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I don't dispute anything Noah said, but I'd like to point out that: a. When going back down the scale in melodic minor, the notes are the same as the natural minor. Yup. So you go up the melodic minor scale in one way, and down another. b. Since classical theory hates the minor v chord, melodic minor exists to give everyone the "normal" V chord that functional harmony just loves, though the v chord definitely has its own uses.

I have had the good fortune to live on Central Park in New York for six years. I’ve had the place all to myself in the winter and have had to share it with tourists in the summer. It has many points of interest, such that each are singular and need no colorful qualification. There is The Lake, The Pond, The Meer and The Beach (yes, the park has a real beach). The Sheep Meadow, The Bridal Path, The Boathouse, and so on. One of each. And the Carousel. That too, unique, except for the children who are always the same at five years old. Their mothers bring them here to go around on the wooden horses as the motor cranks up and up and up and the jangly circus music begins, and all the many little hearts that beat so fast in their fearless joy … I wanted to share this little vignette with you. Sorry, no score, but I can give you the instrumentation. 2 clarinets, 1 bassoon, 1 Horn in F, Bb trumpet, piano, harp, glockenspiel and strings.

Personally I teach, and finding time away from my "kids" is difficult. My composing is limited to short bursts a couple times each week, which makes doing competitions of any kind difficult. I want to get involved in more (in fact I submitted an entry in June for an off-forum competition), but summer and winter breaks are my only options for putting in any real time. Like your ideas for giving some target-skills for composers to practice. It's kind of like Master Chef or something where they're given an objective and the chef who does it best wins. Also, to mirror what @Noah Brode said - if we did something like it again, I'd enter. Happy Friday! Gustav Johnson