A taste for vinegar and ashes. − 19 March, 2007
Well, it happened.
We get signal; somebody set up us the bomb.
Actually, along came a reviewer and bombed both of my Jamendo albums.
Hurts a bit.
No, a lot.
A few days ago, I posted my own review policy on my blog. See, I don't give out bad reviews on free music sites. When someone puts music on these sites, they are putting their baby out into the world; it's not like me to come along and kick someone's baby (even if it is making a lot of noise). If I don't like it, I just move on. I figure there's someone out there who will like it, and if not, well, there you have it.
There are real people behind these tracks, people who play because they love music. They are not some PR-machine manufactured confection of synthetic voice alterations, plastic surgery, image consultants, dance videos, marketing, and vice in general.
Well, obviously, not everyone feels the same way.
So what was I expecting? That there'd be sunshine and never rain?
Actually, I was thinking I'd probably only have about 3 downloads total (me, my wife, and at least one other unlucky soul) and that would be it. Then I'd vanish into obscurity.
People have downloaded my albums, and evidently enjoyed them. I mean, hey, I've had positive reviews. When I think about it, I've been playing seven years as an adult, and this is the first time I got this sort of response. I really like the music I have made--I have listened to it again and again, and some of it sounds so beyond my abilities I sort of go holy crap, how did that get on the album?
Stupid musicians like me. Now I'm not so sure. Maybe I'm just that old goofy uncle who thinks he's making wine in the basement, but has merely acquired a taste for vinegar.
Update (mere hours later)
Wow. A lot can change in a few hours. You can read the story of what happened next on my wordpress blog: Resolution. Basically, a friend at DMusic came to my rescue with some timely detective work and uncovered a troll.
We get signal; somebody set up us the bomb.
Actually, along came a reviewer and bombed both of my Jamendo albums.
Hurts a bit.
No, a lot.
A few days ago, I posted my own review policy on my blog. See, I don't give out bad reviews on free music sites. When someone puts music on these sites, they are putting their baby out into the world; it's not like me to come along and kick someone's baby (even if it is making a lot of noise). If I don't like it, I just move on. I figure there's someone out there who will like it, and if not, well, there you have it.
There are real people behind these tracks, people who play because they love music. They are not some PR-machine manufactured confection of synthetic voice alterations, plastic surgery, image consultants, dance videos, marketing, and vice in general.
Well, obviously, not everyone feels the same way.
So what was I expecting? That there'd be sunshine and never rain?
Actually, I was thinking I'd probably only have about 3 downloads total (me, my wife, and at least one other unlucky soul) and that would be it. Then I'd vanish into obscurity.
People have downloaded my albums, and evidently enjoyed them. I mean, hey, I've had positive reviews. When I think about it, I've been playing seven years as an adult, and this is the first time I got this sort of response. I really like the music I have made--I have listened to it again and again, and some of it sounds so beyond my abilities I sort of go holy crap, how did that get on the album?
Stupid musicians like me. Now I'm not so sure. Maybe I'm just that old goofy uncle who thinks he's making wine in the basement, but has merely acquired a taste for vinegar.
Update (mere hours later)
Wow. A lot can change in a few hours. You can read the story of what happened next on my wordpress blog: Resolution. Basically, a friend at DMusic came to my rescue with some timely detective work and uncovered a troll.
Comments:
kga245 (March 20, 2007. 08:49pm)
Tolls happen. Unfortunately, you can't really prevent people from being rude. You have to give new members the benefit of the doubt to start with. Sometimes, it helps to simply write the person and ask them to be less rude. S/he may not even know that they are disrupting the community vibe as it were. It's amazing how you can convert the nastiest cynic into your number one fan by just opening the doors of communication and leading by kind example. BTW, if anyone ever does that here, please let me know. I don't have a problem nixing comments and people who are excessively negative and unwilling to change their ways.
bmccosar (March 20, 2007. 11:18pm)
Thank you, Kelly -- I appreciate it. I'm pretty much over my Defcon 1 reaction ;-) You have built a wonderful home here, and I hope for many more years and many more stories. It's odd; you built Dandelife to share your own life, but I've found it most useful in looking back on my own. A lot has happened since I picked up that first guitar on by birthday in 2000. I've never really stopped to consider the river of change I've traveled down. At least, not until the day I clicked "Timelines -> All Stories" and experienced a sort of revelation.
kga245 (March 21, 2007. 12:14am)
Pretty cool, eh? True I built Dandelife for myself. But it makes sense to bring others in too. I find that it takes friends to help me remember things I forgot. So the more the merrier. Glad to have you here. Hope it keeps getting better for you.