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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
New Album... but...
New Album... but...
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Mensh
67 posts
Aug 03, 2017
7:30 AM
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Hello group!
I have been in and around this forum for a few years - checking in usually 2-3 times a week, posting maybe twice a year.
I just finished an original album that I am proud of, and I thought that I would post a song or two. And yet... I stopped myself.
Does anyone else feel as I feel: is there gain by posting my work here? I am concerned about the troll-ish nature of the internet. I don't want to put up my art so people can throw rocks at it, anonymously. Has anyone else lost hope in the positivity of humanity?
Just thinking out loud. Now that my tunes are Mastered, they are FINISHED. They are my children. Am I the kind of person who posts baby-pictures, thinking, "oh, I really hope someone thinks my daughter is special..."
I am thinking out loud today about art, narcissism, trolls, and criticism. Thanks for being harp-obsessed like me.
Heath
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www.thebluesprofessors.com
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Tommy the Hat
678 posts
Aug 03, 2017
7:50 AM
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Ok, a couple of things. First, I was going to say that I was thinking of posting a video today myself. If I did, then once you heard my mess you'd surely feel better about posting! But seriously, just go for it. That's why you created it right? Sure you might get critique but then again you might not. But I doubt if you'll get trolling and such.
The other thing is that I notice you may have provided a back door here. The link in your signature. Ahh ha! Is that your CD? Whatever it is I listened, albeit briefly as I have to go out, and I for one thought it was good (whatever that's worth).
And the last and dry important thing. The first thing I noticed was that your page said "Bethlehem Pa." Is that where you are? That's where I am! Well, pretty much. I'm in East Allen Township bordering Bethlehem right off Airport rd and Rt 329. I swore there were no harp players around here. Well, almost. I do own harps and "try" to play but I'm not there yet..lol. Actually I'm headed to Bethlehem right now. Wegman's. About 10 minus from me.
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Tommy
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Last Edited by Tommy the Hat on Aug 03, 2017 7:52 AM
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dougharps
1535 posts
Aug 03, 2017
8:13 AM
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A while back someone posted here about an album upon which they had played. There were some negative comments and some positive.
I was interested in hearing more and bought the Baskerville Willy "No Ordinary Hound" album because it had a cool sound. I am not fond of ALL the cuts, but enough of them are interesting and good enough that I still play the album on long drives. It has good songs.
I have no buyer's remorse because it wasn't a perfect album. Few, if any, albums are consistently good on all songs, to all people.
If you want to market your new CD you'll have to take the risk of criticism.
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Doug S.
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The Iceman
3308 posts
Aug 03, 2017
8:27 AM
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Holy cow. I did the same thing and also own Baskerville Willy CD now. It's pretty good - not perfect, but pretty good.
Mensh - if you can't take criticism, don't post here. You'll get both positive and negative.
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The Iceman
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Rontana
426 posts
Aug 03, 2017
9:15 AM
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mensh . . .
I get what you're saying, and rarely post anything on the Internet unless I'm seeking to make a buck or gin up some publicity. I'm not referring to harp playing specifically, as I don't do that professionally (I enjoy the hell out of playing, just for myself, but work in a different creative field).
This is more a general observation of online behavior and its value.
The net is full of folks who criticize or defame others simply to get their rocks off. When posting any sort of work online, it's a bit difficult to differentiate between those who honestly want to provide constructive input - positive or negative - and those who simply get a kick out of tearing someone down. I really don't know that posting simply for feedback - on the Internet at large - is terribly beneficial.
That said, if you are seeking input from strangers, I'd say this site will - for the most part - garner you honest comments. This is the only internet forum of which I'm a member. I steer clear of the Zuckerwellian Facebook universe (The Zuckerverse?), avoid Twitter, etc. etc, etc. Frankly, I view the Internet as a tool. It's no different than a hammer or drill press. Use it when you think it will help. Otherwise, let it sit on the workbench.
If YOU are happy with your work, and aren't wrecked by the potential of severe criticism, then post away. Many, self included, might enjoy listening. Heck, if we like it, we might even end up buying.
At least, in this venue, you're going to receive a high percentage of musically educated opinions. And, again for the most part, even those opinions that aren't all that musically educated (like me) share a love of harp and blues.
Last Edited by Rontana on Aug 03, 2017 9:19 AM
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nacoran
9555 posts
Aug 03, 2017
3:06 PM
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I'd be more worried no one would comment! :)
(Anxiety humor).
A lot of how people will respond will be based on how you frame it. If you say, hey guys, here is my new album and where you can buy it generally speaking people will comment if they like it and skip over commenting if they don't (or if they are too busy to listen, or feel like they don't have anything to add, or they just miss the link). If you say, 'hey guys, I'm looking for a review' people will usually give constructive criticism. If everything is already mastered that may only be helpful for your next effort.
If you are at the stage where you've got an album and it's all mastered, remember, some people are going to hate. That's allowed on the forum as long as it's done politely, but just remember, there are people who hate the Stones, the Beatles, Bach, Beyonce,... you name the artist, there is someone out there who hates them. But, by putting themselves out there people get to hear there music, and putting yourself out there is the only way to do that.
I work with a bass player. He's a great guy, but sometimes... we've got a song that I think, aside from relaying the vocals, is just about set. I mentioned that we should try to see about getting it on a local college/indie station once that was done, and he panicked. So we've been sitting, without redoing the vocals for a couple years now. He isn't happy with the guitar or the bass or whatever. We agree that it's the 'single' that we think we should try to put out, but it just sits there.
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Nate
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jbone
2341 posts
Aug 03, 2017
5:45 PM
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I recently posted the release of our latest album here and got. ZERO. response.
Not that I ever got much from the previous two releases, but a "Way to go" or "Cool!" would have been nice.
Adam has always been nice enough to give his permission to post a release here, for which I am grateful.
In this day and age CD's are said by some to be obsolete, yet out live we do sell copies, and in the past we did decent mail order business as well.
I've realized that there are folks out there in audience land who want something to take with them from a show, maybe just to have in the car player or maybe to just get signed. It feels good to us to have a token of our work and peoples' esteem.
Some outfits offer their work for free as a promotion or just ask for what a customer feels is fair. Maybe I'm more old school, in that I like to be compensated for the work put in- writing, arranging, getting recorded, and doing some kind of graphics package in order to have a presentable product. Not the best perhaps, but musically credible and palatable. So we have been told by total strangers and peers alike. This is a cottage industry to us. We charge much less than Best Buy for real. A break even would be nice considering the blood, sweat, and tears that go into an original work.
There is an adage that you can't depend on friends and family to support a business venture, and I believe that's true. Even so I do like to offer our work to friends and family along with peers and patrons equally. We can buy copies from a jobber as needed and so are not saddled with a big outlay of cash and a ton of product we have to haul with us on this tour we've been on for over 4 months. Our new life is travel, work where we can, and play music where we can. Our home is towed behind us. Every dollar we can put in the gas tank, or to pay for a new recording, or a set of reed plates, guitar strings, whatever, means something to us.
No indictment here, but just a word to the wise. You CAN post your work here. You MAY get a response. But for the same reason we have not posted original work on YouTube we don't post it here. It's ours and it has to be worth a little bit to be heard. With all the other costs- physical, monetary, emotional- paying for copyrights is not cheap either.
Consider carefully.
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Last Edited by jbone on Aug 03, 2017 6:13 PM
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