If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us from the "Contact" page

Si vous avez des questions, n'hesitez pas à nous contacter en français par email sur le page “Contact”

Si tiene alguna duda, no hesite contactarnos en español por la página “Contact”

Se tiver alguma dúvida, não hesite em contactar-nos em português pela página de “Contact”

日本語でのお問い合わせはContactのページからお願いいたします。

Global Whistling Championship 2020

*** Submissions are closed and public voting phase will begin August 20th ***

The first ever online international whistling competition

If you are a long-time competitor in international whistling competitions, interested in seeing how one of these works, or just wanting to show the world what you can do... this is the competition for you! No barriers in terms of paying for flights or picking a song that fits a certain category. Just send in your video for judging and have the chance at being crowned the first ever Global Whistling Champion!

*** Open to all ages!

Useful Links

  • GWC 2020 Rules
  • GWC 2020 Judge Profiles
  • GWC 2020 Submit Video
  • Japanese summary: https://torinaki.com/gwc2020/
    • 口笛音楽院さんが日本語で内容をまとめて下さいました。当団体のHP外の非公式訳であることを承知の上でご参照ください(内容に齟齬や変更があった場合、当ページの英語版を正とします)。ご厚意に感謝いたします。
    • The website “Whistling Conservatoire” has kindly created a Japanese summary. Although it is an external unofficial translation, it may be helpful for you. If there are any discrepancies or changes, this English version will prevail. We humbly thank the owner of the website.

Important Dates

  • July 6th - Video submissions are open (see our Rules and Submissions page for more details)
  • August 6th - Submission period is closed and the first round of official judging will begin
    • All video submissions will be posted on the master GWC 2020 YouTube playlist
  • August 20th - Top 25 will be announced
    • Second round of official judging and 1-week public voting period will begin for the top 25
  • August 27th - Public voting period will end
  • September 3rd (World Whistling Day!) - Winners will be announced!

FAQ

  1. What does GWC 2020 stand for?
    • GWC stands for 'Global Whistling Championship' and GWC 2020 is an online whistling competition happening in 2020.
  2. Who is organizing the GWC 2020?
    • The International Whistlers Guild (IWG) is organizing the GWC 2020.
  3. What is the IWG?
    • The International Whistlers Guild was founded in 2020 by six young ambitious whistlers.  The IWG connects whistlers and non-whistlers from around the world, from all walks of life, to promote the art of whistling as mankind's oldest and most unique musical expression. The IWG aims to reach the farthest corners of the globe to find hidden musical talents and bring them to light. Please see our About page for more information.
  4. Is this really the first ever online international whistling competition?
    • Yes! All previous official whistling competitions have been in-person at a certain location (e.g., Hollywood, Japan, etc.) or only open to a certain group.
  5. What are the benefits of an online whistling competition?
    • The main benefits of an online whistling competition as opposed to an in-person competition are:
      • Lower costs to participants. There are no flight or hotel costs for competitors. This is a huge barrier to entry for in-person competitions as they may cost thousands of dollars to attend. An online competition only requires enough cost to cover the entry fee.
      • Lower costs to organizers. There are no building rentals for an online competition and generally costs to hold an online competition are much lower than an in-person competition.
      • Easier event organization. A one- or two-day event has huge pressure to fit everything in on schedule. An online competition can make sure there's enough time to fit everything needed without rushing anything.
      • Easier for judges. Judges at an in-person competition only have the live performances to judge. It's difficult to judge thoroughly while trying to listen to the piece. An online competition can afford the judges more time to listen to each performance and possibly re-listen to give the most fair score possible.
      • Better platform for whistling in general. An online competition allows the content and material to be easily turned into viewable content to a wider audience. Social media will be a big part of the Global Whistling Championship 2020 and we hope you help spread the news.
      • More whistlers. An online competition with all of the above attributes will hopefully open up the whistling world to a whole new generation of whistlers.
  6. I have never entered a whistling competition before. Am I allowed to enter?
    • Of course! This is the best competition for new-comers to join as there is very little risk in doing so. Your video submission will be included in the Master GWC 2020 YouTube playlist no matter what, so you will always have something to look back on. And who knows, maybe you could make top 25... or even win!
  7. Are bird whistles allowed?
    • While the addition of occasional bird imitation may add a unique taste to your performance, the GWC is primarily a music competition and the judging will be done from a musical perspective.
  8. Can I enter if I'm under 18?
    • All ages are welcome to enter, but all participants under the age of 18 must have parental consent to participate in the GWC 2020 competition.
  9. How many places are eligible for awards?
    • The top three whistlers will receive awards. The top ten whistlers will be publicly ranked.
  10. What are the prizes for winning GWC 2020?
    • A trophy or medal will be sent to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place whistlers in the competition. The other prize is having your video promoted on the IWG website and social media platforms. All official submissions will be included in the Master GWC 2020 YouTube playlist and the top 25 will be promoted further. The 1st place winner will also receive the title of first ever Global Whistling Champion!

