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Judging a Dramitico Musical Competition
In judging a dramitico musical competition, there are many factors that one should take into consideration.
It is a huge mistake to believe that such competition should be limited to the judging of a contestant's voice or personality alone. When I access a contestant, I go much deeper than that...
Some of the things that I consider are:
- Dress and Grooming: are they appropriate for the occasion?
- Posture: does the contestant have good body control? Does he or she moves with rhythm or complimentary posturing in setting the mood of his or her performance, complimenting his or her tonality, range and voice inflection?
- Gesture: does the contestant become monotonous, overdoing one or two gesture or expression
- Confidence and Humility: does the contestant come across as someone confidence, poised, and self-assured? Or does nervousness and inappropriate laughter get the better of him or her? Does the contestant show humility during his or her performance or cheat the audience with an "I don't care " lackluster performance?
- Voice Tonality, Inflection and Range: does or can the contestant make full use of his or her voice range. Or is his or her performances limited to songs and melodies that require high or low notes
- Choice of Song: does the contestant choose songs that are safe and easy to sing or is the contestant capable of singing any song? Does he or she choose songs that harmonize with a theme, mood or message that he or she would like to deliver?
- Indication of Preparation: Is the performance polished and error free?
SALEPERSONSHIP (most Important)
- Delivery: does the contestant paint a picture of sincerity, earnestness, and wholeheartedness? Does he or she exude self-expression, enthusiasm, animation, and an emotional appeal? Is there variety in the performance? For example: pacing oneself, creating word picture, painting a scene, capturing a mood, using the full range of ones voice, creating a well-defined climax.
- Relationship with Ones Audience: does he or she involve his or her audience in the performance? Directly or indirectly, does the audience participate with applauds or emotional involvements?
- Imagination: is the performance of the cut and dry familiar rendition or features originality and uniqueness?
If one judge a competition based on these criteria, it is very easy to see who are the best contestants.
Without such guidelines, it is equally easy to get carried away with one aspect of a contestant's performance while overlooking more important ones.
Ranking the top Seven 2004 American Idol contestants, Based on the Above Criteria:
Fantasia Barrino:
She is ranked number one in most every category; absolutely peerless on delivery and "salesmanship"
LaToya London:
She is ranked number one or two in most categories but needs to work on SALEPERSONSHIP which is weighted more heavily than all the rest combine.
Jennifer Hudson:
She is very good with songs that require high notes but need to develop a full range
Diana DeGarmo:
Good!! But lack range and variety, excellent with songs that require high notes and excitement but still not sufficiently tested in other areas. Preliminary findings indicate that she is also weak on the most fundamental aspects of delivery: sincerity and wholeheartedness
George Huff:
He is very good with songs that require low notes but need to develop a full range. I'm of the opinion that it is more important to be able to hit the high notes.
Jasmine Trias:
She has excellent potential! Potentially the best of the group on slow ballads but lacks confidence and a commanding presence
John Stevens:
He would be number two (Barrino would be gifted on any stage) in an easy listening, classical or Broadway musical setting but not in a pop music setting. He lacks the most important ingredient in a pop setting: delivery
One does not have to agree with my choices. But at least, one should engage the mind in the decision making process.
Don Stewart
http://unitedtradeways.com
PS. Fantasia has probably won every statistically valid vote in this year's American Idol competition and the majority of expert opinions too! And so I have a real problem with this kind of FREE for All Format. It is grossly misleading with regards to true public opinion. Internet and phone-in polls are seldom accurate; results might be closer than they seem in a valid research format or they might be more divergence; therefore it is not wise to use Internet and phone-in polls to draw comparison with regards to popularity, potential record sales or the scope of public appeal or acceptance. Also, records sales is not necessary a good indicator of performance level. Such arguments are without proper foundation.
Remark:
"I have not read all of these posts, however, I would like to say that I think talent (or lack thereof) is a matter of personal preference. I am a trained opera singer and I know that does not mean a thing!!! Some people would hate my voice. I prefer Diana's voice to Fantasia's. Why do people have to be so defensive and insist one is better than the other? Some would not buy Diana's cd and some would not buy Fantasia's . To insist that one is better than the other is clearly a matter of opinion and NOT fact. To say that Fantasia moves you is wonderful. I'm glad. Diana's "I Believe" moved me to tears and Fantasia's did nothing for me.
The world does not revolve around one singer or one opinion. If we all liked the same type of music and singers, it would be a dull world and we might get unlucky and get stuck with Rap or Hip Hop. The best to both girls.
Diana is still #1 in my book and I think she will have a lasting successful career."
Response:
The issue for me is not voice or who has the better voice. That's a personal preference. I'm talking performance. And there are established criteria that one uses to judge bad, good and great performances. They are still subjective but establish principles as one would find in any area of the art, including the design of a scientific research model or diagnosing a patient’s ailment. At times, however, some highly gifted people do not need these guidelines to render knowledgeable assessment of an artistic output. It can often be done through the use of ones subconscious. Some people simply sense or intuit their way through. This skill can come from experience or it can be inborn.
Similarly, the attributes necessary for great performances can come from experience or it can come from natural instincts. The technical stuff can be taught, but the intangible elements can only come from within through experience or inborn endowments. Fantasia’s performance attributes are inborn. Her on-stage performances are natural outgrowths of her persona, feelings and explanatory style. To compare the performance ability of a natural with someone who has been taught what to do and how to act or perform is a fool’s joke, a total disrespect of the pre-conscious and subconscious processes.
Donald S. Stewart
PS. My comments are not based on musical taste. I enjoy all music. Similarly, they are not based on race, culture or creed. The only race I cherish is the human race. The only culture I value is the ways of truth. The only creed I know is the power of belief.
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