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[Chris Ryall]

Let's see what others say, but a CD implicitly involves selection and we have at least one member who could fill it twice over in a month   Good music often 'evolves' in response to feedback (explicit  or otherwise) from others.  The massive (50+) Chavanée group must average a 'new' tune each in a year. Most of these have quite a brief existence. A few go on to become classics. I think the same actually applies to arrangements/styles/reinterpretations and there is actually a lot of musical DNA being recombined here. IMHO melnet has become another 'cultural hot spot'

[Andrew Shead]

Isn't this what we already have?

Yes and no: Yes, a themed collection exists on the Melnet forum, linked to YouTube or elsewhere; and no, Melnet doesn't have the kind of collection afforded by a Melnet group on SoundCloud from which users can download tracks to build their own mix. As another post said, the traditional distribution of music has changed; now people pick-n-choose the tracks they like to build their own mix of music.

I see the SoundCloud group as an adjunct to the Theme-Of-The-Month, where a contributor uploads to the dropbox a good quality recording of a performance, Listeners then choose which ones to download. In this way the editing process is a matter of personal choice instead of being imposed by a third-party with whom not everyone will agree.

SoundCloud has the potential to enhance the Melnet experience. Also, SoundCloud statistics will add an interesting dimension in terms of what are popular downloads. And who needs another CD to add to their  "compact" disk collection? Recorded music now seems to reside on smart-phones, digital players, and computers.

[Strigulino]

I think my take on the Soundcloud idea is that it would be a free choice of song - perhaps you have recorded something you like, of which you are particularly proud.  It doesn't fit in with TOTM or ThOTM, but you want to get it "out there" to see what people think of it.  So it would be a sort of organic "Best of Melnet".  I like that idea.

Obviously TOTM and ThOTM are irreplacable, as far as workshopping a particular tune or group of tunes goes, but Soundcloud would be a good resource for us to show outsiders and each other what Melnet is all about, and also an automatic playlist for me to listen to at work. 

[Graham Spencer]

I think my take on the Soundcloud idea is that it would be a free choice of song - perhaps you have recorded something you like, of which you are particularly proud.  It doesn't fit in with TOTM or ThOTM, but you want to get it "out there" to see what people think of it.  So it would be a sort of organic "Best of Melnet".  I like that idea.

Obviously TOTM and ThOTM are irreplacable, as far as workshopping a particular tune or group of tunes goes, but Soundcloud would be a good resource for us to show outsiders and each other what Melnet is all about, and also an automatic playlist for me to listen to at work. 

Now that does sound like a good plan........

[Theo]

I think my take on the Soundcloud idea is that it would be a free choice of song - perhaps you have recorded something you like, of which you are particularly proud.  It doesn't fit in with TOTM or ThOTM, but you want to get it "out there" to see what people think of it.  So it would be a sort of organic "Best of Melnet".  I like that idea.

Which is one of the reasons why we have this "recordings and videos" section.   Members already use it as a way of showcasing their recordings,  the recent post by Martin Ellison being a good example. 

So it would be a sort of organic "Best of Melnet".  I like that idea.

Which kind of gets us back to the question of who decides on what is "best"

[Graham Spencer]

I think my take on the Soundcloud idea is that it would be a free choice of song - perhaps you have recorded something you like, of which you are particularly proud.  It doesn't fit in with TOTM or ThOTM, but you want to get it "out there" to see what people think of it.  So it would be a sort of organic "Best of Melnet".  I like that idea.

Which is one of the reasons why we have this "recordings and videos" section.   Members already use it as a way of showcasing their recordings,  the recent post by Martin Ellison being a good example. 

So it would be a sort of organic "Best of Melnet".  I like that idea.

Which kind of gets us back to the question of who decides on what is "best"

Well, sort of....maybe "Best Of" isn't the most appropriate title, but the principle seems pretty sound.

[Anahata]

So it would be a sort of organic "Best of Melnet".  I like that idea.

Which kind of gets us back to the question of who decides on what is "best"

The users!
Anyone can upload, and anyone can choose what they download in to their personal favourites collection.

I agree that the recordings and videos section more or less does that job already, except that possibly a more compact table of links with only essential information (who, what, link) without any attached discussion would be useful.

