Private Message Complaint

[Brian Walton]

On 1/28/2020 at 7:28 AM, Larry Graham Alexander said:

One of the forum members sent me a private message complaining that I have posted too many of my original compositions.

This is my answer to him:

I have been composing and teaching music theory for seventy years since I was sixteen-years-old.  I am professionally trained in music composition, counterpoint, harmony, music history and various other aspects of the art.  I am not posting my works on this forum to promote myself.   I am doing it in the hopes that young music creators will listen to it and perhaps learn something they may not know about composing.   At my advanced age I have no need for self-promotion.  I receive no financial compensation for it and I do not require it.  I make my compositions available on my music site.   I make monthly payments for the use of my Internet domain.   I receive little to no income from my music works from any source.

How about just listening to what I have to offer (maybe even liking some of it) and perhaps absorbing some methods and techniques for your own use. 

Best Regards.

Larry Graham Alexander

 

What say you?

Larry

 

 

I just checked the songs forum (not a place I frequent on a regular basis here).

Sending an IM on this might be poor form, but you do seem to have far more posts on the first page than anyone else.  

If your goal isn't self promotion and to teach youngins about composition I think you could take a different approach.

Every piece is in a different thread.  You could easily create your own thread with multiple pieces in it.  If you seek to educate providing some sort of documentation on the chords, scales, time signatures, composition ideas along with your work would provide far more value than just a recording.  

If I posted a bunch of classical recordings (Bach, Mozart, etc) and said here you can learn from this, it would look like a joke.  In this context your posts offer the same thing, albeit I wonder if you consider yourself among these greats?

I wouldn't be one to send an IM such as you have stated, but I tend to agree with the assailant based on what I'm seeing.   Do you think people complain about particular individuals posting too many deals in the deals section?  Nope, because that provides value.  If you think your posts are providing value from an educational standpoint, I'd suggest you step back and think about what could be done to add real value to a less accomplished musician.  

 

Your music is clearly very technically competent and you are accomplished in a number of ways,  I'm not convinced your posts provide the education you seek to achieve as they are currently presented however.  

Edited February 2, 2020 by Brian Walton

[Christian Jones]

1 hour ago, Brian Walton said:

If you seek to educate providing some sort of documentation on the chords, scales, time signatures, composition ideas along with your work would provide far more value than just a recording

Agreed 100%.. if the goal is to teach, break down the theory of it all.. that I'd actually be interested in. Otherwise it's no different than someone popping in a Bach or any artist's cd sans commentary/breakdown. 

[kitekrazy1]

i would find it annoying if they were posted in the wrong spot to gain attention.

[mdiemer]

Larry, the problem with posting classical works on this forum is that the majority of people here are not doing classical. So, if you post your music here, out of courtesy you need to also listen to and comment on the other music people post here. but you probably have as little interest in such much music as they have of yours.

 I suggest you join the Ning Composers Forum. most of the music is classically oriented and you will get far more interest in your music. I see that several former members of Northern Sounds have moved over there (Ted Vanya, fastlane, G Prengel to name a few).  

composersforum.ning.com

[Amicus717]

On 2/15/2020 at 1:03 PM, mdiemer said:

Larry, the problem with posting classical works on this forum is that the majority of people here are not doing classical. So, if you post your music here, out of courtesy you need to also listen to and comment on the other music people post here. but you probably have as little interest in such much music as they have of yours.

 I suggest you join the Ning Composers Forum. most of the music is classically oriented and you will get far more interest in your music. I see that several former members of Northern Sounds have moved over there (Ted Vanya, fastlane, G Prengel to name a few).  

composersforum.ning.com

I had not heard of this forum before your mention of it, M, so I wandered over to see what it was about, liked what I saw and signed up. Thanks for suggesting it.  Definitely a good place for orchestral aficionados like me

I should mention, though, I personally have never felt at all ill-served by the folks on this forum. I only do classical/symphonic stuff exclusively, but when I've posted my music, folks here have been generous with their time and commentary. And it's been really appreciated.

