Hi! Thanks for finding your way to our little part of the internet. We're a place dedicated to discussing all things music - composing, producing, performing, and all the fun and not-fun things in-between as working (or aspiring) musicians. Have a hot take? Share it with an open mind. Confused about licensing? Maybe someone here can help. Built a new custom toy? Pics or it didn't happen.
Right now, I (Jess) manage this subforem as a fun side project, with the blessing of my co-founders @ben and @peter. We are PBJ, the creators behind the forem community software and we are primarily known for fostering DEV, a community for software developers.
Why a music subforem? Well, my late 2000s and early 2010s were all about music - studied piano in college, worked at a record label for a few years after graduation, managed a band, booked shows for long-gone Brooklyn venues, etc. I ultimately burned out and abandoned it all for working in tech, but more recently, made the realization that perhaps working musicians need community too.
After speaking with many people who are involved in music, I've discovered that there's an overall common feeling amongst different personas (musicians, producers, instrument technicians, etc) that something is missing, a hole and space that can/needs to be filled digitally for people to connect beyond in-person events and the vanity of social media.
So, this is my attempt to offer up a space where people can share their knowledge and be with one another.
There are still some DEV-centric kinks to work out but they will be resolved in due time.
Thank you for being here, please feel free to share a bit about yourself. Or just lurk, whatever makes you feel most comfortable :)
Top comments (4)
Hello!
Long time music lover and semi-professional musician here. @jess and I actually met in college where we would dance (me, mostly badly) at crowded house shows amidst friends and strangers alike. Back then I ran a venue out of my basement which eventually became a home for a lot of local acts and host to dozens of touring bands.
It's been a long time since those days, but many of the friends I made back then are still in my life today. In fact, music has always been the primary way I meet people - whether it be at shows or complimenting a stranger's band t-shirt at a cafe. I'd love for this site to be an extension of that same spirit. A place where we can come to share the art that means the most to us and forge relationships along the way.
So much of what I loved about the house shows of my 20s was the time spent in between acts - sharing a smoke on the porch, or a drink on the sofa - the small moments with people I wouldn't have met otherwise. These types of community spaces have felt harder to come by in the post-COVID world, and while I know they are still out there, maybe this place can be the online version.
<3
Hi everyone!
I think it's so cool to have a community like this. I feel grateful that I've managed to keep music in my life - as a 5th grade teacher my biggest inspiration is Ned Schneebly from school of rock, and I try to incorporate music in my classroom as often as possible, writing songs about the differences between simile and metaphor or how to use evidence from a text to support your ideas. Fellow teachers, hit me up if you ever want to bounce some ideas of how to use music in the classroom! I'm always looking for new ideas.
Tai
oh my gosh, hi @ruitaihu!
Hi! I'm @ben's older brother (the oldest of five siblings!), a musician/music producer, and a web developer. That's why I think this space is so awesome: a social music platform built by the team behind Dev.to. What's not to love? I've also recently been contributing to Forem as a developer, which has been a great experience.
I started as a guitar player, which is still my primary instrument, but I quickly developed an interest in music production, composition, and engineering. This led to a lifelong obsession with combining traditional and acoustic instrumentation with cutting-edge electronics and production techniques.
After spending a lot of time in traditional studios, I became fascinated with producing music on computers as soon as it became a viable and affordable option in the early 2000s. I dove deep into software like Cubase, Logic, and Pro Tools, but quickly adopted Ableton Live as my main DAW and haven't looked back—I've been using it since version 2. In 2003, this led to a full-time gig as the music director for SharpRobot, a Toronto-based pioneering company in "mobile media" in North America. Although commonly known simply as "content" these days, this was cutting-edge stuff at the time. For context, the first iPhone came out in 2007, and Instagram launched in 2010. Our client list grew to include direct contracts with Madonna and Sting, among others. My favourite client, however, was Sesame Street; their music team was stellar, and I learned a ton from their calibre of musicianship.
This tech-oriented business deepened my interest in technology, and I started learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript by building websites for myself and musician friends.
Fast forward to 2011, the company shut down due to complete mismanagement by a huge corporate conglomerate that purchased us (we were acquired twice; the first time by another start-up that did a fine job). That's a longer story for another time.
I took everything I had learned and started freelancing—producing, teaching, performing, and a lot of technical work, digging deeper into code and dev work as well, learning Ruby on Rails thanks to my brother, and launching a business with my new Ruby on Rails skills. I also launched my band, continuing my love for "acoustic-electronic" music with me on acoustic guitar, synths, and electronics, a friend on violin, and the drummer from the acclaimed electronic band "Caribou," who approached me wanting to jam! Playing with them for 10 years was one of the best times of my life; they are amazing people, friends, and musicians. We did a lot of cool things and played many festivals. We're on an indefinite hiatus now since our violinist, Eleanor, moved to B.C. and had a baby, and I moved to Montreal. I'm currently working on a new creative project and direction.
Anyway, I think this platform is very much needed in the music world, and I am very excited about it.
Some comments may only be visible to logged-in visitors. Sign in to view all comments.