Week 93 was just oozing with superb talent!

I mean WOW, the overall number of entries may be down ever so slightly – but - the sheer quality of talent is going way, way up on balance! I dunno know about anyone else, but this is a great trend if you ask me!

As I began to write each of the reviews for my selected top-5, every time I completed one I was like – man, I could have easily placed them first! It was truly an exceptionally hard week to order for me.

They are ALL #1 in my book!

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I have to say, from the very bottom of my heart, that the people and artists here on Steemit in general – and at the Open-Mic specifically, have made a world of difference in the quality, hope, and promise of my solitary existence.

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I hope that many of you feel the same way that I do about that. The acknowledgment of such reality in concert with a massive community project I am hosting - has me super excited about this mega-collaboration we have planned in honor of the Open-Mic’s upcoming milestone achievements, both of which are arriving shortly in the August/September timeframes.

If you haven’t done so already, please check out the Mega-Collaboration Update #2.

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Should anyone have any questions or wish to participate in the “Mega Open-Mic Collab,” feel free to hit me up on discord >> @passion-ground#5524.

Going off on somewhat of a tangent here, before we get on with the business at hand, I thought I’d share a small blast from my past, which shows me checking out the dynamics of a newly acquired instrument pre-Steemit, and pre DAW acquisition.

Just for Grins, Giggles, and Keepin' it ("everyday people") Real

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Please indulge me as I digress for a few minutes - or you can skip this section, as the following is a PRE-STEEMIT throwback and off-the-cuff CCR jam. It's certainly an impromptu amateur level performance but I'm thinking that it contains a little taste of "everyday people" in the raw - Passion-Ground style.

This is more or less me "test driving" a brand new instrument, in the midst of a "getting acquainted" jam - nothing more and nothing less. This was my "REFERENCE TRACK" as it were, for test driving my new guitar at the time.

Here I am, just a simple solitary man - about 3-years ago - the same as I ever was - and the same as I always will be:

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Amateur PG TIP: "There is just as much rhythm to be had in the left hand as there is in the right!"

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This is Pre-Steemit folks - when I first got my knock-off Telecaster. I'm just messin' around some here - getting the feel for things as it were...Fussing around with tone, foot pedals, the general play-action and everything else in between.

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"One way or the other, ya just gotta feel that shit, man - there's no two ways about it!"

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Playing with my new toy - that's all that this amounts to. I figured I'd share it just for the hell of it. So far as I can tell, despite the clear fuck-up at 3:33 earmarked by my clear negative shake of the head, my off-the-cuff rhythm and "hard-to-recall and execute" lead break was pretty frickin' okay for a one-take test-trial-jam all things considered... At least I thought so...

...Whadda you think?

Here is some spur of the moment messin' round with "Born On the Bayou" circa 2016 (pre-DAW) and pre-Steemit. A little bit of "passion," - ground in the groove of CCR - alongside a brand new knock-off Telecaster!

With all of that said, week #93 was nothing short of AMAZING!

Next Up, a few words about our proud Sponsors

Please, VOTE for These WITNESSES...

IMPORTANT: Before we move on, please don't forget to vote for @Pfunk as witnesses! @pfunk is our biggest supporter, and plays a major role in helping to fund, the Open Mic contest each week.

Every last one of us should be SO VERY PROUD that @pfunk is currently weighing at #18 on the witness list! It wasn’t that long ago that he was struggling to hold onto the #20 slot. Let’s keep this up, okay - @pfunk all the way - to #1!

In addition to @pfunk, I am also adding @curie, @ausbitbank, and @aggroed to my short list of “must-vote-for” witnesses who support the Open-Mic venue.

You can vote for each of these witnesses right now by going directly to this link: https://steemit.com/~witnesses

With all of that said, following some further insights as to how I judge entries, let’s get on with it, shall we?

Steemit Open Mic Week 93

My Process

As one of the esteemed Open Mic judges, it is my job to come up with (or “curate” as it were) a short-list of my top 5 entrants each week. With all of the great talent here, that is by no means an easy task. Sure, tossing in another 5 honorable mentions helps, but not when my weekly list starts out with 100 or more of my favorite entries... You guy's rock - I'm tellin ya!

Yes, I am a Libra – so I have an inherent drive deep within me to be fair and balanced – good qualities for a “judge” if you ask me. That being said, I’m still human – filled with emotion and subjective feelings – just like you. So, in order to mitigate my subjective tendencies to the best extent possible, I’ve come up with a method by which to narrow down my selections in a more objective vs. arbitrary manner.

Here’s how I go about my personal judging process: I first start out with a list of 100 or more of my most favorite entries for the week, and score them (yes, subjectively) in six distinct categories via a spreadsheet. The categories I’ve selected for scoring are in general harmony with those explained by @luzcypher in his post titled How We Pick The Top 3 Entries, referencing such.

To get a more in-depth perspective as to how I personally go about selecting my artists, please refer to What I go through as an Open-Mic Judge.

Even though it’s still a “subjective” process – diligently going through each scoring category to come up with a “total” score for each entrant helps to minimize any overzealous subjectivity that I may harbor with respect to any specific entrants.

Quite often, this exercise doesn’t give me the exact results I would personally prefer to see – but that only means that my system of judging is working as intended and designed. With all of that said, here are...

