The Tone of the Academy

**Poolman** · 03-10-2005, 07:59 AM

This is a great idea.

I only hope one thing - that this forum will not get diluted with irrelevant waffle and silly jokes like the other GPO forums have. Let's keep it devoted to academic tuition and learning.

Perhaps the moderator(s) will actually do that part of the job instead of contributing to the nonsense themselves?

**BermudaFlyer** · 03-10-2005, 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by Poolman

Perhaps the moderator(s) will actually do that part of the job instead of contributing to the nonsense themselves?

o u c h

ain't we ALL doin' this for free...? fer duh luv of it?

**jesshmusic** · 03-10-2005, 08:30 AM

Originally Posted by dermod

Academies normally require an entry qualification. I suggest it should consist of two things. Possesion of GPO and possession of Paul Gilreath's Guide to Midi Orchestration (I am currently on page 260). With those two ticks in the box, the students can get down to some real business.

I am pretty sure that the main focus of this is not MIDI. There are some who have volunteered to teach MIDI and mixing, but for the most part this is about learning the art of composition.

**DPDAN** · 03-10-2005, 10:29 AM

It's sad that things like jokes and too much reverb really upset you so much. Just the other day, another comment about reverb.

Originally Posted by Poolman

Great job, Jonny! You're a man after my own heart. And thanks for not drowning everything in a fog of over-reverb.

Terry

I will continue with my posts, serious or not. I hope Styxx and everyone else continues with their own style. I laugh outloud at some of the humor here, laughter is good for me. I will strive do a few things here Terry, (Poolman), to help whenever I can, to make music as best as I can, and to create positive posts that I believe lift people up and not tear them down.

I don't understand the consistant negativity in your posts. It is obvious by so many comments posted previously in this forum, that this is a very enjoyable place to be. I'm sorry Terry that this moderator has let you down by publically responding in a negative way. I believe this is my second negative post here in over a year, and both were in relation to a post of yours. I will do my best next time to respect your freedom of speech, and not retaliate.

I'm sorry everyone for venting my frustration and contributing to the nonsense, it's certainly not my style.

Sincerely,
dpDan

**Jerry W.** · 03-10-2005, 10:48 AM

Hmmm.

On one hand, I agree that this particular forum should be a place for more serious attitudes and conversations - on the other hand - I don't feel that humor tears down the academic fortitude that some members would like to have here.

I am sure once things get rolling - the academic atmosphere and the attitudes it inspires will become more concrete. No use judging it negatively before it even gets off and running!

Let's keep the optimism and cool heads here!

Jerry Wickham

**Poolman** · 03-10-2005, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by DPDAN

It's sad that things like jokes and too much reverb really upset you so much. Just the other day, another comment about reverb.

Sincerely,
dpDan

I don't see that expressing my opinions can be taken to mean that I am upset. On the other hand, you seem to be upset that I do so!

If one disapproves of something, then the expression of that is bound to be negative, how else do you do it? A forum where everything has to be approved of will never achieve a balanced view. In the case of my last remark about reverb, I was actually praising the guy, but it seems that can't please you either.

I definitely do not disapprove of humour! But the humour can be brought into the topic in question, not brought in artificially in order to tell the latest joke. These GPO forums are supposed to be about using GPO creatively and efficiently, and you can't accuse be of being unhelpful when I have provided no less than seven tutorials for the website. My worry about all the irrelevant material is that it makes it that much harder to follow a thread properly and unearth the gold from the dross.

Doesn't anyone agree with me on this? If not, I will abandon the forums and stop being a nuisance.

Terry

**Karl Garrett** · 03-10-2005, 01:21 PM

Hi Terry,

I believe that everyone here has the most respect for your talents and the deepest appreciation of your efforts in this forum. I know that I have gained a great deal from your tutorials and hold you in very high regard.

