United States

From the houses of the holy, we can watch the white doves go
From the door comes Satan's daughter, and it only goes to show. You know.

There's an angel on my shoulder, In my hand a sword of gold
Let me wander in your garden. And the seeds of love I'll sow. You know.

So the world is spinning faster. Are you dizzy when you're stoned?
Let the music be your master. Will you heed the master's call
Oh... Satan and man.

Led Zeppelin

"Find a few places local musicians tend to play -- clubs, bars, coffeehouses -- and go talk to the guys between sets. Tell them what you're into and that you're looking for someone to jam with"

First off, let me just say that bars and clubs do NOT appeal to me. Bars and clubs in the Baton Rouge area are DANGEROUS places. There aren't very many coffeeshops in Baton Rouge that offer Open Mics either. Second, the music I play is NOT very popular amongst the active community of musicians in Baton Rouge. Most musicians in my area are stuck up musicians who are into heavy metal, hard rock, and indie stuff, and consider most soft rock and pop to be crappy music whether it's old school 80s music, or American Idol artists.


Also I am NOT looking for someone to jam with. I am looking for a couple of intimate friends to (individually) polish up some songs with and learn some new skills with, such as songwriting, and maybe a few solid keyboard players to help me learn how to use recording software and how to better utilize the sounds on my keyboard. I also want to allow time to do other activities that guys in their 20s and early 30s do, like play video games, or go see a good movie, or have a music listening party.

Add to this the fact that I'm legally blind, so therefore, I cannot drive, so therefore the guy interested would need to provide transportation and a more suitable place to play. Yes, I still live with my parents, and I don't have a suitable music room.

Please, tell me your honest opinion about how my request is worded on my profile, as well as the music (in video form only) that I have on my profile. And if something I said sounds kind of creepy, let me know how to say it in a way that doesn't come across as such. Also there are some things I want to put on my profile, but am not sure whether to put them in my profile or not.

What you have on your profile now is exactly what you need; it says what you're looking for without going into too much detail. Now, since you asked for my honest opinion: I've read your other forum posts, and frankly you've been obnoxious as hell. But I've been there too, and I've posted plenty of things on other sites that don't make me come off well at all. So I kind of get where you're coming from, and you're on the right track now.

Some of the things you've posted -- e.g. "special friends," "guys...who don't have a lot of friends," etc. -- are just going to sound creepy no matter how innocently you mean them. Anyway, you don't know whether you'll get along with someone until you actually meet them, so no point judging them before then. Sure, there's assholes out there, but that's life.

By the way, I'm not familiar with the original song, but your playing in the video is pretty solid. Out of curiosity, do you mostly do piano, or are you also good with other kinds of keyboard sounds?

Also it would be nice to know how to prevent my request (online or in person) from reaching highly seasoned musicians or those who play in bands, while still reaching musicians who can help me learn some new skills.

The problem isn't highly seasoned musicians, it's highly stuck-up musicians. We have this one guy in town, a professional musician, who pretty much is the local music scene. He plays at least ten or fifteen instruments, plays in several different bands, teaches music classes at the local schools and guitar lessons in his free time... he also likes jamming, whether one-on-one or in a big group around a campfire. Besides all that, he's just the nicest guy in the world, an old friend and one of my heroes.

Anyway, my point is the really dedicated musicians tend to be pretty cool people. They'll play with anyone, whatever their skill level, because they aren't doing it for fame or fortune or any of that nonsense -- they play because they genuinely just love music. Like I said, there are assholes out there but there are also lots of really cool guys like my friend. Don't block anyone out just because they play professionally.

Also on a side note, are there any other free sites like this site that I can use in addition to this site to expand my audience?

Honestly, your best bet is to just get out and go meet people. I'm pretty socially awkward myself, so I know that's a lot easier said than done. But it's worth it.

