Ruminating About My Own Importance

This is my first entry for 2003 and I'd like to wish all of our visitors a Happy New Year!  As the Steelbender site enters its third calendar year, I wanted to take a moment and reflect on what it has meant to me and how the Internet  has dramatically affected guitarists throughout the world.  Always at the risk of sounding self-aggrandizing, this online endeavor has had a very positive effect on me, and judging by the amount of feedback I routinely receive, others are finding some use for it as well.

This Web site originally started out with the designation of "The Official Web Site of Jason Barker" as my online space to promote my activities.  Make no mistake, it still is my "official" online home; but I've always had a desire to expand it into more of a community-type of thing. This is one reason why I didn't call it "jasonbarker.com".

I've learned that you can't please everybody, nor should you try to.  I do not try to hide the fact that this is a site based almost solely upon my tastes and interests.  However, it's really nice when I publish something and find that a lot of people agree with it and share some of my preferences.  I am particularly gratified when something I've said, or perhaps a product I've recommended, has encouraged and brought enjoyment to my fellow guitarists.  That might sound corny and trite, but I mean every word of it.

Though criticism isn't nearly as much fun as praise, I do appreciate (if not always enjoy) when someone finds a bone to pick with me over an opinion or something I've published on this site.  Because it is "my" site and I hang my name out front under the Steelbender banner, it's sometimes hard not to take disagreements personally.  I will be the first to tell you that I haven't always accepted negativity very well.  Musicians are indeed a sensitive bunch like most other artists.  Nevertheless, it goes with the territory.

At times, I've contributed to bad energy myself through judgments, as we all have. We all like to be commended for something we do and can sometimes feel down when our actions are not appreciated or agreed with.  Don't mistake this, though, for discouraging the importance of having opinions and standards.  I have them and you have them.  If I like or dislike something, I will let you know, when appropriate.  I would expect our audience to do the same.   I strive to conduct this place with a sense of honor, integrity and candor and that is why I sometimes feel it's necessary for me to "open up" and discuss the negative things... even my insecurities about life and the guitar.  I don't think someone has to always lay all of their cards out on the table, but I do hope that addressing the entire range of emotions that I feel as a player and person (both positive and negative), can help and teach others out there.  I may have a Web site and the instant credibility that it affords (to some people, that is); but I'm still struggling and triumphing with the whole music thing like most of you are.  Misery loves company, but so does joy.

This site is a lot like a song to me.  I have a creative impulse, jot it down, refine it, then put it out there for the world to see and react as they see fit.  (Of course, you'll never know about the things I don't publish.)  Sometimes I look back after some time has passed and I cringe.  Other times I nod and smile.  Most of the times I say "that was me being how I knew to be at the time" and I can embrace it, warts and all.  Like any piece of art, it's a document hoping to preserve a transient moment in time.  I'm as aware of the process as I am of the results.  Both are important.  The vital thing is to at least do something and get it out there for both myself and others.  Therefore, you are witnessing an attempt at being creative as I compile these thoughts here today.
 

The Internet marches on like a wild bull out of control

This Internet thing sure has caught on, hasn't it?  What a marvelous and yet perilous invention it is!  Everybody now has the power once reserved for mainstream media such as radio, newspapers and tv.  All you need these days is a computer, an Internet connection and a Web host and you can reach the entire world.  You still have to draw your readers in and attract interest in your site, especially if you are trying to make a profit through this virtual reality.  I'd rate it right up there with the telephone as far as revolutionary things are concerned.  People are even taking the Internet with them in their pockets these days as some cell phones have Web browsers built into them.

It used to be just a short time ago that having a Web site was a special thing that conjured up images of importance.  "Oh, he's got a Web site.  That's a pretty big deal.  He must be important."  Nowadays, everyone seems to have their own site.  In fact, it's become a necessity for many people.  "Hi, my name is Bob.  This is my Web site.  I am married and have two children.  I like NASCAR. Click here to see my photos of my guitars and our trip to Disney World this summer."  It's actually wonderful that the Internet connects us all together and gives us the space for everyone to learn about each other.  Sights, sounds and words have come together through technology to give us an enormously powerful and efficient way to communicate.

I could go on forever about how the Internet has impacted guitarists.  Actually, come to think of it, I have been going on forever about it, so you won't mind if I harp on it a bit more here, will you?  I have learned about so many people and products through the Internet that I would feel a void without it.  I think back to just five years ago and how sparse the online landscape was compared to today.  There are so many great places to exchange information with others.  I can buy a lot of things without ever leaving the comfort of my chair and have them shipped to my door.  If I need to sell something, I can simply run an online ad or participate in an auction.  If I want to listen to some songs or hear somebody demonstrate a product, I just point and click.  It's fabulous.
 