My Top-5 Picks in Order

FIRST PLACE: @lillywilton – Come My Way - (Original Collaboration)

Okay, so lately I have this affinity for mash-ups and collaborations… Hmmm… I wonder where that came from… Regardless of such affinities, this gem, “Come My Way” by @lillywilton is simply stunning! It’s a song about leaping into the great wide open of life, taking risks, and letting life come to you, on your own terms, and in your own special way. The impressive audio engineering and musical artistry of @pechichemena and his associates are self-evident in this dreamy song of hope and reflection. Great collaboration guys!
https://steemit.com/openmic/@lillywilton/pfiozmsc

SECOND PLACE: @darrenclaxton – Connecting the Dots - (Original)

”Connecting the Dots” is a poetic marvel! Darren has a unique and special way of writing incredible stories in elegant poetic form. He then goes onto crafting a beautiful melodic backdrop of vocals and music to tell his story. With every bit of creative and musical dynamism that we’ve come to expect from Darren, he handily delivers the goods once again, with “Connecting the Dots.”
https://steemit.com/openmic/@darrenclaxton/9oygeyq0

THIRD PLACE: @ill-esha – Gemini Feed - (Cover)

Right from the way her super-professional speaking voice sounded in the intro, I immediately got the sense that I was in for something good here. Amid her intro, I thought I was listening to the mainstream radio for gosh sake! Wow, – let me tell you, @ill-esha did not let me down – at all! In fact, she blew me away with her rendition of “Gemni Feed,” a song I’ve never heard before. Alisha’s performance on the keys in concert with her outstanding vocal performance guaranteed her artistry a secure place within my top-5. Great audio production too, girlfriend… NICE!
https://steemit.com/openmic/@ill-esha/steemit-open-mic-week-93-cover-banks-gemini-feed

FOURTH PLACE: @gabriel8ar – Dos Gardenias - (Cover)

I believe this is the very first time that I’ve seen and heard from @mangobajito and @gabriel8ar. The first thing that caught my eye beyond observing a rather attractive young couple setting up their intro – was the cool black & white backdrop and setting that they created for recording this amazing performance! Seconds later, my auditory senses were lovingly stroked by such a depth and richness of guitar playing that I knew I might be in for a treat. I waited with bated breath for the vocals to commence and hopefully compliment the richness and beauty of the guitar sounds that I was hearing. … And then she began to sing… - and I was like – whoa! - They sound so perfect and beautiful together! I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this performance – it is truly outstanding in every way. The hilarious outtake was simply icing on the cake… I loved everything about this you two!
https://steemit.com/openmic/@gabriel8ar/7jwejpcm

FIFTH PLACE: @andreabortone – In the Name of Love - (Cover)

Andrea is fast becoming one of my favorite vocalists! Her passion for music is obvious and reflected by the way in which she regularly shares her talents with so many other artists, including her Mom and Dad! I am happy to see her showcased all by herself in this brilliant rendition of “In the Name of Love.” Well, “almost all by herself” - as the great guitar playing of @carlosvidal accompanied her in this beautiful collaborative production, which features, Andrea. Her harmonies are exquisite and her passion intense and focused. I loved everything about this performance and I’m sure you will too!
https://steemit.com/openmic/@andreabortone/steemit-openmic-week-93-or-in-the-name-of-love-acoustic-version-openmic-by-luzcypher-and-pfunk

My Top-5 Honorable Mentions in Order:

First: @moderndayjester – Ease My Pain - (Original)
https://steemit.com/openmic/@moderndayjester/steemit-openmic-week-93-or-original-song-or-ease-my-pain-or-by-mdj

Second: @leomolina – Painless - (Original)
https://steemit.com/openmic/@leomolina/4054lx1l

Third: @mayneth – Reminscencia - (Original)
https://steemit.com/openmic/@mayneth/steemit-open-mic-week-93-reminiscencia-original-song

Fourth: @belenlopr – Isn't She Lovely/Fly Me to the Moon - (Mashup - Cover)
https://steemit.com/openmic/@belenlopr/steemit-open-mic-week-93-isn-t-she-lovely-fly-me-to-the-moon-mashup

Fifth: @gabrielinho – Quiero Mas - (Original)
https://steemit.com/openmic/@gabrielinho/steemit-open-mic-week-93-quiero-mas-originalsong-by-gabrielinho

Thank you for reviewing my selections for this week’s Open-Mic contest. If you find this content I’ve curated entertaining and of value to you, then please consider up-voting and/or re-steeming it.

Peace, Love, and Justice for All

A Very Special Shout Out To:

The following 20 artists who were very much on my radar, each within a splitting hair of making it into my overall top-10, and whose performances I loved, cherish, and respect most assuredly. This special list is very much an extension of my most honorable mentions.

They are - in no particular order:

@ilazramusic, @kayclarity, @honeymoon-1611, @mightyjoenolan, @addiesworld, @dianakyv, @miguelblanco, @drewley, @silentscreamer, @danielsandoval, @mrprecious, @k0wsk1, @samidbarid, @kjablonski, @jorgesandoval, @carlosvidal, @senzenfrenz, @gibber, @damcrow, and @jons0318!

Another Special Shout Out To:

The following artists whose performances I very much enjoyed this week.

They are - in no particular order:

@michaeldietrich, @klynic, @lk666, @katrina-ariel, @alcoholisedbsoul, @guifaquetti, @vladoramirez, @kkarenmp, @davidcentenor, @cimillan, @davidsuarezms, @lozanocarmen, @itslobianco, @yusaymon, @manurodriguez, @thesimpson, @ferchemusico, @williansjmm, @claudio727, @luisfuenmayor, @rodrigo98, @ikasumanera, @jumpmaster, @julian.alejandro, @albertbass, @loic.ronsse, @lecumberre, @danne10, @yrmaleza, @mrprecious, @salvadorhr18, @graceleon, @tcpolymath, @fernando.lubezki, @edwardstobia, @dreamrafa, @jembee, @juanmolina, @wilins, @funkmedia, and @rosaimm!

Much love and thanks to each and every one of you who have touched a part of my heart and soul - not only this week but forever!