"On the ground" or underground ?

"On the ground" = in a place where real, practical work is done.
"Underground" = in a place that is hidden or secret : out of the view of the public.

I noticed that Dick was putting feelers out for "on the ground events" Not much feedback there.

I wondered if online social interactions were more acceptable to wikiloopers ?
It's so easy to hide behind behind a screen of anonymity where you can get away with being old, ugly, out of shape, shy, nervous, intimidated and.... dare I say it - not as skilled as it may appear.

Have we reached a point where musicians are so independent they have become happy loners, safe in their own comfort zones. The 'real world' is so much more challenging and stressful than the virtual one.

Do people prefer to write and read in their own time and place rather than talk and listen under pressure with no escape :) ?

Of course I'm being mischievous here but there must be an element of truth other than the practical issues involved ?

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I am aware (and have been told) that the way I write (and talk) is sometimes rather blunt, maybe exaggerated or provocative. I try too hard to be a 'smart-ass' I guess. I'm often misunderstood in my interactions with others, I'm a speak first, think afterwards kind of person. I suppose I'm a good example of being braver online than in person. I don't think I'm alone however :)

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Musically, I think assembling tunes step by step, thoughtfully or jam style, in your own time and mixing them in "in a studio" is the attraction and this is something you can only really do like this. I'm pretty sure a good proportion of the contributors here would be stumped in a live jam session - I would, and I really enjoy the mixing part too. Last time I jammed for real was 25 years ago. Making stuff up track by track is something I've always done either on my own or with others - posting cassettes back and forth even! A lot of us will have done similar - wikiloops is a ideal.
I'm probably a miserable old git but I'm quite content with the music and the odd chat comment/forum post.

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i need like a full year advanced notice and a list of confirmed "yes's" before making any ground event decisions :) i don't even have a passport :D but yes, i do like interacting with people :)

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Most of the time, playing in a group of amateur musicians involves doing covers over and over again, in a very rough way. The sound of public concerts is often catastrophic and shouting matches are too frequent ! Who carries the equipment? Who takes care of finding dates? Who is seriously working on the pieces? What place for improvisation? Can I search for sounds I like? In short, love with others has its limits which are quickly crossed. Comfortably installed in front of my DAW and my guitar slung over my shoulder, I connect to WikiLoops for 100% homemade creations, with whoever I want, whenever I want. Long live the joys of musical egocentrism, sharing on the network!

[youtube]ctFImtz_fiM?feature=shared[/youtube]

Vidéo where I play solo guitar some months ago.

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Hmm, I'm all for it. Would be fun to meet the minds behind the tunes.

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It would be a little crowded if everyone wanted to go. :)

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Now we live in the Metaverse community, performers are becoming more virtual. You don't even have to be human. Songs can be written and then performed by digital robots that go on to have millions of plays and fans.
Oddly, while the music scene is moving online, some bands have to rely on actual live shows in order to make money as real sales become more elusive.

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I`m sure that the pre-announcement went out last year PLUS I`d happily lend you my passport :D

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Rereading my last post I realize that there are certain things missing from what I say.
For example, it must be recognized that WikiLoops can be addictive for musicians in need of recognition... It is enough to notice the number of tracks for some... The danger is to quickly produce 2 or 3 tracks per day to nourish the hope of finally being recognized for his skills. I will have this tendency personally. Needless to say, these hastily recorded titles lack precision, originality, etc.
The solution is offered by WikiLoops with the possibility of working with several people on an LP. This requires working together, repeating over and over again the passages that fail. In short, group work with a challenge to share!

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Thanks Didier, Just one thought from me in reply.
I don't believe that adding many tracks means musicians are necessarily "looking for recognition" it's often just the (as you say) addiction and excitement of posting. And at wikiloops it's OK to post imperfect mixes, it's a 'try out' place where music can be tested, improved, played, shared or totally ignored... :)

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Not sure that I agree. The number of tracks does not indicate (to me) a need to be noticed or recognized. Some of our fellow Loopies with 4 digit uploads have shown a consistent high quality over the years and personally I love seeing how people develop on Wikiloops, be it in their technical ability or in how they`ve developed a certain style or sound or (even more important to me) in how they integrate their parts into a track. (And that`s coming from someone who`s prone to plastering his stuff all over the tracks with a total disregard for musical injuries :@ )

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You're absolutely right: in the world of the metaverse, we are all stars!

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I enjoyed reading this thread, after dropping some mumbled words in the shoutbox a few days ago :)

And I'm just noticing nobody who ever attended one of the prior wikiloops meetings has joined the discussion so far, so, let me share a bit of my experience to meet your thoughts...

"it would be a little crowded if everybody showed up" - if you look at how many people are online tonight, and take a guess about how many people would dare to come to such a meeting, I can tell you from experience it is harder to convince 20 people to show up than you folks would believe.
We peaked around 50 people on previous events, I guess you've been to larger parties than that :)
Is there time to search for the right sound in a live jam scenario? Really? Of course there is not, because all 400 guitar players want to take this solo at the same time.
At least on the first night.
It get's better from day two on, but Dick needs to step up and put on his grim face to remind everybody to listen to each other on the first evening.
It's a tradition by now, and part of the ceremony...

I'm confusing you, sorry about that, what I'm trying to say is:

You are over-thinking it a little.
These meetings are no clinics/workshops by nature, but rather a nice get together of like-minded people.
There are instruments available and having a jam is an option, but it's meeting the folks what matters, seriously.
I'll see to it to post some more detailed info on what the plan for august looks like, as soon as i have sorted out some last details.
It probably won't be Steinfeld again (that's where the previous meetings took place, should 50 people want to come, that'd be the place to go)... won't say more as for now, but feel free to get in touch by PM if you feel you'd like to come -
that'd help me get a feeling for how much interest is there.

Organizing such meets takes a completely crazy one to do, I somehow feel it's my turn again this year ;)

p.s.
I clearly remember telling you last year, nick, and it can't be too hard to get a passport in 100 days - I actually organized the complete first meeting in less than 60 days, after Wade told me he was travelling in Europe in 2014. He's to blame for all of this, initially.

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i'm sure you did mention it Dick, and i'm sure i probably forgot :) can i get a custom WL script to pop-up a reminder about it every time i login? :D

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Id like to draw everyones attention to the girl pole dancing in this video.
She should be invited to any and all Wikiloop meets.

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I would probably be playing a lot of bad notes :)

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Yet another argument in favor of WikiLoops: you can concentrate 100% on the music without being distracted by overwhelming external events.B)

I hope Shamika will forgive me for this lack of elegance which takes us away from the initial subject!

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If someone asked me for an idea to bring together musicians from WikiLoops, I would suggest this approach:
- Reception of musicians interested in the countryside at my home in France near Bourges (Loire castles, Reuilly wines, 1h30 from Paris by train, Maison du Blues...)
- Objective: live recording of an LP of a few titles (possibly public concert) previously worked on in a WikiLoops LP space by volunteer and registered musician friends.
- Accommodation time: 4 days
- Sleeping: I only have 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms but a large plot of land for camping. Opportunities to rent gîtes nearby

If this possibility catches your interest, I would like to be helped with meals and other practical aspects of this pleasant meeting, as I unfortunately suffer from cancer...

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I just wanted to pick up on something Dick said, using the phrase "like minded people"

Obviously many members here are 'like minded' They use similar instruments and gear, they have similar experiences and usually the same taste in what they like to hear..... but does it go further than that I wonder ?

I believe we are not merely defined by our knowledge, interest or love of music so I guess a large part of these get together's is to find the human beyond the performer.

Who are the Divas ? Who are the dreamers ? Who are the bosses, the workers, the nurturers, educators, the Angels and jokers ? It's hard to get some people to open up but if someone decides to 'sign up' they must want to have that 'on the ground' experience and make some valuable memories.

But remember there are many members who work solely in a digital environment - there are some members who specialize in crazy, left field, experimental or serious orchestral music along with Rappers, Crooners, Screamers, and a range of different ethnic specialists. I just wonder if they could be described as "like minded" even musically let alone socially ! Just throwing that out there folks B)

I DO hope this meet goes ahead and that if any enthusiastic ladies live nearby and have a Pole in working order it should be a fun time :)

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