Competition Details & Frequently Asked Questions  

 

 

GENERAL TIPS AND TECHNIQUES 

 

• Breathe slowly and deeply from your diaphragm, lower in your belly for more air and stronger notes, and to calm your body.

  • A great practice is to extend your tummy as you inhale and flatten it as you exhale, similar to yogic/operatic breathing. With practice, you can achieve longer notes.

 

• Perform lip exercises - Some whistlers do stretches or various experiments to keep their lips flexible. 

 

• Stay hydrated - Some whistlers say that room temperature is the best for staying hydrated, while some prefer cold temperatures. Experiment to find out which works for you. 

 

• Mind your food intake - Do not overdo it. Avoid overeating to ensure there's enough room for air. Eat hours before, if possible, and avoid salt and alcohol.

 

• Moisturize your lips - Use your favorite lip balm if it helps you.

    

 

PERFORMANCE

                                                

• Maintain eye contact  - Look at your audience or pretend by looking at a spot on the wall to connect.    

 

• Engage your whole body - Use your arms and walk around while performing.

 

• Vibrato can be beautiful but also a crutch to achieve your notes. Use it sparingly and aim for pure tones.

 

• Bird Sounds and effects - While bird sounds and effects are impressive, remember this is a music competition, so prioritize delivering a melodious song. Avoid techniques that may distract from the music and consult your coach on how to use them while maintaining the song's integrity.

PREPARATION

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• Get a coach for one-on-one training. We NEED outside ears to perform our best, so consider getting a coach for one-on-one training.

  • Vocal, piano, and music teachers are good investments in preparation for your performance.

 

• Perform for friends live or in public as much as possible. It will help you immensely during the competition.

 

• Practice with a microphone. It can be challenging to use a mic effectively and avoid a windy or screechy sound. Try whistling on top of the mic or to the side. Take and use your own windscreen for performances in public. Find a karaoke bar and practice. 

 

• Record yourself. Listen, and critique honestly.

 

• Share your unique journey with others. People will be surprised and encourage you.

 

• Watch videos from former champions. Check videos from past MMW, WWC, GWC, & IWC* events to get an idea of what to expect and the high level of talented whistlers you will be competing with.

 

• Most importantly - HAVE FUN! There are going to be many participants but only a few award winners.  This is an opportunity to connect with your community, even if you feel nervous or excited (which are the same biological response). 

 

*WWC = World Whistlers Convention; GWC = Global Whistlers Competition, IWC = International Whistlers Convention

 

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SONG SELECTION

 

• There are no right answers, but choose something dynamic and melodic that features all of your techniques and talents, and is also challenging. 

  • This is arguably the most difficult part of competitive whistling. 

  • Whistle it for others and watch the reaction. 

  • Make sure it's in your key - avoid jumping octaves to hit a note, as it is not true to the original music and can sound unprofessional. 

  • Practice incessantly - really know your music.

ACCOMPANIMENT

        

• Find good backtracks. You can find them on platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, or consider custom tracks.

  • Look for full-sounding music of good quality, and listen to it with earphones to check its quality. 

 

• Your performance success is related to the excellence of your backtrack.

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• Make sure the backtrack does not feature the same melody you are whistling. It is difficult to hear the whistling if it is mirrored by another instrument and it can cause your audience (the judges) to feel you do not know the composition. Points will be deducted if there is too much melody in your backtrack.

  • Good example backtrack of Someone Like You.  There is no lead melody instrumental in very simple piano arrangements.

  • Bad example of Someone Like You - the lead melody is being played by the piano.               

                                                

• Custom Tracks - Musicians (piano and guitar are great) and producers can create MP3s / .WAV files for your performances. They can often add effects and other instruments to the recording if they are also producers. 

  • To get custom classical tracks, you can email Dr. James Lent.

    • ​Send the title of your classical song,  a recording of yourself whistling it at the tempo you like, and the key - with or without music - and he'll create a custom track just for you an include a few changes.

 

• Gig sites like Fiverr.com offer many options for obtaining backtracks.    

• Level 3 Live Band - Our musical director, AJ Satsangi, is very adept at taking your inspiration videos, MP3s, notes, and examples and turning them into musical charts that the band can follow. 

  • Read the guidelines for the various ways you can submit the content AJ needs to make your rehearsal as effective as possible.

 

• Be clear in your instructions.

 

• Just like a master performer, you often have limited rehearsal time. You are allotted only 10 minutes to practice your song with the band, and then the following day, you perform it in the competition.

 

GUIDELINES

                                                    

• Song length for Level 2 & 3 is 3 minutes minimum and 5 minutes maximum*. (*You may apply for an exception)

 

• Song length for Level 1 is 2 minutes minimum and 4.5 minutes maximum.

 

• Song name and composer (not singer) submission - You will be required to submit the song name and composer, not the singer. Do your research and submit the ORIGINAL song name and composer (who is not necessarily the performer).

 

• Dress sharp - This is a professional performance, a competition concert open to the public. You will be recorded and representing our art form.  

  • We encourage individuality, but please avoid ultra-casual wear and jeans as much as possible.

                        

 

COMPETITION

 

• The schedule with your performance time block will be posted the night before your competition time/day.

  • You must check in with the Contestant Coordinator backstage at your required time - which will be discussed at the orientation.

 

• Your audition was the first level of competition. The live performances are your final round of the competition. Judges will decide tie-breakers.

 

• Read the Judging Guidelines on the Compete page of our site for more information about judges.    

 

• Read the guidelines thoroughly, or get help. There is a lot of information that can make a difference for your success. 

 

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MISCELLANEOUS

 

• Read the guidelines! Know what to avoid. 

 

• Research and know the song name and composer (not the singer).

 

• Stick around - Support your fellow contestants by watching the competition.

• Tickets for all public events will be available for sale or reservation on our website (via Eventbrite). Some events are free. Invite your friends and family to join the fun! 

 

• Whistling Master Class & Karaoke Luncheon Tickets will be available.

 

• Join your community at our Welcome Dinner, Karaoke Luncheon, Pizza Party, and our MMW Family Dinner after the awards ceremony. 

 

• The website is constantly being updated. Check back for schedules and resource updates.

 

• Choose a moniker - aka a nickname for your whistling persona, if you like.

 

• Share your journey to and through MMW and increase global awareness of our art form by posting about it.

 

• Whistling is Art - that is our stand. We are committed to expanding the awareness, recognition, and enjoyment of whistling as an art throughout the world. 

 

• Join the Contestant Facebook Group. 

 

• Check the World’s largest whistling directory here - find contacts, resources, and more.

• There are and have been many wonderful whistling events in the past.

  • IWC - International Whistlers Convention in North Carolina, USA.

    • ​The IWC ran for 40 years in North Carolina, USA run by Allan DeHart - the namesake of our Allan DeHart Award which recognizes those that are  expanding the awareness, enjoyment, and respect of musical whistling as a fine art.

  • WWC - World Whistlers Convention in Kawasaki, Japan.

  • GWC - Global Whistlers Competition - Online -  organized by the International Whistlers Guild.

  • Puckerama in Japan. The Carson City Whistle Off in the 80's, and more

                

MMW is brought to you by Creative Being Inc., a nonprofit organization

committed to inspiring community and creativity through artistic self-expression. 

 

Thank you for your partnership and participation.