RIP NetNewMusic 2008-2010
it started off with such promise, a real online ‘clubhouse’ for an fiercely independent, eccentric, and highly opinionated art music community on the interwebs. throughout it’s short existence it’s become a cautionary tale for how new music social networks might be organized with some sense of shared vision.
as a founding member (and a very short-lived site admin) it became clear that the “my way or the high way” management style didn’t really mix well with the many unique and idiosyncratic personalities that an art music site attracts. over time NetNewMusic became a ghost town as less people were willing to be a party to the backstage drama and personal attacks by it’s founder jeff harrington.
the bottom line here is that we are all dealing with the limitations of one person running a social network based on their personal eccentricities and narcissistic traits.
these might be useful traits in an artist, but they don’t lend themselves to running a social network.
i think we all owe jeff a lot for the hard work he has put in promoting the new music community online, but his day to day management of NNM has made it impossible for many of us to participate.
the winners are already decided
after reading anne midgette’s washington post article Roll Over Beethoven about her new “alt-classical” genre i have a few bones to pick with with her description and logic.* besides mixing up the alt.classical genre with the alt.classical transcription bandwagon. (Alarm Will Sound’s Aphex Twin transcriptions and Christopher O’Riley’s Radiohead piano music) she tries then label [...]
