Derek Reaban

Gavin,

I thought your photo of the “trumpet powered” hot air balloon was fantastic! Very creative, and it’s always good to include your kids in the entry so that if you win they can share the moment with you.

As far as “feedback”, I think Leigh gave us some very valuable information this year in the judging process. Of course Leigh is a judge. His Wife and 3 year old daughter are also in the voting pool. There are 5 other judges (I’m guessing the staff who works at the shop with Leigh) for a total of 8. Just like an orchestral committee, you put your very best effort forward, and if you happen to excite the judges, then you have found the right combination for that particular year. Knowing the judges a little better improves your chances at having a successful entry.

Answering each of Leigh’s questions puts you in the running. The quality of each part of your entry is certainly weighed against the other participants. Ultimately it comes down to winning over the majority of the judges (I will certainly remember this when I am trying to win the support of the 3-4 year old vote next year – historical trumpet cards probably didn’t score big in that demographic!).

Anyway, certainly a good topic, but remember, if you tried your best and had fun, you were certainly a winner! When you show your daughter that picture in 10 years you can both look back and say, “What were we thinking? Well at least we had a fun time!”


Take care,

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Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona