Jump to content

Welcome To The 'tune Of The Month' Forum!


Jim Besser

Recommended Posts

Announcing a new concertina.net feature: the Tune of the Month.

Over at the excellent Melodeon.Net Web site, the Tune of the Month remains a popular feature – and a great tool for improving skills and sharing musical ideas. So why not something similar for concertinists?

The rules are simple.

There will be one tune per month. After the first tune, I'll conduct a poll offering several choices for the next month.

Concertina.net members are encouraged to record and post their versions of the selected tunes. Recordings can be video (posted on YouTube or Vimeo, with links in your C.net posting) or audio (posted on soundcloud.com or similar services.) Tag your posts with " cnet TOTM " ('tune of the month') to make it easier for people searching YouTube or Soundcloud.)

Since C.net participants play in a wonderful variety of styles and genres, I will attempt to include tunes from as many genres as possible – English, Irish, Scandinavian, E. European, Klezmer, Oldtime, contra dance, jazz...you name it, we'll try it.

And I'll be looking for tunes that will hopefully be appealing even to those players who are unfamiliar with the particular genre selected. Getting outside one's musical comfort zone can be a real spur to learning.

Each month, along with the name of the tune selected, I'll post the ABCs, links to notation and - when possible - PDFs so you can print notation. I'll also post a link or two to already-recorded versions of the tune.

 

Feel free to message me with suggestions for new tunes and ideas about how to make the c.net TOTM better.

 

One of the great joys of the Mel.net Tune of the Month is the active participation of players of every level of experience and skill. Perfection is not expected; we can all learn from the playing of others, from respectful, helpful comments about ours and from our own mistakes.

It's a great spur to learning, and recording and posting your playing is an effective, if initially intimidating, skill-building exercise. And it's a lot of fun hearing the very different approaches to any given tune.

 

This will only work if lots of us participate. So jump right in, the water's fine.

Edited by Jim Besser
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great idea, one of the things I love about TOTM is that you can search Youtube for TOTM MELNET, and get a pretty decent selection to choose from. Would it be appropriate to ask folks to tag their submissions with TOTM CNET, or something similar, so the audience could more easily make a day of it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great idea, one of the things I love about TOTM is that you can search Youtube for TOTM MELNET, and get a pretty decent selection to choose from. Would it be appropriate to ask folks to tag their submissions with TOTM CNET, or something similar, so the audience could more easily make a day of it?

 

 

Good idea, I'll add it to the forum instructions!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very nice, I'm not sure I'll dare to participate when I'm such a beginner, but I'm glad to see the feature and I'm looking forward to hear the tunes.

 

This is a totally nonjudgmental forum meant to be helpful to all. Beginners shouldn't be shy!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Hello fellow concertinists,

I have just compiled a

playlist of selected contributions

from my side in chronological order.

Anyone to follow with his/her own takes? 'Twas fun to me... :)

Best wishes - and thank you once again Jim!
Wolf

 

edit: had to correct the spelling of my name... :rolleyes:

Edited by blue eyed sailor
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Jim,

 

despite my not taking pleasure in raising a personal topic like this in public as to its nature I can't find it appropriate to discuss it privately either.

 

Thus: What exactly makes me a persona non grata in this forum (TOTM)?

 

I guess you know what I'm talking about (and don't want to unnecessarily submit evidence for what is obvious to me), and it's for the public that I declare the following:

 

Of course I don't expect anyone to reply to my posting a sound (or just give it a listen), and I don't expect anyone to like my (net) personality or what I'm doing here either. What I find unacceptable is being consequently ignored by the promoter of such an event, meritorious as it is - given the steady replies to and valuations of every single other contribution...

 

Since I don't want to retreat I feel I have to speak out now...

 

Regards - Wolf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jim,

 

despite my not taking pleasure in raising a personal topic like this in public as to its nature I can't find it appropriate to discuss it privately either.

 

Thus: What exactly makes me a persona non grata in this forum (TOTM)?

 

I guess you know what I'm talking about (and don't want to unnecessarily submit evidence for what is obvious to me), and it's for the public that I declare the following:

 

Of course I don't expect anyone to reply to my posting a sound (or just give it a listen), and I don't expect anyone to like my (net) personality or what I'm doing here either. What I find unacceptable is being consequently ignored by the promoter of such an event, meritorious as it is - given the steady replies to and valuations of every single other contribution...

 

Since I don't want to retreat I feel I have to speak out now...

 

Regards - Wolf

 

Wolf - If I have failed to respond to your recordings, let me assure you it was not intentional, as your contributions - both recordings and comments - are an important part of this forum.

Edited by Jim Besser
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Wolf:

I'd like to pitch in the opinion that it's not Jim's responsibility to respond to everything that's happening on this subforum. After all, it's still a peer to peer forum, and just because Jim's jump starting the threads, it's not fair to hold him accountable for all the TOTM goings-on (even though he's doing a tremendous job there, chapeau clique-claque!). Let's not turn him off by putting too much weight on his shoulders!

...

I believe more or less everybody who ever contributed felt at one point or other your frustration. After all, putting out a recording of oneself is always a labor of love, and it is extremly agonizing to be left out in the rain after sharing something as intimate as a piece of self made music. But that's the way it is on the internet. I myself have pulled a number of recordings in both the TOTM and the music subforums after experiencing what felt like (although certainly wasn't meant as) icy silence, drawing the conclusion that probably it was too premature a recording every time (but I'll never know. That's the way it is).

...

BTW, I'd have loved to make this contribution a private conversation between the three of us (you, Jim and myself) but haven't found a way to use the personal messenger to include more than one recipient. Does anybody know about a way to set that up?

Edited by Ruediger R. Asche
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rüdiger, I don't think you're really responding to what I've been saying...

 

The lack of feedback may be disturbing or disappointing in general, and I may find myself musing about the reasons from time to time (as might others as well), and OTOH I am getting feedback (as you've correctly mentioned) here and there for which I'm grateful - as I'm inclinded to give it to others. And as said somewhere else, soundcloud as a musicians' board is much more rewarding in terms of - valuable - feedback!

 

My point is about TOTM, where I see all contributors, parttakers and promoters as sort of a special community with some more reasons to comment. But even here I was focussing at Jim B., not at all in order to point some more "weight on his shoulders", but just measuring a lack of commenting against consistent welcoming other contributions. What about my "Emma", what about my "Packington's Pound" (being the only vocal contribution at all) to name just the last ones? Just look at this page...

 

I'm still somewhat reluctant bringing every detail up here...

 

No reason for sweet-talk, I was always - and still am - appreciating what Jim's doing here, and his statement as above is not what I had asked for but just enough for my further partaking here...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since Rüdiger had been editing his post while I was writing I feel urged to catch up with one of the deleted parts to which I had been replying (which I might have been quoting anyway):

"I honestly don't think you can complain about not enough attention regarding your musical contributions. In both the TOTM and the videos/music subforums I observe a good share of zero (or practically zero) response reactions to contributions by members of all ranks of contributors and all levels of proficiency. In comparison, the turnout to your contributions appears to be rather high and benevolent throughout."

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wolf - as someone who has only started contributing to this forum regularly in the last few months, I know that, after a posting a recording, I'm always keen to see what kind of response it gets and it's frustrating when there's nothing. The page you link to does appear to lend some credence to what you're saying but I don't see any malice in it. A regular contributor like yourself probably won't get as frequent feedback as a newer member whom regulars feel inclined to encourage. I listen to and enjoy the recordings you put up but don't feel it appropriate to comment on every one. Jim responded to my rendition of July's TOTM but hasn't always done so.

I note that only a few members choose to contribute to TOTM. This month's tunes had attracted only 18 votes when I looked last. Clearly, many members do not use concertina.net for this purpose. So those who do are all valuable in maintaining the tread.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chas, thank you for your considerations, and believe me, I have considered similar things myself. I already said that I find this forum not as conducive as I would it expect it to be. I guess I tried to help sort of a feedback culture establishing - but without producing more "evidence" with the almost inevitable result of implying to be offensive regarding fellow concertinist which would find themselves being used as matter of comparison I can only say that I have felt being ignored in a particular way, not at all by you or any other contributor of course, but just the way I've tried to explain.

 

It might be added that every single invitation reads such eager and anticipative of what might be conrtributed whereas the further course of events has tunred out to be quite a disappointment that often.

 

Or: How do you feel when it is mentioned that "things are very slow this month" by the promoter alongside with his contributing a tune already posted but apparently missed by himself? How do you feel if you just might have thought: o.k., it's just the newbies who get an encouragement and deserve so, when the next post (from the promoting side) is hailing a (fine) contribution from a member much more progressed than yourself?

 

Well, 'nuff said, isn't it? It was just a matter of self-respect to speak out, something like: It's not that I'm too dumb to be aware of a repulse that can't be missed...

 

(edited just to remove typo)

Edited by blue eyed sailor
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I must admit that I felt pretty discouraged when my first two contributions to the TotM forum garnered no feedback on here (thanks to Wolf for 'liking' one of them over on SoundCloud!). I don't feel it's helpful to point fingers at anyone in particular, though. It is easy to imagine that nobody is passing comment on your work because it's terrible and nobody wants to be the one to tell you, when perhaps in reality everybody enjoyed it but didn't feel they had anything particularly constructive to say (I am as guilty as anybody of doing that). Perhaps we should all take this as a reminder to not just listen but to comment too, even if it's just, 'Well squeezed!' :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alex, apart from my in fact "pointing a finger" (for reasons as explained) I'd quite second your suggestion. Even your two-word-sentence can be a helpful feedback, and a glance at soundcloud can imidiately tell what can be done through giving "pictures", pointing at highlights, adding personal content a.s.f.

