reasons I'm video blogging
• improve my video chops. the more I do it - the better I get
• improve ability to explain my process. even when I'm not entirely sure what the hell I'm doing
• to confront & overcome the fear of being exposed - of not being perfect
• perhaps make some of this weird music a bit more accessible by showing "how the sausage is made"
• to open up a space around my musical effort where conversations can happen, views are exchanged and ideas can be shared.
• it's simultaneously an ego boost & an ego check
most importantly.
• when all this music is done and recorded and available to the world as a complete artistic statement - I want there to be a bread crumb trail of how it all came about.
Comments
The idea of building up conversation around it is an interesting one, given that what happens quite often is that music is greeted by 'statements of fact' - "this rules", "this sucks"... and by association, those of us who make the music either "rule" or "suck"... if you can find a way to circumvent that process, it'd be lovely, though I guess angry online trolls are just angry online trolls and whatever they're trolling about is just fodder...
Anyway, I'm enjoying the videos, and may well join in soon! :o)
Sx
Posted by: Steve Lawson | February 12, 2008 09:43 AM
Hey Jeff,
It seems a bit quiet here on the comments front. I just wanted to say that I enjoy your blog as well as your podcast. I like to know what drives musicians. I'm an amateur guitarist who is making first steps on bass.
I've downloaded the JFT, but haven't had a proper listen yet. I plan to get Outre some time soon. I'll probably get the MP3 version from CD Baby as the postage to the UK makes the CD expensive.
Keep blogging :)
Posted by: Steve | February 14, 2008 01:05 PM
@Lawson:
I'm not worried about angry online trolls so much. YouTube is loaded with them and I've found far more people will come down way harder on the trolls than I ever would anyway.
I actually kind of like it when the trolls come out because it often energizes those who enjoy the material to defend it.
It beats apathy which, to my perception is the real enemy of artistic efforts.
It's tough to convince people to care.
Posted by: Jeff Schmidt | February 15, 2008 03:01 PM
@ Steve
Thanks Steve - I really appreciate your support.
I made a pretty major "blog" mistake when I turned comments OFF for several months because of the massive amount of spam I had to wade through. That sent a message that comments were not welcome I think.
My bad.
Anyway - thanks for coming back! Glad to hear you're enjoying my web output.
Posted by: Jeff Schmidt | February 15, 2008 03:04 PM