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Summary

...I really had a difficult time ordering my Top-5 and honorable mentions this week. I tried my best to steer clear of some of my usual favorites who seem to do consistently well week-after-week, and whom I’ve highlighted recently regardless of whether they submit just to Open-Mic, the Songwriters Challenge, or both. However, as hard as I tried, I simply could not ignore placing a few of these fine entries within my overall top-10. With that said, this is a good segue for sharing a related “Special-Mention” Music Video segment, which I’ll be featuring this week at the end of this post. I’m sure you’re gonna like it!

GENERAL NOTE: The third round/Week-3 of the Open-Mic SONGWRITERS Challenge sponsored by @meno is underway! This week’s theme is “Stolen Soul. I encourage all “Songwriter” entrants to also enter their "Songwriter" submissions under the general Open-Mic contest as well, which begins every Sunday. This Sunday’s Open-Mic will be #63. Entering and gaining good rankings under both venues will only increase one's prospects of winning, gaining more overall recognition, and of course, earning more rewards.

You can check out all the current Stolen Soul “Songwriter Challenge” entries HERE. Do take the time to read the rules carefully, and follow them when entering.

Steemit Open Mic Week 62

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My Process

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As one of the esteemed Open Mic judges, it is my job to come up with 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 30 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 30 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 @luczypher 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

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FIRST PLACE: @innerdialogue - “Summertime” - (Cover)

Simply, Wow! Out of nowhere - at the 11th hour of week #62 surfaces someone rather new to Steemit - not to mention Open-Mic - and she miraculously appeared to me as a gift from heaven! Her name is Gretchen. Not only does she deliver an astounding vocal performance of this Gershwin classic, but her guitar playing is equally impressive - right on thru her final chord strikes! For all of this and so much more, Gretchen has captured my heart and top spot here in week #62.
https://steemit.com/openmic/@innerdialogue/steemit-open-mic-week-62-must-the-beginning-of-the-post-title

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SECOND PLACE: @melavie – “Lost and Found” - (Original Song)

What can I say? Melody, composition, originality, performance, emotion, lyrics, personality – shall I go on… No matter how hard I tried to eliminate @melavie from my top-5, the effort to do so was futile; I had no choice but to succumb to the brilliance of her sheer artistry.
https://steemit.com/openmic/@melavie/steemit-open-mic-week-62-lost-and-found-original-song

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THIRD PLACE: @jesuszoliz – “Tus Besos / Your Kisses” - (Original Song)

There is no doubt in my mind that this young gentleman is extraordinarily talented! He wrote this song in less than an hour while waiting for a music class to commence. His vocal range is simply astonishing as is his passion for his craft. The melodies and the numerous “builds” that he creates throughout his rhythmic guitar backdrop in concert with his incredible vocal performance are truly beyond belief. The brilliance of this off-the-cuff composition makes it a definite keeper in no uncertain terms!
https://steemit.com/openmic/@jesuszoliz/steemit-open-mic-week-62-tus-besos-original-song-by-jesuszoliz

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FOURTH PLACE: @fitzgibbon – “Lost and Found” - (Original Song)

There’s just something about these two that I find incredibly appealing! The vocal melodies woven throughout are quite compelling! That in concert with the well-crafted lyrics and catchy rhythms make this "Songwriters Challenge" entry very much a chart-topper in my book!
https://steemit.com/openmic/@fitzgibbon/open-mic-songwriters-challenge-week-2-entry-lost-and-found-openmic-week-62-entry-original-song

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FIFTH PLACE: @wishmaiden – “Stay” - (Cover)

After somewhat of a slightly tepid guitar open, @wishmaidens vocals quickly come to the fore with unrelenting force, thereafter, it was all over – at least so far as I was concerned. The utter soul and passions she brings to this fine rendition are simply undeniable. I was totally captivated by each and every one of her superb vocal embellishments.
https://steemit.com/openmic/@wishmaiden/open-mic-week-62-cover-of-stay-by-wishmaiden

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My Top-5 Honorable Mentions in Order:

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First: @lucybanks – “The Sun” - (Cover)
https://steemit.com/openmic/@lucybanks/steemit-open-mic-week-62-the-sun-by-maroon-5

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Second: @stanhopeofficial - "Pear in an Olive Tree" - (Original Song)
https://steemit.com/openmic/@stanhopeofficial/steemit-open-mic-week-62-pear-in-an-olive-tree-original-song

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Third: @luisferchav – “Try Again” - (Original Song)
https://steemit.com/openmic/@luisferchav/steemit-open-mic-week-62-try-again-original-song

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Fourth: @miguelarl – “Sin Dormir / Without Sleep” - (Cover)
https://steemit.com/openmic/@miguelarl/steemit-open-mic-week-62-sin-dormir-rawayana-cover-por-brendahcaroline-y-miguelarl

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Fifth: @wilins – “Las Caras Lindas / The Pretty Faces” - (Cover)
https://steemit.com/openmic/@wilins/steemit-open-mic-semana-62-ismael-rivera-las-caras-lindas-wilins-mendez

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Thank you all so much for taking some of your precious time to review my take on all of the magnificent artists here at the Open-Mic venue this week. Thanks so much as well for up-voting and re-steeming this post in order to spread the word that Open-Mic is clearly taking Steemit by storm – and that it shall remain a collective people-oriented force of love and artistry to be reckoned with on every level of measure.

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Peace, Love, and Justice for All

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A very special shout-out to: The following 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.

They are - in no particular order:

@thesimpson, @joedukeg, @steembirds, @joecha, @tfeldman, @smith-house, @davidfar, @onetruebrother, @lisamalletart, @coruscate, @sanjay91422, @jaybird, @juliolunar, @nestorchacin, @malvarezmusic, @senzenfrenz, @drewley, @nirtsfaty, @amberyooper, @chaifm, @greensky, @andrewmarkmusic, and @pechichemena

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!

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SPECIAL MENTION: @steembirds - “If I Was A Judge” - (Original Song)

Even though my judging tenure is rather young, I totally appreciated the playfulness, talent, and sheer entertainment provided by two of our most favorite Open-Mic people, Dan and Jay - otherwise known collectively as the @steembirds! I am so guilty-as-charged for the many infractions they so brilliantly satirized here! LMAO! I think it’s so important that we all have fun here, and together, laugh with and at ourselves from time-to-time. Apart from this piece being an instant “Open-Mic CLASSIC” of pure entertainment, the composition itself in concert with the harmonies that Jay and Dan deliver here is simply awesome! Thanks so much guys, I loved this so much on a multitude of levels!
https://steemit.com/openmic/@steembirds/steemit-open-mic-week-62-if-i-was-a-judge-original-song

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