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Playing Since: 2002
Experience Level: Novice
Hoss has made 39 recent additions to Banjo Hangout 
Interests:
[Jamming] [Socializing] [Helping]
Gender: Male
Age: 56
My Instruments:
Nechville Atlas
Favorite Bands/Musicians:
Dwight Diller, Arnie Naiman & Chris Coole, Adam Hurt, pretty much all the real old time clawhammer guys, Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Flatt and Scruggs, JD Crowe, Tony Trischka, Bill Evans, Noam Pikelny, Foggy Hogtown Boys, Dan Tyminski, Ron Block, Gillian Welch, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper,
Classified Rating: 0
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Profile Info:
Visible to: Public
Created 11/28/2004
Last Visit 2/8/2012
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Friday, April 29, 2011 @10:03:22 AM
In the area where I live there are no other clawhammer banjo players that I know of. The good part about that is I am by default the local old time banjo expert. It’s great for the ego! The bad part is that I really have no way to easily gauge how I’m progressing with my playing and could be pretty awful without knowing it. And while ignorance can be bliss there does come a time when you’d really like to know how you’re doing.
The Banjo Hangout gives us the ability to post audio and/or video files for others hear and critique. I’ve listened to many. Some are truly amazing, others not so much. But I’ve always respected those who’ve taken the trouble to put up a recording. And how better to get a read on how you are coming along than to have your playing put on display before your peers, many of whom truly are experts. So as intimidating as the prospect seemed I decided I should do it.
The first challenge was figuring out how to record myself playing. The microphone on my computer is truly awful and try as I would it made everything sound bad. So I looked for advice on the BHO for alternatives. Someone who had posted some fine sounding recordings suggested a tiny little Sansa-Clip mp3 player with a voice recorder. I bought one for less than $30 at Future Shop.
My first attempt at recording was a disaster. I played “Angeline the Baker” because it is a song that I know well and feel very comfortable playing. Yet that tiny little recording device seemed to whisper to me “do you realize that by recording yourself and posting it on the BHO dozens of other banjo players who are MUCH better than you will be listening and shaking their heads at your pathetic attempts to make music?” So of course I botched the song. I played it again and again, each time managing a rookie mistake somewhere. After many attempts I finally I got this and 2 other tunes recorded. I connected the recorder to my computer and downloaded the music file. Of course I didn’t realize that a .wav file couldn’t be uploaded to the BHO. Fortunately it didn’t take long for an enquiry on the Hangout to be answered by someone who told me how to edit and convert the file to an MP3 using Audacity. Problem solved.
Next came the REALLY hard part. I had to muster up the nerve to post the sound file. What will people think? Will my online friends think “whoa…we thought he was better than that…” Too late to turn back now, I decided as I grit my teeth and hit the Enter key. I guess we’ll see what happens.
The next morning I was amazed to see my email inbox full of notifications that I had comments on my sound files. One after the other I opened them only to discover numerous compliments and words of support, many from players I highly respect. Not only did I feel relieved but also incredibly encouraged. I had put my music up for scrutiny by my peers and they had basically said “hey, well done. We like what you played”. That made me feel pretty good.
So if you have been toying with the idea of putting up a sound file but are perhaps hesitant or somewhat intimidated my suggestion is to follow what they say at Nike and "just do it".
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Find all non-archived posts by Hoss
Groups
Nechville Owners Group
clawhammer curmudgeons
Canadian Pickers Eh
Murphy's Misfits
Fortunate Pups and Old Dogs
Friends
Hoss has 28 friends. View entire friends list.
Reviews
Straps
Lakota Banjo strap
Nechville
Atlas
Music (4 files)
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