Cafe Mando Clips: Quality & Intimidation Factor at All-Time High

[Ed Goist]

I must say that I have been just blown-away by the general quality of the performance clips recently posted to the Cafe forums.
As a fan of mandolin music this is just fantastic! Well done community.
However, I must admit that I also find this somewhat intimidating as a player.
I doubt I'll be posting any clips anytime soon...
Again, good job folks!

[Toycona]

C'mon, Ed. Come on in. The water's fine.

[Jim Ferguson]

While I agree with Ed, I also appreciate Toycona's comment to jump in & test the waters...:-) If I were to ever post a video of me in all my neophyte, mando-playing glory (and what a spectacle it would be...:-) I feel I could do it here amongst mando-friends...:-) We've never met but i've always appreciated the cyber-connection with everyone & in some ways it would feel like jamming with friends & I would expect nothing but encouraging comments.
Peace,
Jim

[Toycona]

Tonite's posting on SAW #93 - Merrily Kissed the Quaker's Wife - took twenty eight (28) takes. So there you go. What I'm liking about it is that it completes the cycle of learning a new fiddle tune, though in a virtual sort of way. It's a way of validating your effort and hard work, performing live (sorta), and subjecting yourself to a stress test all rolled into one.

As for encouragement...that's the best part. I haven't encountered any negativity at all.

Tom

[jasona]

I must say that I have been just blown-away by the general quality of the performance clips recently posted to the Cafe forums.
As a fan of mandolin music this is just fantastic! Well done community.
However, I must admit that I also find this somewhat intimidating as a player.

Just listen to anything I do.

[Ed Goist]

Tonite's posting on SAW #93 - Merrily Kissed the Quaker's Wife...snip...
Tom

Really nice job, Tom! There are some really catchy licks in the last few measures.
Oh, and that Mann is sounding great.
Congratulations!
Oh, and as soon as I either get a new webcam, (or figure out how to make the one on my Dell work satisfactorily) I'll be posting again...I'm not shy. (But this recent flood of mandolin talent has been kinda overwhelming.)

[Fstpicker]

That is a great sounding mandolin, Tom, and a great job of playing a rather difficult tune also!

I will admit that I post any of my recordings that I've made, of my relatively inexperienced mandolin playing, over on the Mando-hangout forum and not here, as I actually get more of a response over there. Plus, there may be more "newbies" over there and I would feel more among equals.

I may be wrong in my assessment, however.

Jeff

[journeybear]

Very kind of you, but don't be so quick to take yourself out of the game. I'll go along with what jasona said - if you have any doubts about your contributions, just look at what I have had the nerve to post so far. Curiouser and curiouser!

[Jill McAuley]

That is a great sounding mandolin, Tom, and a great job of playing a rather difficult tune also!

I will admit that I post any of my recordings that I've made, of my relatively inexperienced mandolin playing, over on the Mando-hangout forum and not here, as I actually get more of a response over there. Plus, there may be more "newbies" over there and I would feel more among equals.

I may be wrong in my assessment, however.

Jeff

Just curious, have you posted recordings or clips here before? I've always gotten plenty of responses to cllps I've posted here.

Cheers,
Jill

[Brent Hutto]

Just listen to anything I do.

Yep, that always gets me over the hump. And don't think it's not appreciated, man!

[Caleb]

There really are some heavy-hitters found here on the Cafe. Not being one myself, I would like to post some clips as soon as I figure out how to use this new computer (MAC - still not sure what all the fuss is about with these).

[John Hill]

Tom, great playing and I'm sure it's safe to say that you're the only video in the world of a mandolin player with a Dream Theater wristband. Rock on.

[Ed Goist]

Just curious, have you posted recordings or clips here before? I've always gotten plenty of responses to cllps I've posted here.
Cheers,
Jill

I wasn't going to post this, but since Jill is directly inquiring about the subject, I've decided I will (and I'll probably regret doing so).

My experience has been very similar to Jeff's. I have received very little feedback about the clips I have posted to the Cafe.

Now, I am aware that I'm a newby, and that my playing and equipment are both 'marginal', so I assume that the lack of response to my videos has been mostly out of kindness.

Please, do not take this as a complaint, or as an 'oh poor me' observation, it's just a categorical recognition that videos posted by others seem to generate much more feedback than mine. That's fine. I'm a big boy. I'm not posting for the recognition, just to share.

Also, I believe that I may be oversensitive to this topic, as I have no problem saying that a huge percentage of my 1,838 posts (can it really be that many?) have been posts specifically to compliment the mandolins and/or playing of others. Actually, if we had a 'like button' for posts, I'd probably only have about half as many posts I have now. (This fact, in and of itself, may be enough for Scott to activate one! )

In all seriousness, the "Good job, way to go" post is an important use for the Forum as far as I'm concerned. One of the main things I want to do here is show fellowship and support for other players. However, I'm fully aware that others haven't prioritized this the way I have, and I'm fine with that. We should all use the forum the way we see fit.

One request...PLEASE, no pity or 'I went back and your videos are great' replies.

[mandolirius]

Just curious, have you posted recordings or clips here before? I've always gotten plenty of responses to cllps I've posted here.