Guitar Soundclips: Everybody's Doing Them Now

Speaking of demonstrating products, I want to talk about the latest rage of Internet sound bytes and audio clips that guitarists are creating everywhere.  Uploading audio to the World Wide Web is not a new technology.  What's new is that product companies and individuals are becoming hip to the fact that it's pretty easy to create audio representations for the whole world to hear.  If Mr. Pedal Maker decides he wants to put up some samples on his site, he just records them and lets people hear what they sound like.  In theory, it's a great way to enhance the popularity of a product.

Most artists have been putting audio samples of their music online for a long time.  It's not just professional companies doing the recordings these days either.  Joe Blow from Anywhere, USA can decide he wants the world to hear his new Gibson Les Paul through his Supergreat Amazingtone Amp, so he records himself riffing through it and posts it on the Web.  The convenience of the Net is nothing short of extraordinary.  However, like anything else, there's some good stuff available and some not-so-good stuff making the rounds.  It's all subjective, of course, but just because it's online doesn't mean it will satisfy everyone.

I have certainly benefited from the exposure that my involvement with sound samples has created.  There have been some companies that have asked me to demonstrate their products in an online format.  I am always flattered and try to do the best job I possibly can.  I feel good when people say "I heard your demo and it helped me decide to buy the product.  It's everything I thought it would be and your files were very helpful."

I've recently started doing more freelance work of my own initiative (see the Steelbender Spotlight) and profiling some products that strike my fancy.  The whole procedure is still a work in progress but it's basically a pure, creative labor of love for me.  It has definitely helped generate some attention (hopefully positive) for the manufacturers and at the same time brings in a larger audience to this site.  It's been a nice arrangement, thus far, for all of the involved parties.

Some of you, in fact, may be reading this precisely because you found out about Steelbender through some of those audio files.  This is where the aforementioned community aspect comes into play.  We found a common interest in a particular thing, and some of you have learned more about me through reading other items on this site.  There have been some readers who found out about me through some of my work with other products and eventually made it out to some of my live performances.  Sometimes friendships ensued and the whole chain reaction was started with a casual Internet reference such as "Here are some soundfiles you might be interested in..."  This is where the "Official Site of Jason Barker" truly aligns itself with the "Steelbender" part.
 

One more thing about soundfiles

On a more specific note concerning soundfiles, I want to make sure everyone is aware that like anything else, they need to be taken for what they are worth.  This goes for anything that I've created or that someone else has made.  I feel lucky to have some insights to the process, while fully admitting there are others who are more skilled at this than I am.

When a product is being demonstrated, the sound files will be influenced by the caliber of the player, the guitarist's style, the product (obviously) and the recording process, which includes the environment, recording techniques and gear used.  I've tried to note this in the disclaimer in the Spotlight section.  I realize that I can't be everything for everybody.  I don't own every guitar or amp that is out there, so it might not be the most comprehensive manner in which to demo something.

For example, a guitarist who uses a PRS McCarty through an EL-84 amp may not feel that he's getting a personalized or relevant presentation since I don't currently own either of those things.  I also know that I may hear and like different things than some of our other visiting players do.  Variety makes the world go around.  The reason I'm belaboring this point is simply to let you know that I am aware of the certain limitations of what I do.  I simply ask that you look at everything I post as an expression of my tastes.

I receive correspondence occasionally from people who say "Why didn't you use such and such guitar or amp to do your demo" or "You played that chord without the third in there", etc...  I'm not discouraging your comments such as these by any means.  All kinds of feedback is welcomed, and there are certainly times that readers have suggested worthwhile improvements.  I will always listen to what you have to say, because I am grateful for your participation here.  I'd love for you to keep coming back.  I would be foolish to not try and improve something as long as it's practical and feasible  (sometimes even when it isn't).

...and here comes my typical attempt at trying to draw an analogy to bigger things.... (you knew it would happen )

This Web site, the content, the methods...the whole ball of wax is definitely a reflection of the process of life.  At least, that's how I look at it.  It's about doing something expressive, refining it and sometimes loving or loathing the results.  Some people never make the effort to do it, and this is my way of trying to do it.  Like a good song or a nice guitar, if the results can be shared and appreciated with others, then a noble thing has been accomplished.  If something has been learned, by both the author and the reader, then a great thing has been accomplished.

Thanks again for making this an enriching experience for me.
 

Jason