What Every Contestant Should Understand about their Score

It's that time of year again for me......that time when the scores from nationals are being posted on the Talent Quest website and individual contestants are receiving the breakdown of their scores via email. Inevitably, contestants are upset when they see the breakdown of the scores and it's hard for me not to take it personally. Although I have never been a Talent Quest contestant, I really DO understand how important this is to all the contestants and I put ALL of my effort and energy into carefully tabulating and analyzing the scores to ensure that it is fair for all who are putting their extraordinary talents up on that stage.

Having tabulated at the local, regional and national level for 7 years, there are a couple of things I wish contestants could understand when looking at their scores. Since I don't have time to give a seminar at nationals about this, I decided to put these important points into a blog so everyone will better understand and hopefully won't be so hard on themselves and actually have a breakdown!

Important Facts:

#1: Comparing your scores to previous year's scores or between rounds is not a fair assessment of improvement or weakening of your skills

It would be a rare case that a contestant would have the same 3 judges from one year to the next in ALL rounds of competition so comparing this years scores to last years (or round one scores to round two; pop score to country) is a moot point.

#2: A low score from a judge doesn't mean that judge was unfair to you or didn't like you

Some judges just score low. That means they score EVERYone lower- not just you. When you get your score breakdown it's just your scores not the contestant before or after you, so you don't see the consistency that I look for when tabulating. In addition to putting in all the scores for every contestant, I chart out the scores to make sure that even if one judge is scoring low, all the scores move basically up and down in conjunction. This allows me to spot any abnormalities by sight. Below is sampling of scores I pulled from a regional contest about 5 years ago to give an example of how a lower scoring judge's scores "go with the flow".

Here are how the scores look when I enter them in the spreadsheet.

Once entered, I take the total scores for each contestant and graph them by judge on a line graph.

It's clear to see that even though there is variance between the judges, the scores basically move in tandem on the graph.


There are other ways I look at the scores as well, but I don't want to bore anyone with my love of analyzing statistics! Just keep these 2 things in mind when you get your scores in the coming days and weeks. Everyone did an amazing job at nationals! And although most of what I do is done behind the scenes, please rest assured that I am vigilant with these scores to ensure that each year is a fair competition!

.....Showing Yourself Friendly?

To have friends, you must show yourself friendly.

I believe this with my whole heart and I do my best to uphold this tenant  in my life. But much like my issue with The Golden Rule, I have been struggling with why I should continue to be friendly to one who clearly ISN'T being friendly.

Frankly, I don't see the need at all.

Over the past 3 years my life has been reshaped and bears little resemblance to the life I had before those changes. During tough times, one learns who are genuine friends and sees more clearly those who are of the fair-weather variety. Those are the times it is difficult to know when one should continue to show friendliness and when one should look at the lack of friendliness which has (or hasn't in this case) been extended and decide to cut one's losses and simply walk away.
 
I have learned one very important lesson through all the changes and finally walking away from the Unavailables. I don't need any boomerangs in my life.

To the longtime friend who chose to show herself "friendly" by deleting and blocking me on Facebook without anything bad transpiring between us: I will consider this your way of telling me you no longer want to be friends. I wish you well and thank you for deleting me so I don't have to waste any more effort than this blog.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Computer Archives: The 21st Century Breakup Box

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" George Santayana

I spent a good portion of my weekend reading through archived emails, messages, IMs and texts from a few past boyfriends. Maybe I'm the only one who keeps correspondence anymore, but just because there are no hard-copy notes and letters these days doesn't mean there isn't a digital version of the stack of letters bound by a ribbon at the end of a relationship.

For the most part, I forget this correspondence is there, but it's good to know I can revisit these things if I ever feel the need. This past week, I've been pushed in the direction of my virtual breakup boxes and have blown the dust (some dustier than others) off the lids and started reading.

I won't lie. Much of it was torturous. But, it was also nice to see that there were plenty of good times worth remembering. And, although it shouldn't have been surprising to me, I was shocked to see such a distinct pattern to the flow of things with Pepe, Sugar D and Baby Boy. It's true that there are times one can't see the forest for the trees and the past 15 years have been dark times in the forbidden forest for me!

But, for as much torture as it was to read through the correspondence, it was equally liberating. Things have changed and I'm on a clear path. It's one that makes me happier than I've been in years and one that I prefer to keep mostly to myself because I'm selfish and I refuse to share it with anyone else. I've sealed the archives once again, but it's good to know they are there so I won't keep repeating the past.

Do Unto Others?

As a child, I was probably most impressionable at ages 4-6. I took everything my "elders" offered at face value and as truth. I wasn't jaded enough to understand about lies and manipulation, so I believed what was offered because they said it was truth. For the most part, I think I turned out as a well-adjusted, sane individual and many of the things I was taught when I was that age have proven very useful throughout my life.

Currently though, I'm at odds with The Golden Rule. You know......do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I've tried my best to do this for the better part of four decades, but I'm wondering when the others will start treating me as I've treated them??? I know that isn't why one practices The Golden Rule, but I think it's fair to wonder when I'll get a return on my investment? Honestly, I know the answer: NEVER.

As a result of being so devoted to this tenet, I seem to attract those who have already frustrated the rest of the population into rescinding their friendship with them. Time and again, when I've been trampled on, I remember that lovely Golden Rule and I treat them the way I want to be treated. Well, NO MORE. Instead, when I am treated in a manner contrary to how I treat others, that person will be treated with the Inverse Golden Rule. I will assume that how they're treating me is how they would like to be treated. 

After all, I was told when I was 6 that turn about is fair play.

My Life is Imitating Art

I've written a few times about my connection to the music of Alice Peacock. Her entire self-titled album could have come straight from my head. It's rare that an artist speaks so directly an intimately to me through lyrics about things others wouldn't have the first inkling, but she has done it and I return to the tracks of this album often, visiting them like old friends, feeling their comfort, experiencing their excitement and it always makes my heart race.

As this new year starts, I can't shake this song and how it makes me feel. I don't know what Alice was thinking when she wrote it and I'm sure it takes on a different meaning for everyone. I love this song more today than when I first shared it with my readers in 2008 and it bears a rare repeat because of it's poignant relevance at this moment in my life.

For those on Spotify, you can listen to the song here.


All Consuming Love by Alice Peacock
I knew I'd seen your face before
When I was in a fever
You took my hand
And wiped my brow
Like a butterfly
To a dying flame
I'm drawn to you
Fold me in your arms
Fold me in

(chorus)
Take me down to the water
Take me under, set me free
I want to be your mother, sister, daughter
Want to be your fantasy

I said this wouldn't happen again
Swore it on the heavens above
But like a lamb to the slaughter
Can't fight this all consuming
Love me, hate me, mold me, break me
Take me down In ecstasy

(chorus)
Take me down to the water
Take me under, set me free
I want to be your mother, sister, daughter
Want to be your fantasy

If I had to tell my story again
It's been written in your eyes
And could I get so close to you
I'd melt away
I wanna' hear you say
That you're never gonna' leave
Wanna' hear you say it
Say it baby