United States

Hi, Clifford here. Still having trouble trying to discover some new places (both online and locally within Baton Rouge) where I'll have a better chance of finding some guys around my age who like a wide variety of pop and soft rock music from the 80s to the present, but who are not self-employed musicians, or musicians who are already committed to playing in a band, or who are eager to get their music out there and who are playing just to be popular.

Currently, in terms of online places, I keep going back and forth between BRR (which is now a dud), this site (which I'm using only temporary), and the Baton Rouge Musician section of Craigslist (another place that has become way too business oriented).

Remember, I am not trying to start a band. I'm looking for an individual person to just invite over to do a variety of different activities with, that includes learning some new music skills together, and having fun jamming to some of our favorite pop and soft rock songs.

Some people on here reccommended I try church, but I need some to know of some specific churches in my area that accept secular pop and soft rock music, and that have a non-religious based music program. Could someone help me out with that?

Someone also mentioned to check out the YMCA, but I need to know what the best thing would be to sign up for there since I'm not big into sports or volunteering. Could someone help me out with that as well?

Also I have been trying to play for and with anyone who's interested in hearing me play or who's interested in playing with me as a way to spread the word, and form networking circles, but I keep reaching individuals who are unreliable or who are dead ends in moving forward.

It's also important to know that for right now, I'm not too comfortable going to a bar or club by myself, however, I wouldn't mind attending a coffee shop, or a talent show hosted at a local college or something. Also after making a few friends elsewhere (whether they play music or not is unimportant) I wouldn't mind seeing if they would be interested in taking me to a few respectable bars and clubs.

See, I told you he's be back. He's into abuse. At least as long as it gets him some attention.

Cliffie try:
http://tinyurl.com/cliffordshelp

See, I told you he's be back. He's into abuse. At least as long as it gets him some attention.

Cliffie try:
http://tinyurl.com/cliffordshelp

It would help to understand why people on here and on Baton Rouge Rocks think I'm crazy or need therapy. Is it the way in which I word my posts? Is it the fact that I'm specific in my posts? Is it the fact that I'm a complainer, but complain in an effort to reach someone who can relate to my struggle, and who also has similar goals?

And aside from that, it would help to know how to spot people on here who love to find a certain individual to just mess with and get a laugh from, and to know how to beat those individuals at their own game, from the individuals who are willing to go the distance with me, and work with me, instead of reaching those individuals who throw out one or two reccomendations, which I then point out a few flaws in, and kindly point out that it's not going to be very effective or work for me, and then that person gets all upset and starts the type of responses that GuitarMikeB gave.

Just relax guys. I am not here to cause any trouble.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results - Albert Einstein

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results - Albert Einstein

Why does everybody I run into on these kind of sites use that quote? Sometimes doing the same thing over and over again CAN lead to different results. It all depends on whether there are a lot of different variables, or if everything remains constant.

In my case, there are a lot of different variables. People can be unpredictable, and thus I need a better way to observe those variables, and be able to talk with the people at the given place where I'm searching. This includes Guitar Center, this site, and any future places, be it church, another music store or whatnot.

Someone please, help me get out of this rut, and help me discover some more music stores in Baton Rouge where I can post ads, and just a wider variety of tools. That's all I need.

It also looks like I need to find a forum that's a lot more dynamic, where most members are active posters, but where the stream of regulars are different each day. And a forum that's a bit more compact. Something similar to BRR, but a little bit better.

I'd create my own, but I currently don't have a way to advertise it, and I'd need to have a couple of moderators on the board to keep it free of spam bots, and trolls, and other crazy behavior.

Also it would be cool to go back to the time when Myspace had the advanced music search feature, and when less career savvy musicians also created music profiles, and included on their profile the location of artist, genre, influences/artists covered, and of course, whether they were on a record label, or not, as opposed to now, where a lot of the music showcase sites are more for professionals, and people looking for gigs, and lack a given feature that made Myspace so intuitive to use.

See, I told you he's be back. He's into abuse. At least as long as it gets him some attention.

Cliffie try:
http://tinyurl.com/cliffordshelp

To all of the people who think I'm a troll: I am NOT! The people who think I'm a troll, are WAY too sensitive and must have a whole lot of other responisibilities and stress in their life to deal with. I am sorry for those who think I'm a troll.


Don't listen to Mike Nobody, and GuitarMikeB. I am here to talk to the people on here who know how to be gentleman, and who are more reserved posters, and simply figure out how to more effectively reach guys around my age who play pop and soft rock music for enjoyment, and work a few minor kinks that are preventing me from reaching my intended audience. I have given you guys some good solid ideas on where the problems lie. I am not the insane guy.

Also when talking to people on here, help point out some of the people who I should NOT respond to and who love to troll, so I don't feed them, and give me some tips on how to beat them at their own game. This has also been a problem in my search for these special music buddies. Dealing with people who claim they can help, or who claim to be interested in jamming with me, only for that person to post something clever or to make some unsound judgement about me, or to respond to my ad (Craigslist, Baton Rouge Rocks, Guitar Center, and even Baton Rouge Community College) where the person would initially show an interest and promise to get back, but never heard from again, or someone who wasn't smart enough to leave a message when I wasn't able to get to my phone.