Find a few places local musicians tend to play -- clubs, bars, coffeehouses -- and go talk to the guys between sets. Tell them what you're into and that you're looking for someone to jam with. Even if they aren't into that stuff, they might know someone who is; musicians tend to network. And if it doesn't work out, just be patient and try again. If you're anywhere near as persistent in real life as you are on here, you're bound to find someone sooner or later.

Oh, and just ignore that stuff about online dating sites. Unless, of course, you actually are looking for dating... in which case, still ignore that stuff about online dating sites, because I don't think they're really worth the hassle. As I see it, I might still be single but I'm not that desperate.

Penguin... nice try NEXT! lol!

Easy, Paperdog. I'm not trying to be ungrateful. I'm simply stating some things OUTSIDE of my control that are preventing me from finding these partciular music buddies.

"Find one or two you're comfortable in and go hang out there. "

There aren't any! Any of the places in my city that offer Open Mics are NOT pure music venues. They are either bars, clubs, resturaunts, and one coffeeshop. And a lot of them are not well-known chains. And a lot of the musicians that attend those are more into playing classic rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and weird indie stuff, and blues, and HATE mainstream pop and soft rock music, and AC music. On top of that, a lot of these venues host the Open Mics duirng the evening or late night hours, and on a weekday/weeknight, rather than hosting it during the afternoon on the weekend.

Again! Listen to me. Most of the people who are active musicians in my area ARE in fact your stuck up musicians who think their music is superior to mine, and who are heavy drinkers and drug users, and active club hoppers and bar hoppers, those who like to brag about how good they are, and who are trying to play styles that are popular in the BR music scene, just because it's popular. Just look at the Baton Rouge section of Craigslist or Baton Rouge Rocks if you don't beleive me. You will see WAY too much focus on heavy metal, classic rock, and hard rock, and not enough on good pop and soft rock music.

Clifford: La Fonda's is another place that was reccommended to me, but again, the website doesn't give much information about it.

Penguin: So just go there and check it out.

Nope! I need to get some good information about the place and find a way to stay updated with what's going on there, like how I'm able to stay updated with my favorite artists on Facebook. This way, I could learn about who plays there, and see if there are any guys around my age who play pop and soft rock music there, and thus find out when they are going to perform, and meet them there. It would be nice if there were places that provided Open Mics on different days, rather than on a designated day. And I would feel much more comfortable attending a venue that focucsed purely on music, rather than a resturaunt (where food and drink comes first) or bars (where drinks come first) or coffeeshops (where desserts and coffee come first). Those are the main things that are going to be heavily pushed on those sites, while the Open Mic is going to be a little side thing they might be doing, and thus is NOT heavily pushed on their site.

Easy, Paperdog. I'm not trying to be ungrateful. I'm simply stating some things OUTSIDE of my control that are preventing me from finding these partciular music buddies.

Sounds to me like more of your excuses... The only thing preventing you ...is YOU.. Stop blaming the outside

Easy, Paperdog. I'm not trying to be ungrateful. I'm simply stating some things OUTSIDE of my control that are preventing me from finding these partciular music buddies.

Sounds to me like more of your excuses... The only thing preventing you ...is YOU.. Stop blaming the outside

Not excuses! I'm not blaming ANYBODY!

Easy, Paperdog. I'm not trying to be ungrateful. I'm simply stating some things OUTSIDE of my control that are preventing me from finding these partciular music buddies.

Sounds to me like more of your excuses... The only thing preventing you ...is YOU.. Stop blaming the outside

Not excuses! The things I'm covering are things that make me feel uncomfortable, and therefore, I need to avoid such places.

Then, If I start making you uncomfortable, will you go away?

Easy, Paperdog. I'm not trying to be ungrateful. I'm simply stating some things OUTSIDE of my control that are preventing me from finding these partciular music buddies.

Sounds to me like more of your excuses... The only thing preventing you ...is YOU.. Stop blaming the outside

Not excuses! The things I'm covering are things that make me feel uncomfortable, and therefore, I need to avoid such places.