 

Edited February 17, 2020 by Robert Caley

[mdiemer]

14 hours ago, Robert Caley said:

Duplicate post.

 

 

Edited February 17, 2020 by mdiemer

[mdiemer]

14 hours ago, Robert Caley said:

I had not heard of this forum before your mention of it, M, so I wandered over to see what it was about, liked what I saw and signed up. Thanks for suggesting it.  Definitely a good place for orchestral aficionados like me

I should mention, though, I personally have never felt at all ill-served by the folks on this forum. I only do classical/symphonic stuff exclusively, but when I've posted my music, folks here have been generous with their time and commentary. And it's been really appreciated.

 

 

I certainly did not mean to imply anything to the contrary. I posted a couple pieces here awhile back out of curiosity, and I did get some good feedback. Many, many rock-oriented people like classical music. I went to a Dan Fogelberg concert once, and he had Bach playing as you walked in. 

Edited February 17, 2020 by mdiemer

[Amicus717]

1 hour ago, mdiemer said:

 

I certainly did not mean to imply anything to the contrary. I posted a couple pieces here awhile back out of curiosity, and I did get some good feedback. Many, many rock-oriented people like classical music. I went to a Dan Fogelberg concert once, and he had Bach playing as you walked in. 

Oh, I wasn't suggesting you were implying anything. Apologies if I gave that impression. I think you made a fair point about seeking out forums that specialize in one's primary musical interest. Makes a lot of sense. 

[InstrEd]

thanks @mdiemer  for the site. I  didn't know about it. Now you got me spending time over there reading some of the threads

[mdiemer]

4 hours ago, InstrEd said:

thanks @mdiemer  for the site. I  didn't know about it. Now you got me spending time over there reading some of the threads

Cool, I also try to talk up Cakewalk over there, especially now that it's free. Although most folks there seem to use notation software. some write their stuff in notation, then do a sound version in a DAW. Of course, being left-handed I do the exact opposite,  I write it in Cakewalk and then do the score in notation software. Which apparently nobody else on the planet does....

[msmcleod]

36 minutes ago, mdiemer said:

Cool, I also try to talk up Cakewalk over there, especially now that it's free. Although most folks there seem to use notation software. some write their stuff in notation, then do a sound version in a DAW. Of course, being left-handed I do the exact opposite,  I write it in Cakewalk and then do the score in notation software. Which apparently nobody else on the planet does....

FWIW that's the way I've always done it too. I write the music in Cakewalk, then print out the notation if someone needs it. 

[JohnG]

Lo and behold, Larry, Northern Sounds is back on line! ?

[Larry Graham Alexander]

19 hours ago, JohnG said:

Lo and behold, Larry, Northern Sounds is back on line! ?

Many thanks for the information,  John G.

Regards,

Larry Graham Alexander

 

 

[Starise]

On 2/17/2020 at 8:05 PM, mdiemer said:

Cool, I also try to talk up Cakewalk over there, especially now that it's free. Although most folks there seem to use notation software. some write their stuff in notation, then do a sound version in a DAW. Of course, being left-handed I do the exact opposite,  I write it in Cakewalk and then do the score in notation software. Which apparently nobody else on the planet does....

This is the way I do it as well....so that's a lefty thing?.....never knew that. More to the point I mostly just play music which goes into the DAW.

[mdiemer]

15 hours ago, Starise said:

This is the way I do it as well....so that's a lefty thing?

Nah, I was just attempting to be humorous. I think that among classically-oriented musicians it is far more common to use notation software first. Many are content with the sound they get from that, as they are more interested as the score as the final product. If they want to get a better idea of the sound, they then try it in a DAW, although many seem bewildered by them and hurry back to their notation software. I bought Cakewalk 2000 many years ago in a music store, when the guy asked me if I was more interested in a score or sound as the final product. when I said both, he sold me Cakewalk. and it has worked out well. I did try Reaper for a year or so when they put in a notation feature (which is very good for a DAW), but came back to CW when BL rescued it from oblivion.

Great news about NS forum. I really thought it was done this time. I don't use it anymore myself but I know how valuable it is to them that do, so here's hoping it stays around.