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| by chris earnhart (Pocket) | |
I have heard people denounce the idea of a scene. "Why be so exclusive?" or "What makes this 'scene' so special?" Some people, a few with reason, create an image of a music scene as a bunch of people with noses held high and thumbs stuck squarely up their asses. So one has to ask, why have a scene? Why promote the scene? Why promote this "scene" with which I am so disconnected? I would argue it is because the scene is, or should be, a community.
A community is a group of people who support each other. They don't have to live together, or even near each other. They provide support. So a music community is one in which the bands play for the fans, the fans support the bands, and the bands support each other. Have you ever gone to the concert for a bigger band and felt a sense of camaraderie with those standing around you? You all sing along, rock together, hit each other (depending on the concert), and pick each other up. Everyone in the room has one thing in common: love of the music. In my opinion, there are few things more sublime in the social world than rocking out with people you don't know.
To be part of the community, you merely have to enjoy music and interact with the other members, be they musicians, promoters, sound technicians, fanatical concert goers, or casual listeners. As a side note, I should add that people need to take the time to thank those who work to bring them good music. One of the great things about local music is that promoters and bookers are often in front of the stage or walking around, sound guys are just behind the audience, and when bands get done playing, they just walk off the front of the stage to join the audience. There are few better opportunities to get involved with music than at live shows.
To beat a dead horse (I apologize to all of those who have lost such friends), community is about support. Does this mean that you have to see every show ever? No. Does it mean that you have to join some music organization? No. Does it mean that you have to donate $10 to openingbands? Yes. Well, okay, that's a no too. You just need to offer support where you can. The whole point of this article is to say that all you need to do is that: Offer support where you can.
This, for most people who just want to listen casually, merely means continuing to listen and to avoid what I will call "anti-support." This concept encompasses those acts that unnecissarily hurt feelings, inhibit music, or speaking negatively without being constructive. Almost every band starts bad. If you don't like a band, then someone else might. It might not be your thing. All bands of one genre are not bad because you happen to like another.
Openingbands tries its best to be a communications hub for this community. We try to make wide amounts of information available and to make people feel free to express their opinions. I personally believe we are doing a pretty good job. There is just one issue must be addressed: flame wars. We want people to feel free to express their opinions, but there are proper ways to express oneself. Name calling and biting sarcasm are not among them. Neither is the outright denouncing of the validity of the opinions of others. They are entitled to them.
This is the internet. Everyone has to time to step away from their computer, calm down, come back and give a good, well-thought out response that is only as offensive as it need be. Yes, sometimes one will offend by expressing his/her opinion, but it does not mean that he must attempt to do so. Everyone knows that sarcasm is difficult to detect on the internet, and everyone knows when they are purposely being offensive (obviously). So I call for an end to the insults and bashing. Do I think my meager voice will end all pain and suffering? No, but it is a sexy voice.
More to the point, there is something that YOU can do to end the pain and suffering: do not respond in turn. If someone has angered you, then ask for clarification to see if something was lost in the translation (for the record, I used that phrase sparingly before the movie came out). If no clarification is necessary, then know that most other people know the person is being an ass, and that you can still step away from the computer to compose yourself. You can break that chain, thereby supporting the community. See where I'm going with this?
The point is that we all have one thing in common: love of music. But our musical, political, and moral choices will be very different. We need to make sure to respect those choices, and that the forums are not a good place for crusades of any kind. The forums are part of a community, and by posting on them, you are making yourself part of the community. Welcome. It is a diverse one, with bands of almost every genre and non-genre, whole nights packed with great concerts, an interconnecting network between the bands, and a lot of great fans. Contrary to being exclusive, a scene considered to be a community is inclusive. We accept anyone who likes music. That's the point.
-Pocket's a small-town kinda guy
(Agree? Disagree? Why not write us a letter or post on the forums? What is the scene to you, and how/why do you support it?)
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