Cheers,
Jill

That hasn't been my experience, but I've only posted on the Rock forum. I don't know if many folks follow that one too closely. I don't even look at it that often.

[Jim]

In all seriousness, the "Good job, way to go" post is an important use for the Forum as far as I'm concerned.

Me too.
I wish I could listen to all the posted music, However streaming MP3 and video are blocked at my workplace, they don't seem to care if we're working or not they (management) just like to think they're in control.

[journeybear]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. After all, consider the audience! Mandolin pickers, eh, what do they know? Obviously more people watch these things than respond, and you are right when you say it's really about the sharing. I haven't posted very many of these - partly because the cameras go haywire or something when they get too close to me - and when I do, sometimes I get responses, sometimes none (like the last time, which did irk me because it was different and pretty cool, or so I thought), sometimes positive feedback, sometimes snarkiness. In other words, a mixed bag.

You are posting to the post a video of yourself thread, right? I admit I don't follow that too closely, but as I recall - and a quick glance confirmed this - you do post a lot lot of well-considered almost always positive responses. And I'm sure that is much appreciated. I didn't see any of your videos - wish I knew a way to search for these things - but I'll keep looking. And meanwhile, don't let this stuff get you down. Post merrily away. Your contributions are as valid as anyone else's - at least in theory.

Just took a look through that thread - didn't see any by you. Where are you posting them?

[Fstpicker]

Just curious, have you posted recordings or clips here before? I've always gotten plenty of responses to cllps I've posted here.

Cheers,
Jill

Jill,

The first recording I posted back on December 22nd got no responses whatsoever (it still is the case even now) , which, while I was somewhat surprised at this, perhaps this initial experience kind of gave me the wrong impression...a message that others don't really care too awfully much to listen to a newby's audio postings (although not really a newbie as I've been a member since 2002), unless you are a fairly well known poster here and have at least the playing ability on the level of a semi-to-full professional. Granted, my level of playing is way less than probably 95% of the rest of the regular cafe posters, but I feel that it has improved fairly quickly over the past few months, especially since I've gotten my Loar mandolin, which is a delight to play and grow with and learn on. By the way, I have been playing acoustic guitar for at least 42 years now, and have earned a couple bucks while doing it, so I guess that is supposed to make me a semi-pro guitar player now, huh?!

Like Ed has mentioned above already, PLEASE do not take this as a "poor-me" post, as I don't want or need any attention or pity (who does?!). It is just an honest observation.

Now, in all fairness here, I decided to try one more time and posted a clip of my playing a hymn medley on January 1st, and I got plenty of responses from that post (5 in total), so I haven't gotten a complex from it, at least!

When posting clips on the mando-hangout forum, I have never failed to get at least one response, and usually more than one.

Irregardless, I think it is very important for (especially) newbies on here, or for those of us who are in the learning stages still, to get at least some kind of response in order to know that perhaps we are not quite as bad as we see ourselves to be at this stage in our growth, and/or that there is still some hope for us after all. Even (and preferred) honest (and even negative) feedback is usually better than none at all. Indifference and apathy can be far worse than even negative responses IMO.

Jeff

[mandolirius]

I posted something on the Bluegrass forum, which gets ( I think) more traffic than Rock. I don't have anything current in the bluegrass vein, so it's a few years old. But, as mentioned in the post, the tune still gets played every once in a while. It's sometimes hard to bring out originals at a jam, but people seem to catch onto to this one fairly quickly.

[Tom Wright]

Checked out the postings, sounds great. Loved the groove on "Cabin".

[jasona]

Yep, that always gets me over the hump. And don't think it's not appreciated, man!

Awesome. Then my work here is done.

[Ed Goist]

Speaking of videos...I have to post this!
This is one day early, but it really made my day!
It's from my daughter Robin (the real musician in the family)
(Mandolin content: check out the well selected soundtrack)
Oh, and be sure to read the credits...Priceless!

[journeybear]

AWWWWW!!! How cute! (The video, anyway. ) I don't think she got your team colors right, though ... but that's artistic license.

Back to topic - May I suggest posting videos to the post a video of yourself thread? That's what it's for ... and where people who are attuned to that aspect of mandolinosity will be a-tuning ... so to speak ...

[Ed Goist]

Team colors?!...Well, maybe antique tobacco sunburst would have been better (Hey, I think there may be a "You might be a mandolin picker if..." joke in there somewhere?)

I have not posted to the 'post a video of yourself' thread, as I feel that thread should be reserved for actual performance videos. All of the videos I have posted so far have been responses to, or in the context of, questions within other active threads...such as "how does this mandolin sound" or "whats the difference between oval hole sound and f-hole sound" or "here are some tabs to try". Hence, I've posted the videos in those threads.

Of course, if your feeling particularly masochistic , all of those videos can be found on my YouTube channel which is referenced in the video I posted above.

[Brent Hutto]

Ed G,

Then again, if you only posted clips of new mandolins as you get them that would be almost as often as some of us learn new songs!

[mandolirius]

"Mom, for buying playdough"

The wise film-maker always remembers to thank her backers.