Amateur section

What has open source software to do with contrebombarde??

Contrebombarde is after all software, and allows some debate as to the direction it should take not unlike open source. You will often find cases in the OSS world where debates have raged over whether a feature should be removed or not based on how many people are using it. I say, if there is no great economic cost to keeping the feature, then why not?

I don't know the reason, it was only a guess, maybe You schould ask Stefanusen why the masterclass section
isn't available anymore.

To address Brian's comment, one might want to post in such a section (even if his performance is less than stellar), so that he can get some advice on how to make his performance better, and also become more comfortable with others hearing him perform. At the same time, those listening and critiquing are well aware that the performance has been posted in the Student section and therefore should not be held to the high standard of the regular performance section. In other words, those who would leave comments would be expected to BE NICE, and not say anything mean or too harsh.

Sign me up--I'd love to take advantage of the wisdom and experience of experienced organists. I'm new to organ music--and I'm performing in public every Sunday morning. (Small urban church, organist left--congregation singing a capella, I'd been setting music for the liturgy for years, could I help?)

I have posted a handful of files (http://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/user/1225); I haven't posted anything in the past three weeks because a comment was made here by someone who didn't want his postings tainted by being placed adjacent to the hack attempts of mere mortals. I don't know if he meant me specifically--but...let's just say it had a chilling effect.

I'm working hard at this--and I don't have a local teacher. I would dearly love to have a teaching section ("L'Academie Grand Orgue?"); I'd also dearly love to use the HW4 MIDI recorder capabilities to work with a teacher remotely.

That said--I can see how I'd benefit from such a section; I'm not sure who might willingly choose to listen to postings in such a section voluntarily, to provide that benefit. (In all honesty, some of us mortals are aspiring to become just "mere.") It's one thing to listen to a piece of music--it's something else to listen to it while thinking critically about how it will be played in front of a congregation of ordinary people (that is, not an auditioned choir). "Good job! Bravo!" is certainly encouraging--but "You're note-perfect, but you might consider pausing once or twice through that forty-bar piece to allow your congregation to breath..." would be far more constructive.

Greetings,

Fazioli is correct. We did have a "masterclass" section of the website. It was intended to be used as an area for those wishing instruction and as a relatively sheltered place to encourage those not so confident to be able to post and get involved in posting.

We did remove it because of lack of interest at the time. (3 people posted in almost a year). In fact, it has been gone now for about a year without comment from anyone until now. It was something that we tried and it didn't catch on at the time.

I would be interested in knowing how many people would be interested in using the Masterclass area. I would also be interested in knowing how many are willing to be the ones who help to nurture talent. If we have some of both stripes, then why not re-instate it?

The framework is already there. So, if there are people on both sides to make Masterclass usable, then we don't mind re-activating it to see what happens. If it reverts to becoming "bloatware" again then, we'll have to rethink it at somepoint.

Perhaps the time has come now. Are you, collectively, asking for the return of the Masterclass area?

Thanks, in advance, for the feedback.

Darryl

Let me also follow my comment up by saying what I have particularly enjoyed about the Hauptwerk forum (and community) has been it's spirit of helpfulness to those wanting to get involved.

It's one of the things that impressed me most about being around the Hauptwerk community. I believe that it's one of the reasons that the community has grown.

I hope that our Contrebombarde users come to the site with that same spirit.

I understand being an artist. I understand how the system works and how you are often "judged by the company you keep" (One of the legacies of getting a formal classical music education). It's kind of a horrible way to live and it stinks when you're victimized by it. However, that kind of thinking is also something to be stood up to; not perpetuated.

It's much easier to stand up to it when you have personally taken an active interest in encouraging the growth and nurturing of others. Then you can stand up with pride and say "These are my people. Be constructive or get lost" the same way you would be protective of one of your students.

For those who are truly great performers, you will be known by your work. It will stand out even more starkly from the rest. So you don't have to worry about anybody else. Why not stick around? You might even become somebody's hero. How cool would that be?

Maybe you laugh at that but I've already witnessed that on multiple occasions because of Contrebombarde.com

Just some thoughts.

I want to publicly apologize if anyone took offense at any of my comments several weeks ago. I am particularly distressed to think that John has stopped posting because of something that I might have written.
The Contrebombarde is a little "gift" for all of us to enjoy. It's particularly important to me that everyone feel comfortable to contribute.
We are all on a musical journey. Emails and forum comments are easily misconstrued. Perhaps some of you didn't recognize the worst critic of my music is me.
Whether we have amateur and pro sections I care not... But I do care that everyone feel comfortable to listen and or upload, to learn, to share...

Pierre

Encouraged by Darryl's comments, and particularly by Pierre's gracious note, I have posted a short prelude to Contrebombarde Concert Hall.

Question: do we need a distinct Master Class section on Contrebombarde? Or might we implement the concept by simply using threads here in the Contrebombarde Concert Hall forum?

Let me propose a format:
1. Upload a file to Contrebombarde Concert Hall. It might be very helpful to include something to the effect that this is a "Master Class" file for commentary and critique.
2. Wait for the file to become visible. When it is visible, copy the URL.
3. Come here, to the CCH section of Hauptwerk.com.
4. Create a new thread, with the title "Master Class: " [Name of your piece]"
5. In the comments, paste the URL to your file on Contrebombarde, and provide some introduction to the piece you have recorded--the who, what, when, how, and why.

That last bit--explaining the who, what, when, how, and why--seems to me to be critical to online learning. As Pierre wrote, we're all on a musical journey--the W questions explain where you are on that journey, and where you're going; they provide context for people who will listen to your work and provide constructive criticism.

I'll go first--but I'll start it in a new thread.

One more thought, with regard to using this section for Master Class study of pieces on Contrebombarde:

One of the goals of Contrebombarde is to promote organ music--I've posted links on Facebook to some of the music I've posted, and (based on Facebook comments and "likes") that's brought people to Contrebombarde. They might be overwhelmed (or alarmed) at detailed commentary on the piece ("something's odd in the piece--I think you're playing a natural at the F in bar 32 that should be a sharp..."; "Murdoch--your new vocabulary word for today is 'tenuto'; it is NOT the name of a boy band from Puerto Rico.")

Those are helpful comments--but might be best said here, in a slightly less visible place. I'd hate to see a flame war erupt on Contrebombarde because a visitor misunderstood helpful commentary ("Please. 'Phrasing' and 'metronomic' are not synonyms...") and over-reacted.

Going back to the original post here by thaelim, I would also say it has a lot of merit. To me, amatuer is me. I have played the organ for about 2 years, no formal training on piano or anything else involving music reading except for when I was a kid in the highschool jazz band where I played bass guitar. I do now sing in the church choir and am a cantor as well, this has helped.

I do have a good ear for music, other than that I'm a horrible sight reader, it takes me somewhere in the neighborhood of a week to two weeks working at it every day for an hour or two to learn a new peice of lesser complexity. I don't play the organ at church much less a kazoo. I'm an amateur! I would not post what I've learned as I'm afraid to be laughed right off the forum. If there were an amatuer section where a person could post music and have others of similar proficiency listen, who knows? Might get some that go, hey, that's not so bad. But to put it on Contrebombarde Hall? No way, not gonna happen!

Among a few peices I've somewhat conquered, I did learn Tierce en taille by Dandrieu and can play it by memory now. If there were an amatuer section I might post it but then I think, NAH! It's ok but just not that good.

My playing entertains me and that's all I'm really looking for at this point in the organ playing game.

Marc