Please let me try to explain something from my point of view. When I first went to college I was almost terrified. First I had been blind as a child and had only a small amount of vision when starting college. Second I was a guitar player who new very little about composing and such like many of my peers who had studied with gifted teachers and played in orchestras and jazz bands.

The subject that I feared the most was counterpoint. As luck would have it I was blessed to be assigned to a teacher who was no only a brilliant composer, but one of the funniest men I have ever had the pleasure to know. He had a way of just making everyone feel at home in his class, and I can say that this man was almost solely responsible for keeping me in school that freshman year.

Now, how does this relate to this thread? I was on the phone with Gary last week and of course the subject of this forum came up. I was amazed when he told me that we have tens of thousands of hits a day here.

There are a lot of people who drop bye here who have never heard a symphony, and that the word fugue, might send them running for the hills. I think that most of us are certainly serious about our music, but life and all of its oddities is just full of wonderful things to poke fun at.

To the timid person who is shy about classical music, who may be afraid to post something that to the many learned people here might sound "dumb", the jokes and such keep him/her coming back for the second and third times, and before long they realize that there is no one here who will come down on them for what they might perceive as a dumb remark. And so they make their first post, and then their second and so on, and before long they buy GPO and sign up for that scary counterpoint class at the local college.

I have many students that end up studying with me that at first thought classical music was classic rock. If we are ever going to keep classical music from dying in this country we must show our young people that we do not live in ivory towers, and that we can laugh and make merry.

Most of us who contribute here do the best we can and do it in a manner in which we are most comfortable. Oh sure, sometimes things might get a little over the top, but I feel that the balance of contributors to this forum from you to Dan, styxx and most all the others, is the reason why this place is so beautiful. I look forward every day to not only learning something about music and GPO, but also to perhaps gett a little chuckle and a lift from what sometimes can be a pretty scary world.

Your friend,

Karl

**jesshmusic** · 03-10-2005, 01:32 PM

Well spoken, Karl.

No one one this forum are annoying, so there is no reason for anyone to stop contributing to the forum.

That being said I was hoping we could spin this particular thread back in a more positive direction now. I would hate for anyone to be put off because of a tiny disagreement. We are all friends here.

**DPDAN** · 03-10-2005, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by Poolman

A forum where everything has to be approved of will never achieve a balanced view.

Hi Terry, your music and contribution here has been great. You are very talented and extremely detailed, and I really like those qualities in a person.

I was offended with the comment about the moderators doing their job, and contributing to nonsense. I don't want you to leave this forum, your talent and experience is too valuable. I wanted to let you know that although your posts are positive, more often than not they end differently. It was very unkind of me to post my feelings here. Ultimately, I should have emailed you and kept it between us, that would have been the professional thing to do. Since I was not singled out, I should have just kept quiet. I apologize for my post, and did not intend for it to cause you to want to leave. I think a good way for me to end this post is to reflect on a small book called the one minute manager. It basically says.... you have a half minute to correct, and a half minute to praise, and in that order.

You are very correct, that if the forum becomes a place where all we read is "that's great, keep up the good work, really enjoyed this piece" it will mean nothing, and nobody will learn anything. Learning is certainly a benefit of reading this forum, but also it's a great place to get some positive reinforcement.

Anyway, let's shake hands and move on.

Dan

**Joseph Burrell** · 03-10-2005, 01:34 PM

Terry, don't feel stepped on. Your concerns are certainly with merit and I can understand them. However, there are others that feel differently and their opinion is valued as well. Maybe this is something best handled outside of the forum on a personal level with those individuals in question since I don't thinks its best to be confrontational for the world to see. You are certainly a valued member of this forum as are any member. In this digital world it is easy to forget that there is a human being on the other end of the line who has feelings and emotions and those are not to be taken for granted.

This community lives and breaths based on the continued activity of its members and hopefully there's a middle ground where everyone can be happy and feel the full benefit of this place.

And kudos to the members that formed the GPO Acadamy idea. I look forward to my first lessons.