Spending Time In The Scene

Written by Makke

In September '98 I consider myself to have been active in the scene for one year. One year is not a long time, neither in life nor compared to how long others have been active in the scene. But how do you define your scene career? By how long you've been active? How many releases you've done or what?

In terms of time I've been active for one year. In terms of releases I've been very active! More active than many people, but yet not as active as others. I don't know how many releases I've done, and I don't know what to call releases ether! My songs ARE releases, and I've released about 35-40 songs in less than a year.

But what have I done more? I've written numerous of articles and reviews that I've sent around everywhere!

Are those releases? I think so!

I can spend more time listening to a musicdisk and then review it than I spend making music. Have I been less active then? In my opinion: no, I've been active!

I think that I've been more active if I review and comment someone's work, and help them to become better, than I am if I just make music!

Then another question pops up:

If you just make music (or code intros, draw pictures), upload it to Hornet (or Scene.org or any other archive) and then do nothing more. You never give anybody feedback, you're never on IRC, you never help others -

ARE YOU ACTIVE THEN?

In my opinion: NO! You're not!

It might not be your fault or anything. You might not have the time. You might not have the interest in helping others! That's fine! But do NOT consider yourself active!

But! If you NEVER 'release' anything, never have 'released' anything (I'm talking terms of music, demos, and pictures), but DO give feedback, and DO help others to get better. Then you're most active! To be active in the scene you have to be 'social' as well.

You don't have to write articles, you don't have to know a lot of things about music, coding or anything to give people your opinion of their work. Just write down your thoughts and comments in an e-mail and send it to the artist, musician, or the writer. It doesn't have to be long. Just a few lines will do! A little feedback is always welcome. At least if you write 'good' feedback. If you see/hear something that is just total crap. If there's no talent at all in the work, do not give feedback like: "You suck!" or "Go to hell", 'cuz that wont help. Some people are just beyond help.

But if you DO find something you like, or partially like, write it down! Send it to the author/artist/musician! Tell them what you like, tell them what you don't like. Tell them how to make it better! THAT'S BEING ACTIVE!

Activity helps the scene grow, and survive! Some tend to say that the scene is already dead. HELL NO!!! The scene is NOT dead! As long as someone is ACTIVE in the scene it's not dead. It might be changing, yes, but it's not dead! And if you really care about the scene you wouldn't walk around telling everybody that it's as good as dead! A sick child does not get better if the doctor just walks around saying that the child is sick, does it?

And if your child is sick, you take care of it! If you feel that the scene is sick, do something besides consider it sick. Help it! Write articles, help the newbies! And if you're a newbie that doesn't get any help, help others! And if you get feedback, give feedback. But if you don't get feedback, give feedback anyway!

In my first year in the scene I've almost received no feedback at all, considering how active I've been. (I do have received some feedback, and I thank all that have supported me!) Most of the feedback I've got is 'feedback on my feedback' which also is nice! Then I know that someone cares about my opinion.

But it would be great with more 'pure' feedback on my work, and I think EVERYBODY in the scene likes feedback!

So? Is the scene sick/dead?

If it's dead there's not much we can do! But as I sit here, consider myself active in the scene, I guess it's still alive. What I want you to do is to help the scene! Help your fellow scener! And to stop yelling to your child that it's as good as dead.

- Makke / Comic Pirates