Cliff I was the guy who suggested the YMCA. It was kind of a joke but then again its not really a joke because they do have a lot of people who hang out at the YMCA who do dabble in music just as you do. Really... no joke.
Now I am going to speak to you from experience. In Baton Rouge there is a Public Access Channel TV studio. You can go to that studio and produce with their help, a 30 min video of Cliff on keyboards. You can use this video to promote your ideas to 150,000 households in Baton Rouge. I ran a community access channel for 7 years and countless musicians got hooked up with other people just like you. It takes more effort from you… and you must take the first step to make things happen the way YOU want. I’m telling you from experience you will not find what you are looking for here however, you will find it at the YMCA, Community Access Channel and your local Community Education Programs that deal with music, “just sign up for a keyboard class and you will increases your odds of finding what your are looking for. You are wasting your time at music stores and music web sites.

Here is a link.

Now get your butt out there and get it done.

http://www.brgov.com/metro21/

Cliff I was the guy who suggested the YMCA. It was kind of a joke but then again its not really a joke because they do have a lot of people who hang out at the YMCA who do dabble in music just as you do. Really... no joke.
Now I am going to speak to you from experience. In Baton Rouge there is a Public Access Channel TV studio. You can go to that studio and produce with their help, a 30 min video of Cliff on keyboards. You can use this video to promote your ideas to 150,000 households in Baton Rouge. I ran a community access channel for 7 years and countless musicians got hooked up with other people just like you. It takes more effort from you… and you must take the first step to make things happen the way YOU want. I’m telling you from experience you will not find what you are looking for here however, you will find it at the YMCA, Community Access Channel and your local Community Education Programs that deal with music, “just sign up for a keyboard class and you will increases your odds of finding what your are looking for. You are wasting your time at music stores and music web sites.

Here is a link.

Now get your butt out there and get it done.

http://www.brgov.com/metro21/

I hear where you are coming from, but here's the thing: I want to keep a low profile, rather than be a high profile. I don't want to reach 150,000 households and be all over a TV station. I want to have a much better idea of who I'm reaching, and be able to mingle with the audience.Remember, I'm looking for a best friend to just invite over and hang out with, not pursue a serious career. I want to reach a guy around my age who likes to play music by Adam Lambert, Madonna, Richard Marx, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, and such, but who also likes playing video games (both old retro games and the newer games). Someone who's serious enough about music, but who also tries to keep a very low profile.

I want to save the things that you want me to try when I'm ready to make something into an official career. Also there's the problem with knowing which location to try and on what day it takes place.

It's also important to know that the guys I'm looking for are not going to be taking music lessons, and might be at the YMCA, but are not going to be participating in anything music related.

Cliff, I am glad to see you back.

BUT

You are saying the same things over and over again as if repetition will change what's going on. It will not.

Just look to play something with someone, I think that's about the best you can ask for right now. Later on, down the line maybe things will be different but for now they are not.

Learn to adapt or just come to the forum and talk to other musicians, period.

Cliff, I am glad to see you back.

BUT

You are saying the same things over and over again as if repetition will change what's going on. It will not.

Just look to play something with someone, I think that's about the best you can ask for right now. Later on, down the line maybe things will be different but for now they are not.

Learn to adapt or just come to the forum and talk to other musicians, period.

I would, if that were possible, but NO ONE in my area knows about me, and heavy metal, hard rock, and alternative aren't really songs I can play, which is the more common style. And also I would like to do this at the respondent's house, not at a public venue with a hundred million people watching.

Also RGMixProject was on the right track, he just needed to tone down the expoure amount A whole lot. I don't want to reach 150,000 households. I want to reach someone around my age who happens to play pop and soft rock music for enjoyment, and can help me learn some mixing and recording and songwriting, but who doesn't have a whole lot of friends, and also keeps a low profile.

You can still keep a low profile and still go to these places. Think of those places as Libraries and you start with Liberians to point you in the right direction. The next thing you know is you will find someone who knows someone that is someone looking for the same thing you are. Its scary I know because I have worked with many a musicians such as yourself. You can take this next statement as true or false. “99% of Semi Pro and Pro musicians in the back of their minds find amateur musicians as enemies, You must look where the enemy is not”

You can still keep a low profile and still go to these places. Think of those places as Libraries and you start with Liberians to point you in the right direction. The next thing you know is you will find someone who knows someone that is someone looking for the same thing you are. Its scary I know because I have worked with many a musicians such as yourself. You can take this next statement as true or false. “99% of Semi Pro and Pro musicians in the back of their minds find amateur musicians as enemies, You must look where the enemy is not”

I'm kind of neutral in that statement. The reason I say that is because I have a feeling that if I could play for some of my favorite artists, like Adam Lambert, Matt Nathanson, Adam Young of Owl City, Kelly Clarkson, and even someone like Madonna, or playing for someone like Ryan Seacrest, they would probably be able to help me out. But here in Baton Rouge, and on this site, that statement DOES seem to hold true.

Also even though I'm an amateur, I still think like a professional. I'm always looking for a "new" song to add to my repetoir of covers. Later on down the road, after finding this buddy, I'd like to do some free shows around Baton Rouge, learn how to make professional videos and actually work on creating some original songs.

Also I'm not scared. I'm just trying to be practical with the suggestions given, and thinking about how to go about it. There are way too many YMCA locations where I live, and most of the stuff that takes place at the YMCA doesn't really interest me, plus I'm already taking music lessons at Music Inc, which is in Gonzales.