An Idea I Had Last Night: Mentor

[teddywolf]

Feedback requested. Second writing - LJ wiped the first one. Grr.

This Arisia I watched Ayesha have some difficulties with the filk track. Not that it didn't go well - it did, it just had some of the standard annoyances known to happen in filk rooms (beverages not coming after a certain hour, space concerns, heat). After helping calm her down once or twice I decided I'd step up to take over for next year as Filk Czar. Those of you who've already told me, "You're Nuts!" are completely correct. That said, this time I might be crazy like a fox.

Last night I had an idea. See, Arisia corporation, the group that runs the con, has a stated mission to promote science fiction and fantasy as well as the fandom thereof. Filk is part of the SF community. So the seeds of the Mentor program came into my head. Mentor because, hey, Arisia. If you don't understand then go read some of the Lensman series. Trust me.

The program would have a couple of different components for different parts of fandom.

The part for filkers is this: whoever wins the Mentor program at a given Arisia would get two hours of time at a professional recording studio plus professional post-production. The winner would also receive a small number of finished CDs (10 or 25) with the option to order more. Arisia would have the option to order CDs at the same cost as the performer for sale at the Arisia Stuff table. Interfilk may be given a small number of CDs for auction.

This would give the winner more name recognition, promote filk and get more music out into the world. Standard rules for covers of current songs would apply (get permissions and so on).

To be eligible you'd have to meet the following criteria:
1) Be present at Arisia in the Filk Rooms.
2) Cannot be Arisia Staff.
3) Cannot have a prior commercially available recording of your music with the exception of the WorlDream CD.

Balloting will happen at the con. To get a ballot you need to show up to the filk room, show your badge, sign your name and fill it out. Up to three names can be placed on a ballot but a single person may only receive one vote per ballot. The filker with the most votes wins. In addition to not being eligible to receive the prize, Arisia Staff cannot vote.

If you win but decline then the first runner up will receive the prize. If the first runner up refuses it goes to second runner up, and so on.

So - feedback? Comments? Flames? Am I quacking like a duck? (More importantly, am I quacking like a duck while you are not currently listening to the final act of Episode One of The Fantastic Fate of Frederick Farnsworth the Fifth?)