The currently ongoing US Yamaha Freestyle Performance Contest (open to residents of the US only)
showcases live real time performance on a Yamaha arranger type keyboard utilizing the keyboard's arranger (auto accompaniment) features.

Unfortunately due to video recording tech difficulties, I wasn't able to get my contest submission prepared in time,
but it's great to see the following 8 contestant's videos make this first quarter finalist round.

The schedule of finalist voting rounds is as follows:

April 11: Quarter-final
April 18: Semi-final
April 25: Final

The Yamaha Freestyle Contest web page link for watching the finalist's videos as well as voting
does NOT present the contestant's videos in chronological order of their (arbitrarily) assigned finalist number,
so I assume this was intentionally done by Yamaha as to not show bias to any given finalist by their arbitrarily assigned number.

To afford more convenient direct viewing on Synthzone, here are the 8 finalist videos appearing in the same order as on the Yamaha Freestyle Contest page.

To view these videos directly on Yamaha's Freestyle Contest site, as well as Vote for your favorite video performance, go: HERE

Finalist #1:


Finalist #8:




Finalist #2:


Finalist #7:




Finalist #3:


Finalist #6:




Finalist #4:


Finalist #5:

In addition to what I posted above, it's also interesting to note the following outlined on the Yamaha Freestyle Contest page:

* Each round lasts one week and you're allowed five votes per day.

* You can help your favorite entry by sharing the link on Facebook or Twitter, and that each 'post' or 'tweet' counts as one vote.

* You can vote up to 5 times a day.

what are the prizes Scott? if any?

First place takes a Tyros 4. Oops, other Scott.

Scott L's correct. There's only 'one' prize . . . a Tyros 4, and as I recall, this includes MS04 speakers & stand too.
Though there's no prize for 2nd or 3rd place, finalist contestant's videos appearing on Yamaha's YouTube site is certainly worth a lot in exposure and respected acclaim. - Scott Y.

Being able to vote five times a day seems ridiculously silly.

Not being allowed to vote if you're not a US resident too. :-)

Dmitri Greenberg and Chony Milecki should be winners.

Chony should win, hands down.

I was preparing a piece for this contest, but when our health insurance at the time rejected a brain MRI for my ailing wife, it was too much stress, and I stopped practicing.

When I was listening to the entries, I was thinking remorsefully, "my piece (if it had been perfected) was as good, maybe better than that," but when I heard Chony ... while it's maybe a little too much in your face, that guy's rocking. It was very fun to watch.

IMO, if he doesn't win, there's something wrong.

WOW!!! THANKS!!!!

If you liked my audition, I think you'll love this: