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| Editorial: ''A letter to our members....'' |
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Dear Bandheads,
Thanks for becoming registered users of Michiganbands.com - I'll consider it your first act of good faith and reward you accordingly. But now that you've become a part of our community, I want to remind you living in town comes with responsibilities too - like, don't piss on your neighbor's barbecue or steal his Garden-Weasel™...
. . . or stomp on the roses she's been spending every morning feeding egg-shells, coffee and cat-poop in order to create those lovely, rare blooms. You're supposed to help your neighbor, watch his back, cover her in an emergency, share vital information, and be there for them when things break down.
Be nice, but not too nice...
Does that mean we want a huggable, feel-good neighborhood where everybody paints on a Sunday-Go-To-Church-Smile, nods in agreement and then turns their back until the next time they're confronted with so-and-so or their crappy music? No, because it lacks honesty. If you're neighbor screws up, it's also your responsibility to tell them why and how they screwed up. Chastising someone ad-hominem (to the person) without anything constructive to say is just rude. (Didn't your mama teach you that?) But rudeness has, unfortunately, become the etiquette of the net.
According to a recent ABC NEWS poll,
"...nearly eight in 10 respondents said lack of respect and courtesy is a serious national problem. Survey respondents singled out a few reasons for our apparent increasing rudeness — particularly the impact of new technology."
I couldn't agree more, especially when it comes to the online music community where small-minded people have the added insulation of hiding behind anonymous posts. At Michganbands.com, we're going to try and avoid that as much as possible. Anonymous posters can still add comments to stories, but they'd better add something to the conversation or suffer the keystrokes of The Chief Editor.
Indifference is the greatest insult, apathy it's corrosive result
The requirement that you become a registered user before submitting news on this site has resulted in, so far, nearly zero participation other than the addition of band links, club dates and one press release (but thanks, I'd rather have those than nothing at all). The same can be said for our former news site on Michiganartists.com; I did 90 percent of the writing myself; Mary organized all the shows almost single-handedly and Riick handled all of the technical crap nobody else understood. The result of apathy in the music scene, especially in the Detroit area, is a vast sinkhole of cynicism where true-believers in local independent music are pissed-on and forgotten and the bands are at eachother's throats
I understand how cynical you may have become in the God-forsaken music business, let alone in a world in which you literally can't turn around without getting solicited from some son of a bitch who wants another piece of your wallet. Perpetual self-promotion in a world full of perpetual self-promoters has a way of sucking the very joy-juice from your soul.
Motivations...
Believe me, no one is more cynical than me when it comes to a world that relies on unlimited growth, over-development and consumer frenzy. It sickens me to the point where I put my best efforts into things in which I can't possibly make a profit - like creating websites to promote independent musicians. They don't have any money and I don't have any money - everybody's realtively safe.
To popular capitalist mentality, that's deranged and a complete waste of time. "What's in it for you?" Not money, that's for sure. That answer solicits looks of puzzlement wherever I go. If not for money, then what? Is it ego? Partly, I'm big enough to admit that, like any good dog or musician, I'll seemingly go to the ends of the earth for a, "good boy!" or a "That'll do, pig. That'll do." Human psychology has always fascinated me; my own drives and neuroses as well as others'.
But mostly what drives me to poverty writing online reviews and articles is the chance of discovering great music hidden in the shit-pits of obscurity and desperation. I like to find it , wipe it off before it's been contaminated by "Success" in the music business, and play it for my friends. Or, at least, that's my current rationalization.
Reciprocity
No doubt you've already added your band link and gigs to our site and if you haven't I'm not only surprised but encourage you to do so regularly. But now I'm going to ask for something more from you; your involvement.
Yeah, I know, you're too busy promoting your band, your music and drawing attention to yourself in every other conceivable way to contribute to an online music community. In this country we've generally grown accustomed to insulating ourselves from the world while simultaneously expecting greatness in return. But I've always been taught you should give what you get - O.K. that's bull-shit. I've always been taught to get as much as you can and hold on to it until someone pulls it from your cold, dead fingers - but I have faith the paradigm can be changed. If it can't, we're all fucked.
What do you want from me already!
I'll be specific: I want registered users to contribute articles on every subject related, even remotely, to what you've learned in the music business - especially from those of you who've had long careers and are about ready to say, "Fuck it, I've had enough!" Remember, not everybody knows what you know, especially our younger readers who have delusions of grandeur cooking in their little bean sprouts.
I want articles about bad bar experiences, drug-abuse and (hopefully) recovery, pit-falls, prat-falls, the esoteric terminology associated with amplifiers and computers, music-store snobbery, CD-duplication nightmares, song-writing mistakes and triumphs. On the positive side I want any kernel of hope, support or triumph you've experienced as a musician: how you got the girl because you played guitar; how the song you wrote touched somebody to the point of tears; how you got to rub elbows with your musical hero and how it compared to your fantasy; or how the loss of somebody close to you inspired a song that helped you recover; or how a fan changed your life.
It sounds like a lot, but I'm only talking about a couple paragraphs or more on any subject related to your experience as a musician. Don't worry if you don't think you can write well, that's what editors are for. I'll make you look good or I won't post the article.
"Throw me a bone here people," said Dr. Evil. I want to hear it all. If you have news you'd rather have us write up, drop me an e-mail and I'll respond promptly. I'm here every day, usually twice a day writing, editing and sharing what I know. But I can't and I won't do it alone. I've made my promise and my commitment to creating a
healthy music scene where ideas are exchanged and music shared. What's your commitment going to be?
- Mitch
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No Comments Allowed for Anonymous, please register |
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Re: Editorial: ''A letter to our members....'' (Score: 1)
by Mitch on Saturday, April 06, 2002 @ 12:51:11 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www.michiganbands.com | | Look, I'm not incredibly bright and even I figured out how to post a comment on a story. With that in mind, "You tell 'em dude!" |
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| Michigan Business Directory |
Average Score: 5
Votes: 2
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