AA's revolution!

I am currently preparing one of the greatest breakthroughs in music, and I want every person that has ever dreamed of learning music to find out what is about to happen for you.

The days of paying an arm and a leg for a music degree are over! It's time for people to experience the joy I have found in music at a price that will leave money in your pocket. Imagine a place where you can go to learn everything you need to know to write music - quality, online, interactive training on how to create music.

Consider what makes a quality music education. Does it pay for itself in time? Does it give you a benchmark for success? Does it provide adequate understanding of the business of music? The truth is that universities are inconsistent in their course offerings when it comes to music, and for those who want to start a career composing music, many schools might not have the comprehensive programs to help you manage your business.

The Music Program we will offer is a comprehensive, interactive training guide using the power of the internet to bring this education to you. We will soon be able to offer you the following:

-The "Essential" Music 101: A Great Start for any Musician

-Music Composition Projects Covering Strategies for Beginning a Composition, Melodic and Harmonic Writing, Purposing and Re-Purposing Your Music for Sale and Performance, and much more!

-Marketing Strategies for the New Composer: 10 Strategies You MUST KNOW to Become Successful Writing Music Today

-Studio Technology: A New Age for the Composer

If you have ever dreamed of even learning about music but you don't have the time or the money to spend on a University Music Education, you're not alone! Help is on the way, and it's coming with a fury and a passion for the art of creating music! It will truly redefine how music impacts our lives.

Be ready. It's going to be AWESOME!

From http://www.myspace.com/shaunsalem which as far as I can tell is AA's myspace. I may be wrong though, but just in case I'm not:

Don't leave us waiting, AA! When is this going to be done? Can you elaborate on those 10 strategies we MUST KNOW in order to become successful writing music today... or is it a trade secret?

I'm surprised you haven't said anything about this on the forum, but you shouldn't hold back so much. Maybe younger composers may benefit from your revolution/program/sales pitch, who knows! You should be more open with ideas such as these, I think.

Why keep us in the dark? Come on, don't be shy, explain what is this whole thing about, I'm genuinely curious!

Actually, this was a project in the works before I came across Secret Composer on here, which is great and absolutely what we imagined our project would be. Good thing there was a composer with 25+ years of experience to finally step up to the plate and do what someone should have done a LONG TIME AGO.

Up to then, friends and I tossed some ideas around to see what we could come up with... we had a full fledged package of information we were going to put together and ideas for how to market as well. Wow, it's even funnier that you searched for that and found that profile. I haven't looked at Myspace in, well, it's been over a year.

I'll have to dig up all the ideas we were going to run with... I'll see if I still have the website up where we were testing our online music modules. We put some work into that stuff, but I don't know if it's still up because a friend of mine was hosting it on his web server and may have already taken it down.

------------------------

Bleh, it's gone. http://theeeee.net

Well, you can still make your own program anyways, right? A little competition never hurt anybody. It'd be nice if you could elaborate though on what you were planning.

This - Academic Earth - Video lectures from the world's top scholars - but with music lectures and other goodies. It's not a dead project, just on hold while we gather funds in other areas. We always viewed this project as a long term project over time, thought a program combined with lectures, combined with online quizzes, and maybe even contests would be a great asset.

I will have my revolution... one day!

This - Academic Earth - Video lectures from the world's top scholars - but with music lectures and other goodies. It's not a dead project, just on hold while we gather funds in other areas. We always viewed this project as a long term project over time, thought a program combined with lectures, combined with online quizzes, and maybe even contests would be a great asset.

I will have my revolution... one day!

Revolution against what exactly?

Revolution against what exactly?

You're asking me this? And you don't know the answer to this question?

Let's just say it won't be a "Revolution," more like a repurposing of the way the artform is taught... and it will be more easily accessible to the general public. I think that's all I need to say.

Ok, so I think what everyone really wants to ask behind the mocking is what qualifies you and your friends to provide, regardless of the medium, anything equivalent or to replace a higher education?

Ok, so I think what everyone really wants to ask behind the mocking is what qualifies you and your friends to provide, regardless of the medium, anything equivalent or to replace a higher education?

Heh. If you'll notice on the website I referenced, none of the creators of that website actually deliver the information. It's supplied through professors/professionals, which is part of why our project is on hold. Now, a few theory quizzes and other goodies we would provide as a support aid for additional education purposes. There would also be a function for professors/educators/professionals to create their own support material for their lectures. So, the question is a rather moot point when all of this is orchestrated and put in place.

Obviously, from discussions I've been a part of, education is not uniform from one institution to the next, so why not create a presence where such information can be freely exchanged like it is here? Furthermore, my personal belief is it's wrong to take someone's money for knowledge that cannot be recovered in a timely manner upon graduation, even if it's by creating a business for oneself or working in a supplementary field within the field of music. There are many who agree with this and may be interested in providing valuable knowledge in an online lecture setting, even if only to entice enrollment in their school (if one chooses to do so in order to acquire the degree.

And I'm completely aware of the mockery behind the questions. It's pretentious and otherwise ignored, but I'm glad to answer any questions from those with legitimate interest in the project.

Well, if your idea is REALLY to make a site with music pros giving lessons/online seminars/keynotes, whatever, then that's actually cool and in theory I'd volunteer to participate myself.