  1. Can I change/update my video after my initial submission?
    • No. Your submission to the Global Whistling Championship 2020 is final. Please make sure the video you submit to the competition is your final version.
  2. Will there be another round of submissions after the initial video submission?
    • No. There will be only one submission.  The top 25 submissions will be selected by the judges from the initial pool of videos to be voted on for the main competition.  All submissions will be featured in the Master GWC 2020 YouTube playlist.
  3. When is the submission deadline?
    • Your video must be submitted by the end of the day on August 6th 2020 (11:59PM Pacific Daylight Time)
  4. Can I submit my video before paying?
    • No. You MUST pay before your submission is accepted into the Global Whistling Championship 2020. Proof of payment may be necessary.
  5. How are payments being handled and can I pay with some other method?
    • Payments are being handled through Eventbrite, a website specializing in handling payments for events such as this. We highly advise you use the default payment method as other methods may not be available. If you are not able to use Eventbrite, please contact IWG directly.
  6. What are the entry fees going towards?
    • The IWG is a non-profit organization. All entry fees will go toward the costs to organize the Global Whistling Championship 2020 (e.g., website, payment infrastructure, marketing material, etc.) and future IWG events.

  1. I don’t have any video editing software in order to start and end my video where I want, how can I edit my video?
    • YouTube has a built-in editor that can be used for simple video editing.  There are tutorials online for how to use this video editor.
  2. I don’t have a good microphone or camera; will this negatively affect my score?
    • As long as your whistling is clearly audible and you are easily identifiable, your score should not be affected by the quality of your microphone or camera.  Make sure you are close enough to your microphone, so your performance is easy to hear, but avoid being so close that you are blowing into the microphone. To ensure a good quality recording, we recommend that that you close your doors and windows and switch off your electronics that might be a source of noise, such as a fan or an air-conditioner. Make sure to listen to the recording with headphones to ensure the volume is right. 

  1. What is an 'accompaniment'?
    • The accompaniment is the background music/audio that will support your whistling (e.g., karaoke back-track).
  2. I know what song I want to perform, but I’m not sure how to find an accompaniment without the melody in it, where can I find an accompaniment?
    • There are many options for finding accompaniments such as:
      • Look for free karaoke tracks.
      • Ask a musician you know or pay someone on a website like Fiverr to make one for you.
      • Use a web service for accompaniments like piano-accompaniments.com or karaoke-version.com or x-minus.pro.
      • Make your own accompaniment with free software like GarageBand or Audacity.

  1. I really want to perform a certain song, but some of the notes are out of my range, is there anything that I can do to fix this?
    • You can transpose the accompaniment into a different key that allows you to be able to whistle all of the notes.  There is free software, like Audacity, that can do this for you.
  2. Will my song choice affect my score?
    • Your score can increase for performing a more difficult song well, however if you perform a song that is too difficult for you (and you make many mistakes) this can negatively affect your score.  Try to use the three little bears principle: don’t pick a song that’s too hard, or too easy; pick one that is just right for you.

  1. Who will be the judges?
  2. How will I be scored?
  3. I heard there is a public voting portion to the overall score of the top 25 whistlers. How much weight does the public voting have compared to the judging?
    • For the top 25 whistlers, 20% of their final score will come from the public voting.
  4. Are judges or IWG Founders eligible to win Global Whistling Championship 2020?
    • No. Judges and IWG Founders are not eligible to be in the top 25 of GWC 2020. However, they may participate by sending in a video to be included in the Master GWC 2020 YouTube playlist.

  1. What do I do if my question wasn't answered in this FAQ?
    • Please contact the IWG through our Contact page. We will be happy to answer any additional questions you may have.