×
What's new
By:

A smattering of forum suggestions

Polkasound

Polkasound

Active member
(I don't know how or why my brain came up with "smattering" but hey, there it is!)

On VI-Control today, I posted some news about an album of mine reaching a milestone. I couldn't find a place to post that news in SongProd, which got me thinking that this forum would benefit from having a place for members to share news and updates. So I thought I'd pitch the idea here along with a few others. I'm trying to think of new categories and topics to add to maximize user interaction. Since we already have Commercial Announcements, how about:

MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Updates/News/Promotions
- New Releases (Albums/EPs/Singles)
- Upcoming Concerts & Gigs*
*I would hide this from the latest posts feed though.

Suggestion: Adding the category of AI under TOOLS?

Suggestion: Relocating Reviews from COMMERCIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS to CRITIQUES?
 
Polkasound said:
(I don't know how or why my brain came up with "smattering" but hey, there it is!)

On VI-Control today, I posted some news about an album of mine reaching a milestone. I couldn't find a place to post that news in SongProd, which got me thinking that this forum would benefit from having a place for members to share news and updates. So I thought I'd pitch the idea here along with a few others. I'm trying to think of new categories and topics to add to maximize user interaction. Since we already have Commercial Announcements, how about:

MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Updates/News/Promotions
- New Releases (Albums/EPs/Singles)
- Upcoming Concerts & Gigs*
*I would hide this from the latest posts feed though.

Suggestion: Adding the category of AI under TOOLS?

Suggestion: Relocating Reviews from COMMERCIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS to CRITIQUES?
Click to expand...
Also would like to suggest a category for "what makes this performance great”. And maybe another for “what makes a concert or live show great”.

Which brings up another more general comment:

Consider that popular music artists are also performers--even mostly performers--not only recording artists. They think and prepare a whole lot for their shows, and how audiences are reacting to their songs and performances in real time. Because live music is still the heart and soul of most popular forms of music at the end of the day. And still makes or breaks an artist or band—especially in these days of streaming/free music. Don’t get me wrong, I love topics about cleverly crafted lyrics, gear, and sweet studio ear candy. But the emotional energy, human connection, and even transcendence that can happen in a live performance between the artist/band and the audience is really where it is at.

So perhaps another whole section under "Live Music"?

I think this would appeal to a wider audience of artists/bands/performers, who are in the trenches, playing open mics, live shows, touring, and crafting not only their songs but their live performances and gaging their audiences reception. I’m sure it would help generate additional interesting and “lively" discussion.
 
Last edited:
Louie said:
So perhaps another whole section under "Live Music"?
Click to expand...
I've thought about this too. I agree with all of your points. My only concern would be the forum potentially losing focus, especially after it starts gaining momentum.

Music production is a wide-ranging topic. This forum could (and I believe eventually will) grow to tens of thousands of members just based on that general theme alone. Music performance is also an equally wide-ranging topic. I'm worried that creating a space for both could inadvertently shift the forum's focus during the momentum-gaining phase.

But at the same time, it would help the forum grow and attract members. When think about a lot of my colleagues in the polka circuit, they're not necessarily songwriters or producers, but they are musicians, and collectively have a lot of stories about being on the road, performing, and recording and selling albums back in the good ol' days.
 
Polkasound said:
I've thought about this too. I agree with all of your points. My only concern would be the forum potentially losing focus, especially after it starts gaining momentum.

Music production is a wide-ranging topic. This forum could (and I believe eventually will) grow to tens of thousands of members just based on that general theme alone. Music performance is also an equally wide-ranging topic. I'm worried that creating a space for both could inadvertently shift the forum's focus during the momentum-gaining phase.

But at the same time, it would help the forum grow and attract members. When think about a lot of my colleagues in the polka circuit, they're not necessarily songwriters or producers, but they are musicians, and collectively have a lot of stories about being on the road, performing, and recording and selling albums back in the good ol' days.
Click to expand...
I understand Polka, and not necessarily trying to argue it one way or another (Edit: well maybe a little bit but I’m cool with whichever way it goes). But as you know the two--live and studio--are inseparable in popular music, unlike in media music where it is all a studio thing.

What compelled me to respond is I just got back from a Blind Boys of Alabama concert. Their performance was so emotionally uplifting it would be almost embarrassing to try to put that experience into words right away.

I had heard of them before, and heard their music in passing (gospel music is not usually on my radar), but never live, which was a totally different experience. All I can say it it was the most uplifting concert I've heard in a long, long, long time. And I wanted to have a place to talk about that when I could reflect and get some more objective, coherent thoughts together about what made that show so great. They have good songs and great vocal arrangements. But hard to say if the songwriting itself enters the “great” category--the group absolutely does.

Then that got me thinking about other multi-grammy winning artists/bands that are like that, and how many aspiring artists/bands as well.

So have to mention Jimi Hendrix as well for a more familiar example (oddly only 1 grammy nomination):

Great guitar player and artist—no question. Little Wing I would categorize as a great song. But the other songs were mostly novelty, covers, and one off the top of my head that I would consider possibly the greatest rock arrangement/cover of all time--All Along the Watch Tower. His later stuff though is mostly about great guitar playing, the band, and the performance.

