[pompeyjazz]

Just following on from a couple of points made on recent threads as to why we get very little listens from friends and family and indeed on social media (well that is certainly the case for me)

Do our F&F think.....

a) We have a strange little hobby
b) They don't appreciate what we do
c) They have been numbed by the fodder that they are fed by the mainstream music distribution outlets and are afraid to listen to something else
d) Other reasons

With regard to social media, I always get load more shares or likes if I post a picture of a dog or a pudding - Maybe a picture of a dog eating a pudding with one of our songs as a backdrop would generate more interest

What do you think ?

[Wicked Deeds]

The topic finds me in a reflective mood this evening and so I will share a story. My Mam who had alzheimer's for many years before she passed away, once told me in the midst of her illness "I never really liked any of the music that you have made." She was such a beautiful and honest lady. I found her comment to be really funny and wasn't offended at all. I'm not sure if she really meant those words or if it was simply part of the confusion that she experienced.

Paul

[MichaelA]

My lot are in category A John. They think I have a ‘strange little hobby’. Well two strange hobbies really, including the creative writing that I do.

I made a wooden planter this summer for the garden. Then I laid a stone circle patio after watching numerous YouTube videos. These achievements got me far more family acclaim than any song I have ever done.

I think this is partly down to when I started writing songs again in later middle age, about ten years ago, they were all pretty shite tbh. By the time I had got better, nobody in my family and friends circle wanted to give me a second chance! They’d already made their minds up. 😀

By the time I turned up on forums like this, I’d got a bit better. So was treated more gently.

Only about half of my friends and family circle are showing any interest in reading my new book - the rest tease me saying it would make a good draft excluder etc. Even some who bought it, I know for a fact will never read a single page.

Still, it is what it is. If I had a creative friend, I’d probably find him/her tiresome too! 😀

[PeteS]

It is an interesting topic and I posted part of my answer on one of the other threads but here goes.

Family - Most have listened to my album on Spotify and generally impressed, didn't know I could sing or play that well etc.  My late mum hated the sort of music I listened to but loved my songs as she just like hearing me sing.  My eldest son appreciates what I can do and likes me using that knowledge to help him with his music (he's at music college so needs help with theory and using Logic) but I know he hasn't listened to every song on the album.  My youngest I don't think has listened to `ny of it, I guess he thinks i'm an embarrassment 

Friends - I know a lot of them have listened and appreciated it to some extent but as I said on the other thread, my best friend hasn't listened.  We have different music tastes and he assumes he won't like it.  That did hurt as I would listen to, read or watch anything my friends had done.

The issue here is getting them to listen again, the only one I know does is my wife  . She has 2 of my songs that she really likes on her running playlist.

As for social media, that's a minefield I haven't made much headway in.  We have an Echo Dogs insta and we share them on our personal accounts but traction is very limited.

Doesn't stop me trying though.  When we release the next album, we'll hopefully do a little better as we have learnt things from the previous one.

The best response we got was from BBC Radio Wiltshire, I emailed them to say that one of our songs was about Neil growing up in Swindon and they called me and we ended up doing a live interview and they played the song.  Limited fame!

[adamfarr]

I can't remember who it was on here who once said "no-one listens to anything but the voice" but I think that's spot on. If you don't have "the voice" then people automatically switch off and pay no attention to anything else good that a home made song has to offer.

The only people who really listen are people that share our pain, like you lot... (thankfully!)

[CaliaMoko]

I am lucky in this regard. I have a few friends, and most of them have known me for many years and have heard me singing from time to time since the 1960s. I have two or three friends (it varies) who will buy my albums when they're released, just because I did them. My family mostly enjoys my music but it mostly doesn't occur to them to buy any albums. My husband always liked my singing but never thought of it as on a par with commercial work until he heard "Everybody Wants You, Baby" (Valentine challenge song from 2016...I think that's when it was) after Boydie produced it. Now he brags about my music to everyone he sees.

As far as not getting noticed on social media at the same level as cute cats and puppies...I think that might happen because the cute pix catch your eye right away but you have to click on the music to hear it. Perhaps the solution would be to make videos of cute cats and puppies and put our songs with them. 

Vicki

PS: My dad always thought my music was wonderful and loved to hear me perform. When I was young, he would tell me to play the piano when we had company. Unfortunately, then he would start visiting with them and they basically paid no attention to my playing. Later, when I did some musical theater and live variety shows (as an adult), he would always go and just be proud as a peacock. My mother would also go--for her, it was what you do if your kid is performing, regardless of whether you liked it or not. She did like it, though.

[Sterix]

I have to admit, I'm not really sure if any of my friends and family have actually heard any of the stuff I've put out so far... and, to be honest, I rarely mention it on Facebook as (a) I'm shy and embarrassed about it somewhat - would much rather tell a stranger about it; and (b) the little I have done seems to garner little-to-no attention. Maybe a like or two, but no real comments.

Probably why I have a second FB login just for the "lyricist" side of my personality which, apart from my wife, I've shied away from inviting any friends and family to follow. I'd much rather post things there.

[jacksimmons]

When I ‘release’ an album I get a sort of fleeting interest from friends and family on social media. They will like up and share my posts, and I’m sure a good amount actually do listen, but they don’t *continue* to listen. Most of them anyway.

I am lucky enough to have many people on my Facebook that follow me for my job in my Bee Gees show and these people are often very supportive. Again there are only two or three of them that I know listen to me outside of my posting on social media.

My boyfriend likes my music, some songs he really likes and some he doesn’t like, but he’s not the sort of person to sit down and listen to an album. He does sing my songs around the house though.

