I'll say it again.
I'm gonna miss #fedivision more than I can say. đź’”
It was a rare space where for a short time it was actually possible to get yourself heard without constantly having to show off.
For an introvert like me, it was a lifeline. People found my songs, listened, and appreciated them. I even made #2 twice – something I never expected.
But it wasn’t about winning. It was about being heard. And now that space is gone.
Thanks to everyone who made it happen. Truly.
Without #fedivision (and following that, #RFF) I would never have connected with the musician community on here and my life would be significantly different.
It's not often you can point at something and say "that was genuinely life-changing", but this is one of them.
Yeah RFF was great also; but somehow it never got me the same feeling, I don't even know why that is. Maybe because it demanded more action from the artist, or at least that's how it felt to me.
I got one or two tracks in the comfy channel but I seldom got any feedback. With fedivision it was a whole other thing.
I guess it was more about me making connections outbound, as much as anyone connecting inwards - I got a bit of feedback from tracks on the radio but only very occasionally. No-one really listens to my stuff, right? :)
It was much more about discovering the other artists out there and connecting with them, finding that we're all similar in some ways, that it's not unusual to be doing what I was trying to do.
Finding a community where I feel welcome, as much as anything.
yes, exactly… discovering that there are more guys like you guys 🤣
…and at the same time not being forced to. It was all just a big, nice, carefree game, with the listening parties and all ❤️
The last run showed that it couldn't have gone on. There are *fans* of my music who didn't realize that I participated at all because my entry was buried somewhere at the end of the playlist.
But for a while it was really nice, and I really wish we still had something like this.
Well.. I hesitate to say this.. but I think that's what BonkWave has become for a bunch of us.
The listening parties for each release are a great way to build that camaraderie and have fun.
It's a bit more insular than Fedivision but not intentionally so, and we are continually growing and adapting with every release.
It also removes any competitive aspect - everyone's just supportive - there's no need for winners.
I also hesitate to say it because I don't want to come across as someone who always needs to grumble, and there's quite obviously a lot of marvelous stuff… but somehow I never warmed to BonkWave. I know what it is (not! ;-)) but I've always had my problems marching under a banner, even if it's a non-banner.
Yeah that old complicated anti mind of me.
Just putting music out there and people hear it and take it for what it is, that's my dream… ;-)
(that said, I have some tracks for the offline album that sound decidedly bonkwavish to me… ;-))
Well, no single thing is likely to work for everyone. but I see "BonkWave" more as just a community-run record label these days, as much as anything else.
@keefmarshall @stephan @announce
The community is the thing, and RFF, FediVision and bonkwave (and not bonkwave) are the three (and a half) pillars of the community. I still pinch myself some days.
