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Maker Faire: CALLING ALL: Cassette Jockies - Retro-Tech Lovers - Magnetic Media Monsters - Circuit Benders - Multi-Media DJs - Walkman Hot-Rodders

In 2003 at a festival in Chicago, a group of retro-tech geniuses organized The Cassette Jockey World Championships. Like the popular DJ (Disk Jockey) competitions with record-toting DJs showing off their turntable skills, the CJ Championships aimed to transplant their skills and styles to the venerable world of cassettes. Since CJs were encouraged to hot-rod their own equipment, eviscerated boomboxes, disembodied tape heads, and overclocked Walkmans were the weapons of choice--anything that used the standard cassette as its ammo.

Now, in 2007, we resurrect the CJ Championships and bring the battle to the west coast for the Make Magazine Maker Faire!

Forget DJs, this is for the CJs: The Cassette Jockey Championship is where YOU can show off your skills as a world-class CJ. This is your chance to show the world what the venerable and once-mighty cassette tape is capable of. The CJ who amazes the judges with their skill, technique, and knowledge will become the 2007 CASSETTE JOCKEY CHAMPION!
The Rules

1. One (1) Cassette Jockey at a time--no teams.
2. Competitors are ENCOURAGED to create or alter their own cassette tape decks/players/recorders/etc. to compete on. However, some stock cassette equipment will be provided at the competition.
3. Standard cassette tapes ONLY--no mini-cassettes or 8-Track tapes.
4. Cassettes used MUST be published, pre-recorded, "store-bought" cassettes for source material--no dubbing of CDs/LPs/8-Tracks/MP3s to tape, home recordings, battle cassettes, or found sounds are allowed.
5. Spliced tapes/tape loops are allowed. (But remember Rule #4.)
6. Live microphone usage and live feedback are allowed.
7. Headphones are allowed (supplied by competitor).
8. Competitors may use no more than six (6) cassette devices.

Competition The competition begins with an Elimination Round, with each competitor given three (3) minutes to compete. Each will be scored by a panel of judges based on the criteria described below. The top five (5) scoring Cassette Jockeys will progress to the Final Round.During the Final Round, each competitor is given five (5) minutes to compete. As before, each will be scored by the judges. The highest scorer is the winner! Judging

A panel of judges will score each competitor in each round based on the following criteria:

• (10 Points) Content. Techniques, musical ideas, and exploitation of the cassette medium.
• (10 Points) Form. Performance style, transitions, overall set structure.
• (5 Points) Intangibles. Bonus score for anything else the judge deems worthy.

Entry For an entry form and up-to-date information about the 2007 Cassette Jockey World Championships, send an email to: cjchampionships@gmail.com - Link & more details here.

Pictured here, my favorite the Cease and desisted Sony Walkman iPod case.