Summary
I must say that I am rather impressed with the talented field of entrants here in week-1 of the Songwriters Challenge. Huge respect for everyone who had the skill-set needed to undertake this formidable challenge.
There were around 30 entrants in total, which really surprised me. I really didn’t think that there was that much skilled talent out there that could actually rise to the occasion.
I tip my hat humbly to each and every one of this week’s entrants who did just that - and more!
Song Writers Challenge: Week-1 (Broken Mirror)
My Process
Aside from a few key category modifications with regard to scoring and awarding points to the entrants of the Songwriters Challenge, I am basically using very similar methods to arrive at my picks and honorable mentions as I do in the general Open-Mic contest.
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.
My Top-5 Picks in Order
Firstly, if I’m not mistaken, English is by no means
’s primary language – yet he wrote the lyrics for and sang this rather impressive song in a language somewhat foreign to him! The instrument he’s playing is not his own, and this borrowed instrument he’s using doesn’t have the greatest “sound” to it. I suspect that the prospect of winning a nice guitar he can call his own is something that’s very much motivating . Despite such motivations and desires, one has to deliver the goods regardless of how much one may want or deserve something, and by golly, Sir came out of the gate in week-1 swinging for the fences! His incredible voice and the creative thematic melodies he’s created here with “Scars” is a force to be reckoned with.https://steemit.com/openmic/@g10a/openmic-songwriters-challenge-week-1-scars-or-original-composition-by-g10a-or-20171126t01516778z
What can I say… This is “Melavie!” and she is so incredibly talented that words simply cannot describe just how much in awe I am of this girl’s creatively intense skills and artistry. I told her that the other songwriter contestants are going to be quite thrilled and relieved to learn that she’ll be on a remote island without an internet connection for the better part of December and as such, unable to make all the entries. Melavie clearly nailed this week’s theme with seemingly effortless melodies and striking lyrics. I most certainly recognized the immense beauty in her song, Broken Mirrors
https://steemit.com/openmic/@melavie/openmic-songwriters-challenge-week-1-and-steemit-open-mic-week-61-broken-mirrors-original
Alright, so you might think that I may be a bit biased toward onetrue simply because
and I have a lot in common. We’re both older white guy’s with gray facial hair who love music, play guitar, love dogs, and have the fortune or misfortune depending upon one’s perspective – to live lives of general solitude in our respective “Hermit Nests” as he recently referred to them. Haha! But you know what – if you thought that way, you’d be dead wrong because apart from whatever commonalities we may share, this guy has clearly got the goods and they manifest readily here in his brilliantly creative performance of “Broken Mirror.”https://steemit.com/openmic/@onetruebrother/steemit-openmic-songwriters-challenge-week1-broken-mirror
Paul here is another guy that I connect with. But as I explained with regard to one-true-brother - despite such feelings of personal connection - there is simply no denying the passion, talent, and creative skills that Paul exhibits here in his fantastic thematic rendition of “The Crazy One.” His instrumental melodic transitions and off-beat lyrics really got my attention here. I dunno, maybe I’m the crazy one too.
https://steemit.com/openmic/@paulhallman/openmic-songwriters-challenge-week-1-the-crazy-one
I don’t know where this guy came from – I can’t recall ever seeing him on the Open-Mic venue before… But let me tell you what, when I hit “play” and heard that 90’s alt-grunge-rock sounding guitar in concert with his awesome vocal melodies – I was totally floored!
’s “Stay” delivers intense thematic emotion coupled with thoughtful lyrics and a very fine performance to top it all off. https://steemit.com/openmic/@luisferchav/open-mic-songwriters-challenge-week-1-broken-mirror
My Top-5 Honorable Mentions in order:
First: 
https://steemit.com/openmic/@lucybanks/open-mic-songwriters-challenge-week-1-open-mic-week-61-lucybanks-original
Second: 
https://steemit.com/openmic/@fitzgibbon/open-mic-songwriters-challenge-week-1-entry
Third: 
https://steemit.com/openmicsongwriters/@jaybird/steemit-openmic-songwriters-challenge-week-1-original-song-broken-mirrors
Fourth: 
https://steemit.com/openmic/@soykatonline/open-mic-songwriters-challenge-week-1-espejo-roto-broken-mirror
Fifth: 
https://steemit.com/openmic/@basilmarples/openmic-songwriters-challenge-week-1-7-years-bad-luck
Thank you all so much for taking some of your precious time to review my take on all of the incredibly creative artists here at the Songwriters 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 and its subsidiaries are clearly taking Steemit by storm – and that the Open-Mic brand shall remain a collective people-oriented force of love and artistry to be reckoned with on every level of measure.