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Pulse Eternal
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3/25/2008 3:16:34 AM
A MASSIVE task but WOW! What a journey!
Well, I've finally done it...... completed filling in my 2008 Golden Kayak Awards Ballot.
This was no small task and there were some VERY difficult decisions but what an amazing musical journey! I've found a whole heap of new songs for my stations along the way too. :-)
In some cases, my votes went to people I have formed great friendships with but ONLY because I genuinely believed they had the best song in that category! There were cases where I REALLY wanted to vote for a friend but there was another song that I believed was better.....that was tough and made me feel like I was betraying friends!!!! Fortunately, that only happened once or twice!
Upon listening to all the amazing music in each category, I was overwhelmed with a sense of excitement and appreciation for being nominated myself. The fact that there are so many great artists and so many amazing songs really makes me feel truly honoured to be in the running.
So, a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who nominated me! :-D
Out of all the categories, there was only one I honestly could not vote in because I didn't like any of the songs!!! I'm not saying they are not great songs, it's simply that because I could not enjoy the category, I honestly couldn't form an objective opinion...... No, I'm not going to say which category that was!!!
Anyway, to everyone that was nominated, GOOD LUCK and see you at the awards ceremony!!!
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srm
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3/25/2008 3:59:22 AM
I know what you mean. I'm only about half-way through right now. Mainly because I'll hear something interesting and get side-tracked, checking out a page and making a link. As you say, though, there are some difficult decisions sometimes. Also, there are probably a genre or two I'll that I won't vote in, just because it's not a category I like and feel unqualified to make a determination.
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Pulse Eternal
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3/25/2008 4:23:18 AM
The sidetracking part is half the fun!!! I totally hear you on that!
I started mine the other day, did a few and then worked on my new song for a while. Today though, I just thought, "Right, I'm in the mood, let's get this done!" and just went for it :-)
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Texas Willie
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3/25/2008 4:24:01 AM
I am still working my way through the categories.....and like others, there are "categories" that I don't care for.
But, with that said, I fully intend to listen to every song nominated in every category and vote for the song that is the best one (IMHO) in that category.
As I have gone through the categories and listened to ALL the unbelievably superior music that is being produced by the members....I become more humbled with each category.
It has been extremely difficult to make a choice (as Titania said) in some categories, but I hope I have been able to set aside friendships and cast my votes for the most deserving music.......At least that is my intention....
TW
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Pulse Eternal
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3/25/2008 4:27:29 AM
Willie,
Your AWESOME work putting together all those nomination stations made my job SO MUCH easier!! A HUGE thank you my friend (not meaning to take anything away from the IAC team for putting together their station).
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srm
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3/25/2008 4:31:21 AM
Agreed! Last year, I would sometimes stray and listen to a song from a different genre, while trying to concentrate on picking a favourite. You had a great idea, Willie, and put an awful lot of work into it. Well done!
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Texas Willie
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3/25/2008 4:40:09 AM
Thanks everyone.....In reality, putting the stations together was more out of self defense...Because I found myself jjjjjjumping all over the place.
It was a pleasure to be able to help.....
TW
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srm
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3/25/2008 4:50:41 AM
I usually have the most trouble with styles of music that I don't listen to very much. I'll listen to the songs in that genre but, if it's a style of music that I don't like, I tend to pick the song that is a departure, either that or not vote at all. There aren't many empty spot on my ballot, though.
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Pulse Eternal
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3/25/2008 4:53:40 AM
The hardest ones for me to decide in were.....
Best Metal/Hardcore Song,
Best Industrial/Beat Rock Song,
Best Hip Hop/Rap Song,
Best Punk/Emo/Spa (Ska?) Song
One of those was the one I couldn't vote in but I'm still not saying which one!!!
The EASIEST one for me was...
Best Classic and Progressive Rock Song
:-)
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Larry Migliore
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3/25/2008 6:01:01 AM
Hey Puss:
I must admit I had mine done last week, only because I actually had a lot of down time.. But as you said it was no easy task. I also did exactly what you did. In the categories I can honestly say I cannot give an opinion in, I just skipped. Not many , but I did skip two or three.
Willie did a great and thoughtful thing too!
Larry
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THE JACK PADDLE COVER BAND
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3/25/2008 6:14:43 AM
Me thinks me better start voting soon meself!!! Only five more days left to vote and one ink quill to mark the 'X'.............now, if only me's could find that box of spares that me's had laying around here somewhere!!!????
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Jo Ellen
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3/25/2008 7:30:01 AM
I'm like a car running out of gas. I lurch into a song or two and then I stall. I think today is the day to fill the tank and get it done.