Then, If I start making you uncomfortable, will you go away?

Stop being a prick! I want to stay true to my vision and well, you've got to consider that these musicians I'm looking for may also not be familar with music venues in my area, and might be more like me and who like getting out during the day rather than late at night.

And just because I want to take the time to learn about a given venue in my area through the internet by reading up about it, or finding a way to stay updated or talking to people in my area with my music tastes, and goals, rather than trying it blindly, that doesn't mean I'm making excuses to not do something. Those things happen to be important in order to achieve the success I'm looking for.

One of the problems I've had in the past is that I try something blindly without first talking to the right people to find out if the place is right for me, or getting an idea of who my audience is, and thus I get into more trouble or set myself up for dissappointment.

Easy, Paperdog. I'm not trying to be ungrateful. I'm simply stating some things OUTSIDE of my control that are preventing me from finding these partciular music buddies.

Sounds to me like more of your excuses... The only thing preventing you ...is YOU.. Stop blaming the outside

Not excuses! The things I'm covering are things that make me feel uncomfortable, and therefore, I need to avoid such places.

Then, If I start making you uncomfortable, will you go away?

Stop being a prick! I want to stay true to my vision and well, you've got to consider that these musicians I'm looking for may also not be familar with music venues in my area, and might be more like me and who like getting out during the day rather than late at night.

And just because I want to take the time to learn about a given venue in my area through the internet by reading up about it, or finding a way to stay updated or talking to people in my area with my music tastes, and goals, rather than trying it blindly, that doesn't mean I'm making excuses to not do something. Those things happen to be important in order to achieve the success I'm looking for.

One of the problems I've had in the past is that I try something blindly without first talking to the right people to find out if the place is right for me, or getting an idea of who my audience is, and thus I get into more trouble or set myself up for dissappointment.

You are quite disturbed. Have you taken your meds yet Glamergini?

Easy, Paperdog. I'm not trying to be ungrateful. I'm simply stating some things OUTSIDE of my control that are preventing me from finding these partciular music buddies.

Sounds to me like more of your excuses... The only thing preventing you ...is YOU.. Stop blaming the outside

Not excuses! The things I'm covering are things that make me feel uncomfortable, and therefore, I need to avoid such places.

Then, If I start making you uncomfortable, will you go away?

Stop being a prick! I want to stay true to my vision and well, you've got to consider that these musicians I'm looking for may also not be familar with music venues in my area, and might be more like me and who like getting out during the day rather than late at night.

And just because I want to take the time to learn about a given venue in my area through the internet by reading up about it, or finding a way to stay updated or talking to people in my area with my music tastes, and goals, rather than trying it blindly, that doesn't mean I'm making excuses to not do something. Those things happen to be important in order to achieve the success I'm looking for.

One of the problems I've had in the past is that I try something blindly without first talking to the right people to find out if the place is right for me, or getting an idea of who my audience is, and thus I get into more trouble or set myself up for dissappointment.

You are quite disturbed. Have you taken your meds yet Glamergini?

I am NOT disturbed or anything of the sort. You and others could learn a lot by those mentalities. Doing research and talking to people who have similar music tastes to mine and who have tried the reccommended venues can help give me a better idea of whether or not I should try the venue or not.

For example, if the venue in question is frequented by musicians who play hard rock, heavy metal, and classic rock, then that venue would not be for me.

However, if the venue is frequented by individuals who play a lot more soft rock and pop stuff, I would be more willing to check out the place.

Also I am more likely to try venues that host Open Mics during the day, rather than those that host them during the evening or nightime venues.

Clifford: La Fonda's is another place that was reccommended to me, but again, the website doesn't give much information about it.

Penguin: So just go there and check it out.