Alternatively, the "best of" scoring could be done in the same way it is on YouTube and elsewhere - every melnet member has a "like" vote per recording and you count the votes; then someone compiling a collection can list them ordered by number of votes and choose from the most popular. Not perfect but it means no individual has to take responsibility for making what's always going to be a subjective judgement.

[Chris Ryall]

More or less what I envisaged - if this is going to be a recreational facility - or source of good playing style - some sort of guidance would surely be valuable in a set of (probably) 1000 or so recordings?  A 'like' count could do it. 

I suspect an 'unlike' button might adversely affect the esprit de corps melodeonista  .. though, I s'ppose we could get Simon Cowell to comment? 

[Strigulino]

Heh, this is sounding like it's turning into a Melnet version of X Factor. 

Okay, yes there has to be an editorial component, but as Anahata points out, firstly the uploader makes the decision to upload, and secondly, the listeners have the option to add a "like" to it.  And the other point to make is that if recordings are being added, then we have volumes 2, 3, 4 etc. etc.  Now That's What I Call Melodeon to infinity.  This is not a bad thing.

And yes, there is a recordings section, but this site does not host, whereas Soundcloud does.  In the same way that Melnetters upload a video to YouTube and post the link here, I would imagine that people would upload a tune to Soundcloud, put it in the Melodeon.Net Group there (is there one yet?) and post a link on the forum under Recordings for people to go and have a listen to.

[Owen Woods]

How about everyone uploads their favourite recording onto Soundcloud? One track each, can't say fairer than that.

[Graham Spencer]

Heh, this is sounding like it's turning into a Melnet version of X Factor. 

Strictly Come Squeezing...

[Jinkers1]

I guess what's confusing me is this - now that the original idea of an album has apparently morphed into people uploading sound files into Soundcloud (which they already do), what is the advantage, if any, over the existing forum (as pointed out by Theo)?  Or is this becoming just another project to organize?  And another question - if an album is no longer part of the plan, then why audio files versus videos?  I always find the videos much more interesting and instructive than just the audio alone.

[Strigulino]

Well, it doesn't really need organising other than a Soundcloud group making.  People upload their own tunes as they please.  If it takes off it does, if it doesn't it doesn't.

There's a big advantage for me in that I can listen to Soundcloud at work but I can't watch YouTube.  But I admit that's not likely to be a big plus for most people. The big difference is that you can group a whole lot of things together into a playlist and just press "play" which you can't do with forum links.

[Jinkers1]

Strig-

Good point on the playlist, I use the videos more for learning and the idea of a playlist to listen to for entertainment sort of slipped right past me...   

I'm a quasi-luddite in the sense that I almost never listen to recorded music for entertainment or recreation - even though I have a pretty good-sized collection of it!

[Strigulino]

That was sort of my point I suppose.  Videos are great for people wanting to be melodeonists, but how about people who don't know they want to be melodeonists yet?  I suppose my target market for this was for people who might hear a melnetter play somewhere and want to hear some recordings, or perhaps they just randomly surf for a nice tune or style of music to listen to. 

I think because squeezing is such fun in and of itself, we do sometimes forget that the listening and the dancing to is what it's actually all about. 

[Graham Spencer]

That was sort of my point I suppose.  Videos are great for people wanting to be melodeonists, but how about people who don't know they want to be melodeonists yet?  I suppose my target market for this was for people who might hear a melnetter play somewhere and want to hear some recordings, or perhaps they just randomly surf for a nice tune or style of music to listen to. 

I think because squeezing is such fun in and of itself, we do sometimes forget that the listening and the dancing to is what it's actually all about. 

I absolutely agree.

[ladydetemps]

My issue is...I don't think I could choose anything I've recorded unbiasedly. I always think I don't sound good enough.

[Chris Ryall]

 Rubbish - you've made massive progress in the short time I've watched your stuff.
 
 Well into "competence" and getting better all the time 

[Cooper]

I would be happy to contribute,
W

[ladydetemps]

 Rubbish - you've made massive progress in the short time I've watched your stuff.
 
 Well into "competence" and getting better all the time 

I can hear *every* mistake I make in recordings...and cringe every time I hear them.