The Song Fight Bulletin Board

About 11 years ago, I had a conversation with Sven Mullet in which we mused it would be fun to have a sidefight where the participants get to provide the titles. We brainstormed a bit, and soon afterwards Circle of Titles was born. I've run it at or near the end of Nur Ein every year (except for the ones where I didn't... sorry). The basic idea is that everyone submits some titles, and everyone gets someone else's titles and records songs for those titles.

Here's how it works:

1.) Everyone who wants in announces their intention to participate. (Or not; if you want to surprise us, that's cool with me)
2.) Each participant thinks up two titles and submits them to me.
2a.) Please do not make your titles purposefully nonsensical or difficult for the recipient.
2b.) If two or more people send me the same title, for the sake of variety and fairness, I will politely ask them each to pick a different one.
3.) I randomize stuff up so that each person gets someone else's titles, and send those back.
4.) Each person records a song for one of the titles they get.
5.) At the end, the songs will be posted, along with the revelation of who submitted what titles.
6.) Titles are then up for grabs for whoever wants extra credit. Also, there will be an opportunity to for others to step up and record songs for the "stiffees."
7.) For the record, I'll be participating, too. Yes, that's a little unfair, but I'm doing it anyway.

This year, I feel up for a twist - does anyone want to submit optional challenges alongside their titles as well?

Here's my thinking on the schedule. Today is Thursday, July 8th. I'll give people a week and a day to mull it over and submit their titles - so go ahead and get those to me by Friday, July 16th, and I'll send out the assignments over the weekend, with a two-week working period, so the songs would be due by Monday, August 2nd.

Anyone interested?

I’m in! Love the optional challenge idea.

Sounds like tremendous fun and probably too hard for me to achieve - I’m in!

Sign me up, please.

I'm interested but with my current chronic pain shit I'm not sure I can deliver on a good song. Good thing 'good' isn't a requirement around here.

In with some titles and an optional challenge.

The timing isn't great, but when is it ever?? I'm in!

With eight in so far, this is wonderful!

You folks are responding to the addition of optional challenges much more positively than I expected. Keep 'em coming, everyone!

OK, I'm in.

I'm in, too

Hey folks - I said the deadline for titles/challenges was July 16th - That's tomorrow. I've got eight sets of titles so far, and two others who have expressed interest but not submitted titles yet. Please get those in if you wanna play!

Somehow missed this til now, I'm in, will get you some titles in the next 24 hours if that's within the timeline (no indication that i can see of a time tomorrow)

j$

Thanks, j$!

I've generally not been rigid about deadlines with Circle of Titles. I assume most of us will be late anyway, so attaching a specific hour to the deadline doesn't strike me as useful.

In with titles/challenges, looking forward to this!

The less-than-ideal timing is proving even more less-than-idea, so I am rescinding my "in". I didn't send in any titles yet, but sorry if I held up the assignment of titles. Have fun everyone!

MicahSommer wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 17, 2021 8:04 am

The less-than-ideal timing is proving even more less-than-idea, so I am rescinding my "in". I didn't send in any titles yet, but sorry if I held up the assignment of titles. Have fun everyone!

You didn't hold things up nearly as much as my %&*#$ day job did.

Sending them out today... at some point.

Hey everyone,

Sorry I was running so late on sending out the assignments. My kid unexpectedly got sick.

Anyway, I've sent all the assignments out as PHPBB private messages.

Everyone was assigned two titles to choose from. This year, nobody's titles matched, and in my opinion, none of the titles were anywhere near violating rule 2a. Most of the participants sent at least one optional challenge. In my assignment email, I made sure to let everyone know whether their title provider specified which challenge goes to which title.

Let me know if you provided titles but have not been given your assignment yet, or if you have any other questions.

I've somewhat arbitrarily set the deadline for 15 days from now - 11:59pm August 3rd. Get the songs to me either by using the message board or by emailing me at my personal email address.

Some of you guys really impress me with your productivity! I've gotten three songs from two people already.

I've written mine, but not recorded yet. I did perform a solo version of it live at an open mic last night and it was well-received, so I'm hopeful that the person assigning the title also enjoys it!

How are everyone else's Circle of Titles songs coming along?

Oh man, I have made almost zero progress. Ugh. I feel like I'm chest-deep in sludge. So SLOOOOOOOW

I have the instrumental in decent shape, but I still need to write the lyrics and record the vocal.

I've got nothing yet. I'm finishing my current job today and starting a new one next week and at present I am stressing out too much about everything to be creative. Hopefully I can get something written this weekend to take my mind off it all.

I’ve thought about it but done nothing yet, so I’m going to be late—sorry!