And then that leads to jazz and jazz fusion or unpopular popular instrumental music…:sneaky:;)

Edit: and I’m sure vocalists would love to talk all about stage presence and delivery—the two go hand in hand. Like the cool of Frank Sinatra, or the compelling Sarah Vaughn. And there are of course countless contemporary examples. So I do see what you mean—that alone is a huge topic.
 
Last edited:
Polkasound said:
MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Updates/News/Promotions
- New Releases (Albums/EPs/Singles)
- Upcoming Concerts & Gigs*
*I would hide this from the latest posts feed though.
Click to expand...
Good idea, although I'm reluctant to add too many subforums just yet, since it gives an appearance of inactivity. So I made a single "Member Announcements" forum in the "Community" section. As that sub-forum picks up steam later, we can always move it or add sub-categories.

Polkasound said:
Suggestion: Adding the category of AI under TOOLS?
Click to expand...
Possibly controversial, but what the heck. I do find myself using Claude (a ChatGPR competitor) to help with writing sometimes, and if nothing else, when you want a quick list of rhymes, it's a great resource. So it will hopefully go in a good direction, even it threads start about the downsides of AI.

Polkasound said:
Suggestion: Relocating Reviews from COMMERCIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS to CRITIQUES?
Click to expand...
The problem is that on VI-C, most reviewers turn out to be commercial ventures, or at least attempts to become an "influencer." We can do this later, of course, but for now, I think we're better off keeping it where it is.

Louie said:
Also would like to suggest a category for "what makes this performance great”. And maybe another for “what makes a concert or live show great”.

Which brings up another more general comment:

Consider that popular music artists are also performers--even mostly performers--not only recording artists. They think and prepare a whole lot for their shows, and how audiences are reacting to their songs and performances in real time. Because live music is still the heart and soul of most popular forms of music at the end of the day. And still makes or breaks an artist or band—especially in these days of streaming/free music. Don’t get me wrong, I love topics about cleverly crafted lyrics, gear, and sweet studio ear candy. But the emotional energy, human connection, and even transcendence that can happen in a live performance between the artist/band and the audience is really where it is at.

So perhaps another whole section under "Live Music"?

I think this would appeal to a wider audience of artists/bands/performers, who are in the trenches, playing open mics, live shows, touring, and crafting not only their songs but their live performances and gaging their audiences reception. I’m sure it would help generate additional interesting and “lively" discussion.
Click to expand...
Makes sense, so I made a new "Live Performance" category, with "Performance Tips and Discussion" (so guitar players can discuss what the best brand of Spandex is) and "Live Performance Reviews" where people can discuss concerts, awards shows, etc. (Funny timing, I've been tempted to talk about my thoughts on the Grammys, where I thought the "Best New Artist" musical performances were particularly good.)

I agree that there could be a danger of this diluting the forum mission, but I think it's unlikely, so we can cross that bridge when we come to it. I'd rather that people like @Josie Day can muse about performance advice or experiences, since I think we all love stories like that.
 
Polkasound said:
(I don't know how or why my brain came up with "smattering" but hey, there it is!)

On VI-Control today, I posted some news about an album of mine reaching a milestone. I couldn't find a place to post that news in SongProd, which got me thinking that this forum would benefit from having a place for members to share news and updates. So I thought I'd pitch the idea here along with a few others. I'm trying to think of new categories and topics to add to maximize user interaction. Since we already have Commercial Announcements, how about:

MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Updates/News/Promotions
- New Releases (Albums/EPs/Singles)
- Upcoming Concerts & Gigs*
*I would hide this from the latest posts feed though.

Suggestion: Adding the category of AI under TOOLS?

Suggestion: Relocating Reviews from COMMERCIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS to CRITIQUES?
Click to expand...
Nothing else smatter... Love the suggestions!
 
Hey all! Maybe there's already a solution to this, so I'm curious... I'm getting emails when people reply to threads I've posted in, and I basically never want that. I've disabled all the "email me when..." options that I can find (including under the "additional email preferences" link) and I'm still getting them. Any ideas?
 
proggermusic said:
Hey all! Maybe there's already a solution to this, so I'm curious... I'm getting emails when people reply to threads I've posted in, and I basically never want that. I've disabled all the "email me when..." options that I can find (including under the "additional email preferences" link) and I'm still getting them. Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Strange, let me check something.

Can you make sure you set the options for this?


88885687d1cad2cf20d150526a2d9202.webp


Maybe that will help?

Andre
 
I don't mind the alerts (I assume those are the little notification badges by the bell), only the emails! And yes, that was the deeper preferences section where I deselected every option for email.

Hilariously and appropriately... I got an email for your reply. :)
 
proggermusic said:
I don't mind the alerts (I assume those are the little notification badges by the bell), only the emails! And yes, that was the deeper preferences section where I deselected every option for email.

Hilariously and appropriately... I got an email for your reply. :)
Click to expand...
Not sure you can choose to refuse admins emails. Sorry. I'll reply here to verify this notion.

Andre
 
@Mike Greene said “The problem is that on VI-C, most reviewers turn out to be commercial ventures, or at least attempts to become an "influencer." We can do this later, of course, but for now, I think we're better off keeping it where it is.”

perhaps the Review section could be limited to text only which may reduce the wannabes?
 
Call me old-school-internet but I'm generally in favor of limiting nearly everything to text-only... The more my internet forum experience resembles Zork, the better.

(I'm not even that old, I promise.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom