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@settle (because Paradox jumped in as I was typing and I don't feel like revising everything)
In my opinion, allowing all types would decrease creativity. Don't you guys remember the beginning of this thread, where everyone was trying to find a loophole so they could make a simple guitar or violin? Here's what's going to happen:
If they allow wind, it's going to be all flutes. If they allow percussion, it's going to be all xylophones. And if they allow strings, it'll be all guitars and violins. If they allow all three, teams will either use the exact same instruments they did the year before or switch one out for the aforementioned stringed instruments. SO needs to push the envelope to get more creative instruments; as was mentioned on chat last night, for example, membraphones or electrophones.

Well that solution's simple. Change how scoring works for originality. Say if you're the only team with oh... a guitar, you get full points. If you're one of 2 get less points. The exact difference could be different based on the amount of teams competing

I don't think they should make it actually concrete in the scoring, because then a good beautiful sounding guitar would get less points than a crappy but original oboe. As it is, you get points for creativity based on who else has what and if yours is unique, and I think it should stay like that (only 5 points out of your score). Also, adding electrophones changes a lot about the event. It goes from an acoustics physics event to an electrical engineering event, which I don't think they want. Membranophones cannot be mandatory in my opinion because the choices are so few and so difficult (timpanis? not a chance).

The fact of the matter is teams will find the easy way out. And they won't win. Even though creativity is only 5 points, you are scored better in so many categories if you have a unique instrument because the judges look at it in a better light all together. So the way to win is to not take the easy way, and let everyone else build 7-holed flutes and simple guitars.

ahsettle23 wrote:I don't think they should make it actually concrete in the scoring, because then a good beautiful sounding guitar would get less points than a crappy but original oboe. As it is, you get points for creativity based on who else has what and if yours is unique, and I think it should stay like that (only 5 points out of your score). Also, adding electrophones changes a lot about the event. It goes from an acoustics physics event to an electrical engineering event, which I don't think they want. Membranophones cannot be mandatory in my opinion because the choices are so few and so difficult (timpanis? not a chance).

The fact of the matter is teams will find the easy way out. And they won't win. Even though creativity is only 5 points, you are scored better in so many categories if you have a unique instrument because the judges look at it in a better light all together. So the way to win is to not take the easy way, and let everyone else build 7-holed flutes and simple guitars.

Just out of curiosity, since you won the event at nationals - what did you have for your instruments?

Marimba and flute

Our flute had a full key system so it could play the full range chromatic scale and the marimba (if i do say so myself) sounded really nice. We think the key system was probably what won us our creativity points.

ahsettle23 wrote:Marimba and flute

Our flute had a full key system so it could play the full range chromatic scale and the marimba (if i do say so myself) sounded really nice. We think the key system was probably what won us our creativity points.

Wow I saw you guys practicing outside the room, and lemme just say, your instruments looked/sounded absolutely amazing!!

My flute was extremely simple, but I guess my partner's marimba pulled it off and we got 5th.

Also, I would like to point out that the last time this event was around (07 and 08) the quality in instruments increased drastically after a year. At Nats in 07 I'd say there was only one team with 2 good instruments (Troy that year, they had an alto trombone and a really nice guitar and deservedly won) and almost every team had a Tuba-phone from the blue man group (which I think is why they banned percussion instruments this year). In 08 there were numerous teams that with 2 top quality instruments. I made a marimba and my parter made a really nice violin and it got 2nd and Penncrest had a really nice Steel Drum and Guitar and only got 3rd (when I'm sure they would have dominated in 07). I feel next year many teams will find a way to do wind instruments that cover the entire range and sound beautifully.