Nope! I need to get some good information about the place and find a way to stay updated with what's going on there, like how I'm able to stay updated with my favorite artists on Facebook. This way, I could learn about who plays there, and see if there are any guys around my age who play pop and soft rock music there, and thus find out when they are going to perform, and meet them there.

Or, you know, you could go and ask the people who work there. This is just a guess, but maybe they'd know who's playing.

Nope! That wastes time considering that a lot of the music venues are a good distance from where I live and are not very convienent to get to, and that my mom or dad has to drive me.

Also it's important to know not only who's playing, but what they are playing and whether or not there are a lot of people there playing the music I enjoy, and then being able to talk to them after they finish, rather than the play and leave mentality. It's also important to know that I would feel more comfortable checking out a more structured Open Mic, rather than one where you just show up and put your name down and play.

Also you've also got to consider this: music venues where I can take the time to talk with and make friends with guys in their 20s and early 30s who share more of my music tastes, and audition these given musicians, prefferrably one that takes place in a practice room.

Think of the music venue that I'm looking for as being similar to an intimate college club rather than a public venue that EVERYBODY goes to.


Also it would be nice to find music venues that are active during the day and are well-lit, rather than dimly lit clubs, bars and resturaunts. This is important because it helps me be less touchy feely and I can get a better idea of what people and the place looks like there.

Easy, Paperdog. I'm not trying to be ungrateful. I'm simply stating some things OUTSIDE of my control that are preventing me from finding these partciular music buddies.

Sounds to me like more of your excuses... The only thing preventing you ...is YOU.. Stop blaming the outside

Not excuses! The things I'm covering are things that make me feel uncomfortable, and therefore, I need to avoid such places.

Then, If I start making you uncomfortable, will you go away?

Stop being a prick! I want to stay true to my vision and well, you've got to consider that these musicians I'm looking for may also not be familar with music venues in my area, and might be more like me and who like getting out during the day rather than late at night.

And just because I want to take the time to learn about a given venue in my area through the internet by reading up about it, or finding a way to stay updated or talking to people in my area with my music tastes, and goals, rather than trying it blindly, that doesn't mean I'm making excuses to not do something. Those things happen to be important in order to achieve the success I'm looking for.

One of the problems I've had in the past is that I try something blindly without first talking to the right people to find out if the place is right for me, or getting an idea of who my audience is, and thus I get into more trouble or set myself up for dissappointment.

You are quite disturbed. Have you taken your meds yet Glamergini?

I am NOT disturbed or anything of the sort. You and others could learn a lot by those mentalities. Doing research and talking to people who have similar music tastes to mine and who have tried the reccommended venues can help give me a better idea of whether or not I should try the venue or not.

For example, if the venue in question is frequented by musicians who play hard rock, heavy metal, and classic rock, then that venue would not be for me.

However, if the venue is frequented by individuals who play a lot more soft rock and pop stuff, I would be more willing to check out the place.

Also I am more likely to try venues that host Open Mics during the day, rather than those that host them during the evening or nightime venues.

Clifford, you are disturbed, emotionally... Was it an alcoholic father? Or maybe an abusive older Brother or Uncle...? Maybe it was a woman who hates men in your family? ...What was it Clifford...? What gross dysfunction in your life has turned you into the irrational queen of anal-retentive OCDs? And why aren't you seeking professional therapy...?

You know damn good and well you aren't taking your music anywhere... Your not here to find a friend...You are here to get the attention that nobody at home gives you... You poor, sad, lonely little soul... Instead of accosting us with all your non-sense , why don't you just embrace the music, on your own, without the predicate of "finding a partner to talk to" , and then maybe you could hang around here with some real credibility. As I see it, every musician on this site would be glad to help you if and when you decide to stop jerking people around... As it stands I think you are a complete asshole, Clifford. There is nothing about you that is desirable, for anybody... You waste people's time with your gross immaturity and then you prance around these your posts like a high-maintenance bitch. Its time for you to grow up Clifford, and drop the Peter-Pan act.