 

TOTM as I understand it is not meant just as a for working on flaws and thus pointing at them but sharing some music with the link of (apart from enjoying music) the sameness of a tune or a common "theme", and the liberty of differing and drifting, showing wit or humour, surprising people... but this would in fact be a culture in need of taking care...

 

...and I would add: some basic justice or balance would be part of such a culture as to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feel that comment ( call it critique, encouragement or whatever) is only valid if the person making remarks has some experience in the subject... this of course in our case can be both knowledge of the type of concertina keyboard and/or the genre of music played.

 

The old motto " If you have nothing good to say, say nothing" is not of much use if one is putting up recordings in the hope of getting help to improve one's playing.

 

Wolf, I have offered delicate critique to you on several occasions in the hope of being helpfull but doing this publicly is not always comfortable for either of us. However , I am just not going to say " Well Done" when that is not my opinion. You recently gave someone's recording a very positive thumbs-up and I nearly puked in disgust because I really did not agree with you.

 

Of course someone who has just begun playing the instrument and makes a courageous attempt is going to get a pat on the back.

 

We all have busy lives and not always the spare moment to listen to everyones offerings. I have voted for the TOTM each time but this year so far I have barely had the time to learn the new tunes.

 

I can see that no feedback is also somewhat negative but perhaps if we all said what we think of each others recordings we could all be disheartened and abandon the endeavour. But we should view critticial comment as a positive thing... the proffesional musician has to face it all the time.

 

It's a difficult one. So let me add that since TOTM started your offerings Wolf have been improving and now adding your voice is a great leap forward.

 

Finally we each need to be our own biggest Critic... that is how I view my own playing and usually reject it as rubbish... try harder to improve things.

 

The recent new CD by Mary MacNamara was recorded in the house of Peadar O'Riada ( a fine musician, composer etc)... the CD is noted as being produced by Mr. O'Riada... in other words his opinion was added into a private discussion between the two of them regarding each track I've no doubt. The result is near perfection... in my opinion that is.

Edited by Geoff Wooff
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a difficult one.

 

Surely it is. All the more as I did deliberately not mean to adress everybody; I guess what was really bothering me was..., yes... a lack of balance. And such a lack really matters if it's from a leading position as to me.

 

As to your own commenting, you know (because I'd been telling you so) that what I couldn't accept or follow was advice which - as I felt - denied just the path I'd been following myself, and I guess I've proved in the meantime that it is leading me somewhere... Since it didn't discourage me in the end, all critique was helpful, although it felt like barrage at times... (a setting which I'm pretty much used to jobwise as you once prudently remarked).

 

However, I myself am a critical but positive and constructive thinking person (and wouldn't have been able to live on without this attitude given the circumstances). Thus I am very much used and inclined to pick up the good aspects of a given work or effort, which can be found so widely...

 

And as a subject of critique I'm as much able of accepting it as of "reading" it between the lines. A tune might be squeezed out "with confidence" which might say: not that accurately, but also means a good thing in its own right. If there's one aspect affirmed I can turn towards the next, a.s.f.

 

I can see that no feedback is also somewhat negative but perhaps if we all said what we think of each others recordings we'd all be disheartened and abandon the endeavour.

Dear Geoff, in earnest, I don't believe we have to be that grumpy, do we? :)

 

Best - Wolf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I can see that no feedback is also somewhat negative but perhaps if we all said what we think of each others recordings we'd all be disheartened and abandon the endeavour.

Dear Geoff, in earnest, I don't believe we have to be that grumpy, do we? :)

 

Best - Wolf

 

 

Certainly not, but sometimes it does happen : first of two true stories,

 

I'd been playing the concertina about two years and was then playing in a band with our late friend Ralph Jordan ( this was 40 years ago)... at that time one could get into a folk club for free if you'd sing a couple of songs or play a few tunes. Well one night the famous singer Nick Jones was appearing at a club near us so the band went down there and played a little 'set' during the interval of the big man's performance..... when he returned for the second half he brought his fiddle up on stage and proceeded to berate us ( gently) for using the music to 'show off' instead of using ourselves to show the music off. He said we had put ourselves in front of the music and we should go home and re-think our approach to the whole thing. Then he played some very lovely Irish music on his fiddle just to prove the point.

Yes we felt small but we did some soul searching and perhaps we learned something.

 

 

Second story:

 

In the late '80's in Australia there was a lovely music weekend that revolved around instruments with drones ( so any type of bagpipes and also Hurdy Gurdies)... hidden away in the countryside where we'd do no harm to Joe Public. One year we had a surprise visitor, the world famous Hungarian Hurdy Gurdy player Robert Mandel who just happened to be touring in the southern hemisphere....someone had decided to bring the fellow along ,for his pains!

He arrived on the friday evening and as he walked in a small group of amateur musicians were entertaining the room from a podium in a corner.... He strode in and listened for a minute with a perplexed look on his face and then exclamed " Ah of course, this is Australia... a democracy.... where even the Non Musicians get to perform!"

 

Just two views on us amateurs from the Proffesionals.

Edited by Geoff Wooff
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...