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Hugh Hamilton
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3/25/2008 7:34:56 AM
Titania, I enjoyed reading this, good one...I've been trying to keep my mouth shut (LOL, fat chance!) and have really been biting my tongue, but I'm gonna pipe up momentarily. Last year an artist I really admire COMPLETELY disappeared during the whole Kayak season - that was really my inclination too...I started off being opposed to the whole "competition" aspect, and really didn't want to participate. When I got nominated though, I felt that I would be a complete ingrate if I didn't vote, and I decided immediately that I would vote for my "opponents" as voting for myself just seemed the height of BS. I had the same experience you had - feeling a little uncomfortable at times because I would have liked to give votes to "friends" but decided to go strictly by my ears. I also confess that there are a few genres I simply do not enjoy, and I did listen to see if there were any nominees I could enjoy but didn't - so did leave a few genres blank. Last year when I did my listening I marked my printed songlist and then checked against it after the results were announced, which was a fun exercise.
I have come to view the entire process as being a very well-intended exercise at boosting community involvement, and I think the best thing about it is that a lot of people listen to a whole lot of songs they wouldn't have heard otherwise. I know that's true for me. I am also (of course) hugely grateful for the support that I received in the process - and more than a little surprised. But the validation it provided to me really made me make a decision to jump in to the musical effort with both feet and no restraints, which manifested itself as a major investment in time, effort, and GEAR (now I'll start breathing heavy and maybe drooling - lol)...
I suspect the one thing most of us agree on around here is that, artistically, nothing is sweeter than gaining the respect of talented folks whose work we sincerely enjoy. I am absolutely blown away by the kind support of this community, and I enjoy being generous with my praise when I find tunes I really like. This is an amazing venue, my favorite online venue certainly.
Rock on, Puss!
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Hugh Hamilton
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3/25/2008 7:40:49 AM
Ah - also wanted to say - I was sincerely surprised to be nominated for the best male artist title this year (I still wish the phrase was FAVORITE instead of best in the kayaks)...I myself nominated another male artist for the slot, and will cast my vote for him. I would be a combination of aghast, embarrassed, and thrilled (lol) if by some fluke that kayak floated my way this year. I got such a boost from it last year that I sincerely do hope somebody else will enjoy its benefit this year. Share the wealth, is what I say...
:)
H
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THE JACK PADDLE COVER BAND
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3/25/2008 7:44:02 AM
Share the wealth ay!? What's your PIN number!!???
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LyinDan
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3/25/2008 7:47:21 AM
I'm fixin to be on my second go-round through the list. It IS hard to decide on some. The ears have it, though, regardless of who I "like" :). I, too, will probably skip a few categories I just don't think I have a fair ear for. That's probably the best way to go.
It's been great to listen
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Jo Ellen
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3/25/2008 7:49:44 AM
As this is my first year on IAC I have nothing to compare to, but I definitely understand the pressures that can occur when friends are nominated. I try to allow the music to speak to me, and then vote from there. For me, the excitement is not so much about the prospect of winning, but about participating in the process of honoring others. And as corny as that may sound, it is true.
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Pulse Eternal
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3/25/2008 7:52:22 AM
Jo,
That's pretty much what I did the first time I looked at the list! Today was my day to get stuck into it and get it complete though :-)
Hugh,
You make some extremely good points about the opportunity for people to listen to music here they normally wouldn't and I agree that this is one of the best things about the awards.
One of the greatest things about IAC is the exposure obtainable for just being a part of the community and sharing with other likeminded souls. It works both ways, your own music is spread around and you get to hear plenty of other cool artists too. :-)
....oh and LOL about your capitalisation of the word GEAR :-D
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Hugh Hamilton
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3/25/2008 7:54:40 AM
That's the spirit, Jo Ellen - and that's what we do with every station add and kind comment around here - those are my ways of saying "thanks" for the gift of the great tunes around here...right on!
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Pulse Eternal
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3/25/2008 7:55:26 AM
Jo,
I was actually replying to your earlier post.... in the time I wrote my reply, there was a whole bunch of new ones!!!! Busy night on IAC tonight! (2:04am here)
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Jo Ellen
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3/25/2008 7:56:04 AM
Hugh & Superpuss,
Right on!
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Jo Ellen
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3/25/2008 10:07:33 AM
13 categories to go...
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Stegor
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3/25/2008 10:38:51 AM
I finished and submitted last night! I hope I did it right. There were a few categories I felt I needed to skip as well. Just a few though. I had difficulty with the same categories as you, Titania, for the same reason. In a few cases I went to the musician's page and voted personality and attitude rather than the song itself. I also found myself doing what srm did, and voted for the song that didn't seem to fit the genre. Not because it didn't fit, but because it sounded more like what I listen to.
There were some cases where I had to vote against some of my favorite songs and artists because they were up against another favorite song that just edged them out. That's hard.
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srm
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3/25/2008 1:04:21 PM
That's one of the difficulties of a 'contest' in a subjective medium- everyone has different ideas of what they like in a song.
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FUJI MINX
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3/25/2008 1:24:13 PM
Did ours 2 nights ago...stayed up until 1:30am...took a while but wanted to listen to every song/artist/Station. I don't feel the pressure of voting for our friends b/c it's annonymous and it's all just an opinion. I hope our friends here on IAC win something, but it doesn't mean we voted for them. I tried to not pay attention to the name too much and just focus on the songs themselves.
Awards/Competitions can always be a mind fuck, But like Hugh was saying it's a great oppourtunity for the community to come together as well as for us to hear music that we wouldn't normally listen to. I found a tons of new artists through this process. Very cool.
-G
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FUJI MINX
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3/25/2008 1:24:45 PM
Did ours 2 nights ago...stayed up until 1:30am...took a while but wanted to listen to every song/artist/Station. I don't feel the pressure of voting for our friends b/c it's annonymous and it's all just an opinion. I hope our friends here on IAC win something, but it doesn't mean we voted for them. I tried to not pay attention to the name too much and just focus on the songs themselves.
Awards/Competitions can always be a mind fuck, But like Hugh was saying it's a great oppourtunity for the community to come together as well as for us to hear music that we wouldn't normally listen to. I found a tons of new artists through this process. Very cool.
-G
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FUJI MINX
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3/25/2008 1:24:46 PM
Did ours 2 nights ago...stayed up until 1:30am...took a while but wanted to listen to every song/artist/Station. I don't feel the pressure of voting for our friends b/c it's annonymous and it's all just an opinion. I hope our friends here on IAC win something, but it doesn't mean we voted for them. I tried to not pay attention to the name too much and just focus on the songs themselves.
Awards/Competitions can always be a mind fuck, But like Hugh was saying it's a great oppourtunity for the community to come together as well as for us to hear music that we wouldn't normally listen to. I found a tons of new artists through this process. Very cool.
-G
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Village Jammers
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3/25/2008 2:30:55 PM
Did anyone else vote in a category they were unfamiliar with as well?
I felt I was able to cast a fair vote in all but one category (where I withheld my vote). If I didn't understand or care for the style, I listened for production, lyric content, proficiency, arrangement....the elements. If it was real close I went to individual pages and listened for consistency in presentation across the board...."how solid is the package".
I thought it was a real good exercise.
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Jo Ellen
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3/25/2008 2:44:37 PM
I have to confess I have to get "hooked" at the beginning of a song in order to listen all the way through (especially with so many songs to review). I did enjoy the process, and I did listen to many songs all the way through. Many of the songs I was familiar with and many I had never heard. I didn't vote in one category: Hard Heavy Metal. I just don't have an ear for it, so I will leave it to the experts.
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Village Jammers
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3/25/2008 3:08:55 PM
Remember the TV show "Name That Tune" where the contestants had to identify the song in the fewest notes possible? I've been told the beginning is the most important part of a song for exactly that reason. Hook 'em then hold 'em.
Hard Heavy Metal was a tough one for me, too. The one I couldn't get through was Industrial Beat, so, like you, I "left it to the experts". Well said, Jo Ellen.
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Pulse Eternal
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3/25/2008 9:39:02 PM
That's a damn good question Larree. I'll have to double check when I get back. I'm about to go and get my car fixed.
I do know there are a couple of songs (and a couple of artists) I nominated that got selected and I thought they really were the best choices. :-)
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Texas Willie
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3/26/2008 3:17:35 AM
I am almost finished with my listening and voting and voting and listening....(the aforementioned words may be "famous last ones"...lol).
When I decided that I would listen to every song in a category completely, before voting, I realized I would be at this for a while. And that it might be a trying experience as well.
But, the simple truth is this......I have discovered wonderful music, most excellent talent and superb songwriting in genre's/categories that I would have NEVER taken the time to listen to, had it not been for the Golden Kayak Awards!
This has been a most rewarding journey for me and every single "Congratulations on your Golden Kayak Nomination" I sent to the nominees is/was/always will be well deserved!
I truly feel sorry for the world out there that is unaware of IAC and the Musicians, Singers, Songwriters and Artists that roam these pages.....I can only mourn for THEIR LOSS!
And I will ALWAYS rejoice in my decision to join the folks here....What A Blessing!
TW
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Jo Ellen
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3/26/2008 7:38:01 AM
Larree,
I think I may have messed up some of my original nominations by entering in the wrong category or perhaps the music I nominated wasn't mentioned enough (as explained in a previous post by Scott?) I did stick with my original nominations that made it through, but in most categories I had no nominations to follow through with a vote. It is an interesting question though, and I hope others respond.
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Jo Ellen
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3/26/2008 7:40:08 AM
I also wanted to follow up to Texas Willie's comment:
There were a couple of times while listening when I was like, "dang, that guy can sing" or I almost started crying because the music was so beautiful. Good stuff, good stuff.
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Magnetfisch
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3/26/2008 4:17:00 PM
now that's democracy 8-)
I've voted, too (and now my pillow calls...)
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SILVERWOODSTUDIO
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3/26/2008 6:35:49 PM
great thread SP----and TW many thanks for what you have done !!
It is true that there will only be one winner in each genre------
sometimes i have 2 songs that I really like for different reasons ----a great vocal versus a great arrangement!
for me that is the most difficult thing --leaving out a song I love !!!
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Pulse Eternal
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3/27/2008 12:16:46 PM
---- Updated 3/27/2008 12:21:27 PM
I absolutely agree with you Rob!! That was one of the most difficult things I had with voting too.
I believe there is only one song selected in each genre but in my eyes, every artist on IAC is a winner for making this place the awesome place it is :-)
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Slimdog Productions
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3/27/2008 6:27:58 PM
I am going through the whole nomination list a second time to make sure that I have chosen the right song for my vote for each genre. It's that difficult, BUT FUN!!! The music that has been nominated is nothing short of AMAZING!!! IAC, you need to hurry and get that major media blitz campaign going!!! I think the world is missing out on something amazing here at IAC. I firmly believe that we have the best artists here in music PERIOD. To listen to the station for nominees is nothing short of the next generation of music. All of you nominees of music and stations should be VERY proud of what you have created for the world to listen to.
Larree, that compliment about the Hip Hop/Rap genre makes me proud and definitely gives me motivation to keep making good music for those who have not listened or are disappointed in Hip Hop/Rap nowadays, to keep striving to be heard on the radio. I take those words from you to heart buddy...THANKS!!!
Slim
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Slimdog Productions
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3/27/2008 8:56:18 PM
The Classical genre was the hardest for me to vote on...Each and every one is SO beautiful...It's hard to pick one. Such accomplished artists!!!
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Vincenzo Pandolfi
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3/27/2008 9:30:11 PM
Excellent post Titania,
I wanted to write something similar myself and I do have a few things to say, but at the moment....I AM BUSY MAKING LASAGNA FOR SUNDAY!! so I am sorry, but I won't be able to write much until Monday. I do want to say though, that I think that everyone here at IAC is a winner, and those who were nominated are definitely winners all of them. After listening to all the nominations I think it is a great achievement for any artist to be nominated by his/her peers, and the voting process is great musical education for everyone involved.
So...thank you IAC!!
Vincenzo
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satch
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3/28/2008 2:21:57 AM
Susan and I have been working our way through the lists... we find in some genres there's a song that is way ahead of the rest, but mostly it's really quite difficult to pick because all of the nominated songs are so darn good!
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Texas Willie
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3/28/2008 3:44:12 AM
That chipping sound you hear is me slooooowly working my way through the last 3 categories......LOL
But, I do want to say I will be listening to them ALL one more time.....before I heat up the candle and seal my ballot!
Everyone who has been nominated is so deserving.....I want to be certain I have given them all the consideration they have earned and so well deserve.
TW
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Pulse Eternal
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3/28/2008 8:03:31 AM
Slim and Larree,
Yeah. Calssical was a difficult one for the same reasons you mention. There was such a broad spectrum of variations on classical too and they were all great.
Vincenzo,
Your talk of Lasagne has made me HUNGRY!!! I LOVE Lasagne and I am certain yours would be pretty damn good!!
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Hugh Hamilton
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3/29/2008 9:52:02 AM
It was with relief that I just mailed my ballot in...after extensive listening both yesterday and today...there were many artists I hadn't heard before on the list, and many songs...it was a pleasure AND a challenge - I particularly found several genres VERY difficult to vote in because I enjoyed several or all the songs very much and roughly equally. It is extremely difficult for me to rank songs from "best to worst" - or even "good to great" - I'm much more of an "I like it or I don't" listener...
Once again, congratulations to the many nominees, and thanks for the toonz...
:0
H
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Pulse Eternal
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3/31/2008 9:00:54 AM
Another great offshoot of the awards is the extra visitors I've had offering comments and congrat on being nominated. Many of these folks are people I know but quite a few I did not know and that provided a great opportunity to check out their music while replying on their pages.
I found a lot of new music that has not been nominated this way and some of it should've been nominated!!! Those tracks certainly enhanced my stations :-)
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Pulse Eternal
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3/31/2008 4:50:03 PM
One thing that has occurred to me throughout the voting process is that although it was a huge (but enjoyable) task, our efforts in voting pale into insignificance compared to the job the IAC staff have in sorting through and counting the ballots.
To add to that, apparently one band had the audacity to flood the ballots in an attempt to cheat the system!!!! Two great big paws up to Toby and the team for being onto it though :-)
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