My Dad who is also a musician and songwriter had been strangely remote in the last few years (since I moved out and he wasn’t hearing everything as it was written/recorded). Until I actually burnt him off a CD and realised his remoteness was because he only listens to music in his CD player in his car.

It is hard to take that some of my friends just are not at all interested in my music and I don’t think they listen. But a bunch of them have also been incredibly supportive with my last album release. One of them who is really in to music named it his album of the year. He didn’t really say much at all about the album before it and I realised the biggest most important thing from that: our friends and family might not LIKE our music.

It’s not necessarily that they don’t care, aren’t interested, are ‘numbed’ by radio friendly pop, or any of that. We just might make music they think is a bit naff. That’s okay. I would hate for people to pretend to like my music to make me happy.

[LostBoy]

Great thread John! First off I have to acknowledge how I myself listen to music….these days, not very well! I would call myself a big Coldplay, Foofighters, Kings of Leon fan…and yet on release of any new material I will only listen to a few songs two or three times…..if their first three songs don’t catch me, then I don’t listen to any more….shame on me, I know! But I’m like most others I know….I have just developed a shit attention span!?? I don’t understand it, but it is what it is….too much content maybe? Too much listening and commenting on amateur songs on forums like this?….or just too engrossed in the making of my own songs?🤷🏼‍♂️ All the above I reckon.😊

Sooo…with that in mind, I don’t blame anyone for not hitting repeat on my songs….
I don’t use social media really, my few good friends and my brothers listen and tell me they enjoy the songs I share…but I’m pretty sure they listen when I share, that’s it. My parents are big fans though!🤦🏼‍♂️🤣 but they are also incredibly naive and can’t see how I’m not just….famous already, or something like that.

For my first album I promoted it on a karaoke app I use where I have 13.000 “followers” which we all know doesn’t mean shit really…😆🤪 even with my glowing personality and my gawgeous face (🤪😆🤦🏼‍♂️) I could only convert that into about £50 and maybe 5000 streams on various platforms (individual tracks) and my second album dropped off considerably from that….

I’ve been “discovered” by internet radio and had songs….one song in particular played every day for two weeks as an example of exciting new music the station wanted people to send in….(that brought me a few listens, but that’s it😆) I’ve had a movie producer ask if they could use my songs if the right project came about. ( that never happened as I knew it wouldn’t.😊🤷🏼‍♂️) I’ve been reposted on peoples SC pages (that never brings more listens btw.😆🤷🏼‍♂️ Not that I’m ungrateful.) the truth is…it seems people are just busy listening to the next thing they hear and then sticking around for a while or just moving on….and that’s fine I guess…cos that’s exactly what I do!😆🤦🏼‍♂️ and also with 60.000 songs being uploaded each day to Spotify with only 11% of those being from major labels…there’s just waaaay too much content.

Soooo….I’m sorry for rambling…it’s gone midnight here.😊😴 I guess what I’m trying to say is that…I can’t be arsed to promote myself anymore…..and I’m honestly ok with that now. I work bloody hard on these songs…I post them here and similar places and that’s my audience…..just you lot and a few friends around the world. I do this because i just really enjoy the writing songs, alone and with others….and I just love how we all come up with something from nothing.😄👍🏻

It’s enough for me to just have the respect of my peers and for my kids to listen to my songs when I’m old and grey and say…..actually Dad some of these are pretty good!🤣🤦🏼‍♂️


Sorry for meandering a bit and maybe not answering the post properly….I guess this has just been on my mind recently.😊🤷🏼‍♂️

[rightly]

Good post pompey

I think of my older brother.
He used to be an influential figure for me
He's getting older and drinks and leads a stressful existence.

He actually gets annoyed
If I mention anything an interesting detail about a gig I played.
Socially, with strangers, he plays it low key, so actually playing a gig is something he cannot fathom.

Even though I know full well what I tell him would usually be of interest to him.

He once looked at my soundcloud
And was amazed to find positive encouraging words from random listeners on there.
He expressed his surprise to me


I was taken off guard by this ignorance,
I said something like
"Well, yknow, actually I'm pretty good."

The rest of my family were never really keen on music.

Friends are another matter

[cowparsleyman]

As others have said, a very interesting post.

As a person that just loves music, and appalled by the awful misuse of social media, I stay away from it where I'm able, I don't have Twitter or Facebook, just WhatsApp and Soundcloud. I think the currency of a "Like" is a dubious currency, encouraging at best, reciprocal at worst.

I don't want to spend any time promoting my work, I'm happy to see the organic growth, (it's always been a bit of an experiment to see what influences the numbers)
I'd rather be making my music , or helping other artists and composers realise their vision, I get such a buzz out of that, more of a buzz than finding I had n  plays in Cambodia.

My family likes my stuff, My eldest sister is a musician and digs what i do, Hannah also like my stuff (cowparsleydaughter) cowparsleywife isn't over keen on the genre jumping thang, and has to put up with all the gear.

As for friends they generally like my stuff.

[5 guys named Lars]

Interesting subject @pompeyjazz . #thumbsup
None of my family or friends know I write songs and even I don`t know I do half the time.
Because I started writing at aged 49, the phrase bounded around would be "mid-life crisis" & "dickhead" and they could be correct.
The only friend that knows I write has a music studio near where I live and I recorded my first few songs there. Now I record at home so this forum has been a sole outlet with SC & a lifeline for me & my efforts so thank you all very muchly.
Haven`t got much of a "so me" presence , a youtube video has had about 3 plays but thats about it.