I also don't like universities too much and how rigid music education ends up being when the truth is that everyone needs different things. Moving education towards a digital medium where it can/may be more flexible and ultimately more useful is a good idea and I think it could work. Though, none of it replaces individual teachers, specially for composition, it can be a great help for people who can't simply pay for it or live in places where they simply don't have the infrastructure to do anything.

The only problem is, and I'm sorry to say, you haven't really shown yourself to be capable of exercising quality control on something like this. But, that doesn't mean the idea is dead on arrival, so long as you're not the only person deciding things or that it is a free forum-type thing where people may be able to vote/rate things in degrees of usefulness. Another good idea is having a review system for the things being offered within the same site. A good feedback system will make the thing remain up to date and relevant with what people want/need.

Another thing is, this looks to be something entirely different from that "secret composer" thing, as it should be much more in depth. Then again, if your goal is to teach people how to "make money" out of composing, I have some really big doubts as to the artistic integrity of your motives. I mean, you could still offer that as a course or section of the site, but the way you're selling it it seems like one of the main points.

The only way it'll work at all is that you don't try to replace higher education but complement it, at least for now. Maybe in the future these systems may end up being the norm for any sort of education at least on the theoretical level (practice is still always required, and actual personal contact is a must as well.)

The only problem is, and I'm sorry to say, you haven't really shown yourself to be capable of exercising quality control on something like this.

I'm a big proponent of letting users dictate, at least to a degree, the direction of the project. I'm not a control freak, really... well, I don't think of myself as one.

Another thing is, this looks to be something entirely different from that "secret composer" thing, as it should be much more in depth. Then again, if your goal is to teach people how to "make money" out of composing, I have some really big doubts as to the artistic integrity of your motives. I mean, you could still offer that as a course or section of the site, but the way you're selling it it seems like one of the main points.

My only hope is that the project would fill the need I see as one of the biggest in music education, especially composition. That need, in my view, is PRACTICALITY. Does that mean if a professor comes along and touts the wonders of alleatoric music I'm going to be put off? Of course not. There will be categories of music discipline areas, styles, etc. It's a matter of making room for the information, not picking and choosing what to include. Of course, marketing, technology, and other areas are of course areas not always covered in traditional music curricula that I believe should receive heavy attention, as well as business methods and models for success.

The only way it'll work at all is that you don't try to replace higher education but complement it, at least for now. Maybe in the future these systems may end up being the norm for any sort of education at least on the theoretical level (practice is still always required, and actual personal contact is a must as well.)

Here's to hoping.

My only hope is that the project would fill the need I see as one of the biggest in music education, especially composition. That need, in my view, is PRACTICALITY. Does that mean if a professor comes along and touts the wonders of alleatoric music I'm going to be put off? Of course not. There will be categories of music discipline areas, styles, etc. It's a matter of making room for the information, not picking and choosing what to include. Of course, marketing, technology, and other areas are of course areas not always covered in traditional music curricula that I believe should receive heavy attention, as well as business methods and models for success.

Well in that case, I'd much rather make a separate "music for $" career from the "music for art's sake," since they're entirely different approaches and get entirely different results. In a web-based initiative it shouldn't be a problem, however, to have both side by side.

I see that, but there's no reason why you can't have both. There's a lot of hype out there, I don't buy the argument that "art for art's sake" can only happen without the monetary factor, or "music for money."

But what you're talking about is the band-in-a-box mentality of commercialized music. It doesn't preclude art from being generated from this mentality though. Look at any piece of music that has some form of inspiration behind it... commercial music has very much the same process behind it, tonal or otherwise. It's all nothing more than ideas that spur from previous ideas, at least the way I see it. And if we're really going to tread down this road, you're eventually going to run into those test-of-time argument you loath so much. What's the point of even splitting hairs there, anyway?

I see that, but there's no reason why you can't have both. There's a lot of hype out there, I don't buy the argument that "art for art's sake" can only happen without the monetary factor, or "music for money."

Nonsense arguments aside, I actually said that you can probably have them side by side. My problem is forcing either one or the other, though personally I'd much rather people learn music because they LIKE MUSIC rather than because they want to make money out of it, even if it's a legitimate concern. Likewise, I'm a fan of quite a lot of music made specifically to get money, to me it's music anyway and I don't see a problem with any of it.

Just the approach to teaching should be, therefore, focused on what the person actually wants to do. It doesn't even need to be strictly one or the other, most composers could probably do well to know both sides of their art, even if they prefer one over the other.

Which is really what I was saying, in a web-based initiative where time isn't so much of an issue anymore (you don't need X number of hours in Y number of courses) it's easy to provide for all those options without having them conflict with eachother and people can freely choose (besides whatever additional guidance they may be taking) between them without worrying about deadlines or anything.

The flip side of this is people see $$$$$$$$ and immediately go there... instead of taking it all in as one artform. It might preclude many of the items in one section that would be beneficial to those interested in the other and vice versa. I don't see the need in segmenting it THAT way... but definitely look to come up with a method of organization that would be more amiable to the subject matter instead of the motivation. Just because someone wants to make money writing music doesn't preclude music for art's sake, but I think the $$$$$$ would be more of a distraction from the learning process rather than incorporating it into the overall course offerings in many different styles and compositional mediums.

That's my reasoning, anyway.