes, I think it would be good to make things clear ahead of time, so people know how selection will go down before it's time for selection.
So, what the plan has been is that voting for new genres would  open up on the 26th of the month. July's challenge is meant to start on July 6th. June's challenge also ends on July 6th.
I think the final solution we can use here, so that from now on we can vote for everything, will be this:
 
Let's open voting on the 25th of the month from now on. Let's open voting on June 25th, which will be for genre selection. We'll be doing two genres again. Voting will be open for 4 days. Voting will close on the 29th in this case.
 
Voting will open for song selection on the 29th. It will be open for 3 days. This won't be a poll. Everybody can suggest two songs for each genre, just like before. This will end on the 2nd.
 
Voting for the challenge songs will open on the 2nd, and it will run for 4 days. From July 2nd to July 6th.
 
The challenge for July will begin on the 6th.
 
Does everybody think this is good? If not, make it clear. Remember, I am merely the facilitator of these challenges. I try to organize things in a way to try to keep everyone involved.
These are the genres, once again.
 
R&B
 
Rock
 
Country
 
Blues
 
Pop
 
Folk
 
Jazz
 
Gospel
 
We did Rock in May. We are currently doing Country and Jazz. That still leaves Blues, Pop, Folk, R&B, and Gospel. Remember, the goal of these challenges is to get everybody doing different things. We want everybody to get out of their element and get them used to doing this stuff. This will allow as many people to get involved as possible, because the people who use this forum don't all listen to the same stuff, and, if the goal is to learn something other than what you're used to, plus still having the chance for your genre(s) of choice to be chosen, we're really including people (and there's also the fact that, for example, if Country is one of the chosen challenge genres, you don't have to sing a Country song like a Country song here. If your favorite genre is Rock or R&B, you can sing the challenge songs in those styles).
Country and Jazz were this month, so they will not be choices for this next month, just like Rock wasn't a choice for June. Rock will be back on the ballot this month. Of course, Rock can be voted in again, but it's also important to note that there are several genres that have yet to receive their first shots. Let's make a solid effort to give everything a chance, folks. If it gets close to Christmas time, and we still have genres that we haven't done yet, things may need to be reevaluated.
 
So, if everyone is alright with what I proposed up there with the dates, then we will proceed. The topic regarding rules and guidelines will be edited, and this is what we'll go by from now on.. This topic will close on the 25th, and the genre voting topic will go up.

​OMG! What a coincidence! I just learned that song in my singing class, and I have an upload on youtube of me doing it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROv9w6K8JIk

Please upload a pic for your avatar. It makes the forum look better. If I like reading your posts, it's easier to see a unique pic than juts a gray blob.
 

I thought I would give Autumn Leaves a shot. I tried Jazz for a while and that was just not happening. My internal rhythm is out of phase with Jazz.
 So here it is If Bob Dylan or maybe Arlo Guthrie had written it.........
     Just call me Nat King Coalminer.
     https://soundcloud.com/mdew-4/autumn-leaves-practice
   

​Bono, we didn't vote. We've got a schedule to keep to on these challenges. Time was running out, and something needed to be done to keep uniformity and to keep everybody involved. On the 3rd, because of time, I said that, for 3 days, people would suggest songs. After that, 5 songs would be randomly selected from each genre of suggestions and we would vote for 3 days to choose what we were going to sing. Those first 3 days came and went and MDEW was the only one to pop up by the 3rd day. People had suggestions beforehand, but we still had absolutely no suggestions for Jazz. I had to change things again in order for the contest to start on time. Then 6 new people came in on the last day, plus other people suggesting things. There was no time to vote. I said what I was going to do, and nobody suggested something else.
The random selection tool was only used because of time. This month, we'll aim to have everything be done by voting.
 
In the meantime, I'd really like to hear you sing some Nat King Cole. Don't tell me you don't like him if you like Eric Benet
 

​Wow, Killer. Got the ball rolling already.
What I like is the idea of singing songs I don't know. Especially ones I never heard of before. Getting out of your comfort zone.
This may have some truth to it, but the goal of these challenges is to explore new, challenging things as much as we can. If it was all about turnout, that's what we'd do. It's about doing things we may not have tried under ordinary circumstances. As many people as possible need to feel involved in this though, so that's why there's voting. The random selection thing was only something that happened because people hadn't been posting in here for some days. People just happened to be suggesting the same things on the last day, and I didn't want anyone to feel cut out of it because they happened to not log in on that day. It's very important for people to have as much say in this as possible though, so there will be voting for the genre and the song selection for this July's challenge. Unless people seriously object to that and demand that random selection be used again

I haven't been singing much the past few weeks, but this is a great song I and definitely love the genre so I started working on it figured it would at least get the ball rolling:
 
https://app.box.com/s/ss28tjygcma0ivrtx096ygcdzbafykmg
 
Never sung this one before. I kind of like the idea of randomly picking the songs, that way we have to learn new songs rather than going back to old favorites. It's better for me to to learn something new. I know it took me a few listens to absorb the song into my head, and  more time to figure out how I might sing it. It helped me also to Listen to Miles Davis doing one.  Even though it's a semi famous song I wasn't particularly familiar with it.
 
The problem with that, of course, is participation will likely be lower the more people have to learn, where as if you pick All of Me, or Don't Stop Believing, something recent or everyone already knows, it lowers the bar of entry.

