I am stoked to be able to include myself as one of the new Open Mic judges, along with the amazingly talented artists @soundlegion, @jessamynorchard and @verbal-d - we have joined with the driving force behind the competition @luzcypher.
@luzcypher started the competition 47 weeks ago now after being inspired by one of our judges @verbal-d, since then the competition has run like clockwork - every week rewarding the talented musicians of steemit.
It wasn't long before the contest started to gain in popularity and not long after it started, the witness @pfunk generously started donating his own funds to go to the winners as a reward - this was truly a massive step in the making of the competition you know and love today.
Over the past few months the Open Mic contest has grown massively last week receiving over 70 individual entries, at around 2-3 minutes each all these entries really add up - so it's no surprise @luzcypher felt the need for additional support to curate the entries.
I reached out to @luzcypher a few months ago now offering a partnership with the Minnow Support Program where the open mic community can join and interact with over 5000 of our active members through our discord server "Peace Abundance and Liberty".
This move in itself could see the competition grow even further, which is why it was essential to bring together known, trusted and valued members of the music community here on steemit into the additional judging roles.
@soundlegion, @jessamynorchard and @verbal-d have all proved themselves countless times, all having shared a wealth of their own creative abilities and styles - they were my favourite musicians and all active entrants for the open mic contest.
I could go on about the other judges and their amazing performances, vocal quality and original music for hours, my best suggestion to readers is to head on over and check them out for yourself - their work speaks for itself.
Now for a bit of extra information about me, I have been singing for as long as I can remember the very first concert I can remember singing a lead role in was at my primary school - it's so long ago I can't even remember the play, but I remember being the only person on stage singing in front of several hundred school children and their parents and teachers.
I sung during eisteddfods held at our local civic center housing thousands of people, the dance company I was a member of did a musical dance rendition of Marry Poppins.
I believe I had a few different roles including being a turtle, but for the finally we all sang "Let's go fly a kite" this would be my clearest first memory of singing to an audience and I was around 7 years old.
I studied piano for a few years though never felt a passion or drive to focus, during primary school I was in our school choir - but at this stage I had no real idea how big music would become in my life.
I know music was a big part of my childhood, my whole family would sing along to the radio in the car - my mum @aussiesteem had her guitar and we would all gather round to sing along together at picnics and bbq's.
It wasn't until I was thirteen that I first realised I had a pretty good voice, having a severe hearing impairment I knew I was loud but I didn't know others couldn't sing along with artists like Whitney Houston - I figured everyone could and it wasn't anything special to have a four octave range.
I remember one day being sent upstairs by mum @aussiesteem to do my homework, while she and @thinknzombie were downstairs working - I didn't end up doing any real work, instead I had a song stuck in my head.
I think it was Wendy Matthews "the day you went away", so I sat in my room and sung the song in a round - looping through it time and time again absent mindedly - then finding any excuse to leave my room I went down for "a drink of water".
As I came down the stairs my mum @aussiesteem and @thinknzombie were silent and staring at me, I figured I was gonna be busted for not working - but my mum said something along the lines of "I didn't know you could sing like that?"
@thinknzombie seemed impressed as well and I just stood there in shock like I didn't either, this was the first moment I ever really felt as though I had some skill or ability that set me apart - this was the first time I felt empowered by what I could do and how that could affect other people.
I knew I loved to sing it was fun made me feel alive and full of energy, but I was pitchy and had some serious issues I needed to overcome with my hearing before I would grow in confidence and ability.
I swapped schools a few times and in my final few years of high school I got my very first hearing aid, this was a game changer in a lot of ways - it was not the best but for the first time I could hear the subtleties of tone, that I had been missing and I gained a new understanding for music.
I spent countless hours practicing my singing always choosing songs with the widest range and most difficult runs, singing was a challenge I would set myself - I had to sound exactly like the recording or it wasn't good enough.
I joined the choir at my new school and shortly after my teacher requested me to audition for the advanced vocal group, I was stoked and jumped at the opportunity - in a public school focussed on the performing arts with thousands of students I was selected to be one of 9 members of the advanced vocal group.
This group represented our school at regional contests and at public events like the ANZAC day ceremonies, we performed "I was only nineteen" and "Advanced Australia Fair" in front of hundreds of veterans and their extended families - this was one of the most emotional performances I have ever been a part of, I see it as a massive honour and rare experience I will cherish forever.
After I graduated high school I was still involved in music but in a less structured way, I started to learn guitar and drums but again I never found the passion I had with singing - so found myself less driven to practice.
I eventually studied music at a tertiary level, we had several concerts to paying audiences and I learned so much about the other side of music - but the most valuable part of it all was access to other musicians.
I had finally found a group of people each obsessed with their own area of focus and together we all grew and evolved, these people were amazingly talented and when we worked together we made each other shine - this was a time in my life where music was my main thought day in and day out.
When we finished studying several bands were formed and we all actively supported one and other, I even guest sung for a few at local gigs.
I even won a singing contest at the Down Under Bar, where I got a $50 bar tab for free beer - this is an absolute honour as an Aussie there is no higher reward or praise than beer!
But not to long after this I met @ausbitbank and soon after that we welcomed our first child, it was shortly after her birth that I badly damaged my voice then I had another child and both were diagnosed with severe low functioning autism - my focus fled from my damaged voice and centered on my children.
The post I linked above explains the issues I have had with my voice over the past eight years, in a lot of detail for those interested.
I joined steemit over a year ago now, and whilst my voice has gone through some stages of repair - every time I get a sick or have a cough I lose my voice, the last time I couldn't sing for over 6 straight months.
But I am thrilled, that at least on two occasions my voice didn't fail me and I managed to get an entry into the open mic contest.
This was my first ever entry into the open mic contest, I did an acapella cover of Sarah McLachlan's "In the arms of the angel" - even on a relisten I can hear the weakness in my voice :
This was way back in week 12 of the competition, the very next day I lost my voice as a result I wasn't physically able to perform again until week 17 where I did a rendition of an Aussie classic "Waltzing Matilda" for Australia Day.
After this I again lost my voice and even at present when I try to sing I sound horse and terrible, though I have a new specialist I will be seeing shortly and soon I may have some answers and real help to get my voice back on track.
Even though I can't perform at present I have been actively trying to participate in the music community, I have even written a large piece with advice for vocalists on how to improve range and control.
The five judges have been actively discussing and planning this for months now, we have so many great ideas and new possibilities for the competition - we all take the responsibility seriously and know how amazing this competition is and just what it can mean for all musicians on steemit.
I am so thrilled to be a part of this competition and to be asked to be a judge, when I first reached out to @luzcypher I had no idea how involved I would be - it is truly a massive honour and privilege to be included with the other judges, I thank you and hope to live up to the high standards of the competition.
Check out my story
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