Random picker made an excellent choice. I like Nat. And during my days of security work and bodyguard stuff, I got to meet his daughter, Natalie and was her bodyguard for an evening. Nothing as dramatic as Kevin Costner, but she did step on my left boot, by accident. The club where she was performing was crowded.
 

Great Job G, by taking the bull by the horns and getting us ready.
 When Jazz was mentioned Nat King Cole was the one of the first to pop in my head. Just too many songs to choose from so I missed the deadline.
Thanks to this thread I also ended up with one of those ear worms......"Mack the knife" will not stop playing in my head (Bobby Darren)......It just doesn't seem like the correct song for a Jazz challenge so I did not suggest it.

​Great Job Gsoul!! I was kind of kidding; and yes, I do like Nat King Cole

​Bono, we didn't vote. We've got a schedule to keep to on these challenges. Time was running out, and something needed to be done to keep uniformity and to keep everybody involved. On the 3rd, because of time, I said that, for 3 days, people would suggest songs. After that, 5 songs would be randomly selected from each genre of suggestions and we would vote for 3 days to choose what we were going to sing. Those first 3 days came and went and MDEW was the only one to pop up by the 3rd day. People had suggestions beforehand, but we still had absolutely no suggestions for Jazz. I had to change things again in order for the contest to start on time. Then 6 new people came in on the last day, plus other people suggesting things. There was no time to vote. I said what I was going to do, and nobody suggested something else.
The random selection tool was only used because of time. This month, we'll aim to have everything be done by voting.
 
In the meantime, I'd really like to hear you sing some Nat King Cole. Don't tell me you don't like him if you like Eric Benet
 

Oh snap! I guess I got put on my cowboy hat for this one...

Good tunes in both genres. That worked out nicely

Oh snaap!!! My song got selected. I guess i should step up then :))

ok, then. I got start listening to this one... Good job "Challenge Master"!

He choose randomly. Wasnt by vote. Otherwise country choicze would have been something else. Bonnie Rait i think

Alright, suggestions are done. Now I will get to randomly selecting the challenge songs. Videos of this will be posted.
 
Ronws
"All My Rowdy Friends" by Hank Williams, Jr 
"You Never Even Called Me By My Name"
 
Gneetap
"Train Train" by Blackfoot?
"I can't make you love me" by Bonnie Rait
 
Elvis
"You'll Never Leave"
"Feeling Good"
"I can't Make you Love Me"
 
Robert Lunte
"My Heroes have always been Cowboys" by Willie Nelson
"I can't Make you Love me"
 
Hobbit Rock
"Grand Tour" by George Jones
"Don't Get Around Much More" by Nat King Cole
"One for My Baby" by Frank Sinatra
"Copperhead Road" by Steve Earle
 
MDEW
"Cold cold heart"
"I can't Help if I'm Still in Love you"
by Hank Williams Sr.
 
GSoul
"Feels like Today" by Rascal Flatts
"This Time" by Carrie Underwood
"Feeling Good" by Nina Simone
"Summer Wind" by Frank Sinatra
 
Jabroni
"Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash
"El Paso" by Marty Robbins
 
Anthony
"Autumn Leaves"
"They Say it's Wonderful"
 
Felipe Carvalho
"Crazy he Calls Me" by Billie Holiday
 
Bono
"Feeling Good"
"I can't Make you Love me"
 
 

I was finally able to get "The Four Pillars" and wanted to drop a few lines about it.
I have not been able to perform a Full Practice/Training session yet but just by learning and training the specialized onsets while driving and performing other tasks I have greatly improved.
In the lectures, Roberts enthusiasm for teaching and his desire for the students to make progress really shines through.
I have no doubt that "The Four Pillars of Singing" would be of benefit to any singer, whether Novice or Professional.
Thank you Robert for taking the time to put together a program that is thoughtful, knowledgeable and entertaining as well.

​Don't worry about it, Dew.  It's great to have as many people as possible get involved with this, but everyone knows that life can get busy at the drop of a hat, and suddenly the time isn't there. I managed to get an attempt off and tried to get a second version done, but the time wasn't there. I didn't manage to record anything with a backing track this time. I want that to be different this month, so I'm going to see if I can make that happen.
Speaking of this month, it would be great if you could be a part of it. We're running two challenges this month: Jazz and Country. And it would still be nice to have you post a Highway Star cover in here.

Alright, everyone. Voting has now finished. It's interesting how things happen, because we decided to do two challenges this month and it just so happens we ended up in a tie. Both of the tying genres have been selected. This month, we're going to be doing Country and Jazz!

Hi!
Had to put something together quickly with the notebook, currently away from home. I thinkin its ok but there may be some unballances on the mix (no good headphones with me  ).
https://app.box.com/s/kwny9uwtzmjq2ugeet4swf8bx1enhswj
\m/ rock on!

Me and one of My students Oliver played around with this in our session, he has a really cool voice and is extremly talented so enjoy  
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGGfDTopUjI
 

Well done Ronws! Awesome singing! I liked your tone, and it kind of reminded me of ZZ Top! I just think you need to tighten your timing in a couple of parts. Keep on Rocking!

​Hey GSoul, I could not even see the attached file. It shows an empty window in my screen. What am I doing wrong?