gwscheer said
please define Streetjelly Fiddlefest; thread presupposes knowledge of previous event

gws

Thanks for asking this, @gwscheer . There are probably new members who weren't around for the first StreetJelly Fiddlefest back in August. So, here's a recap:

StreetJelly is a site where musicians can perform live for an on-line audience for free. All you need is a webcam and microphone. Some StreetJelly performers use their computer's built-in camera and mic, and some have more elaborate set-ups with HD cameras and professional mics. It really doesn't matter...just use what you have.

Folks on SteetJelly are very friendly and supportive. The site owner doesn't tolerate any nastiness or heckling. So, musicians of all skill levels should feel comfortable performing there. It's great experience for the real thing.

As a bonus, viewers can tip (via PayPal) performers that they enjoy and award them "rocker pins."

If you check out StreetJelly, you'll notice that most of the performers are guitar players. Well, in August, some of us fiddlers took over for a couple of hours in a Fiddlefest that was organized by @Barry . It seemed to be very well received, so another Fiddlefest is in the works for Saturday, November 22nd.

The hope is that this Fiddlefest will continue all day, not just a couple of hours. It's being promoted on other fiddle forums and Facebook, and will be promoted on StreetJelly.

Don't let that intimidate you! We need many fiddlers to participate and all skill levels are welcome!

I hope that explanation is helpful and I hope many Fiddlerman.com members will join in the fun.

VickieD said
Thanks all for the comments about using the sheet. The Streetjelly Fiddlefest sounds fun so I'm going to see if I can visit the wizard for some courage. CPO - I don't have any special equipment either - only my laptop with a webcam and built in mic so I'm not sure how that will sound. If I don't make this one I'll be there to cheer others on and seriously plan for the next one.

@VickieD : If you watch some StreetJelly shows, you'll notice that even some of the best performers are looking at something when they play. Guitarists are probably looking at cheat sheets that have the lyrics with chords written above. You'll even see some appear to be flipping through pages looking for the next song.

If you do use sheet music, my tip would be to make sure it's no more than two pages...three at the most, if you can fit it on a music stand. That will eliminate the need to stop and flip pages, making for a smoother performance.

But, then, you've probably already thought of that.

So, I should explain how the Fiddlefest will work. If you want to participate, go to StreetJelly.com and schedule your performance for Nov. 22. Look at the board on the home page to see who has already scheduled performances and try to find an empty time slot.

Even though there can be more than one show at any given time on StreetJelly, I think the idea behind Fiddlefest is to have consecutive, not concurrent, shows. I suppose if enough fiddlers join in, however, we might have to have some shows going on at the same time.

If you're not familiar with StreetJelly, it might be a good idea to view a few shows by other people to get a sense of how the site works.

You'll need to sign up for an account in order to broadcast. You can test your equipment without actually broadcasting. Just click Broadcast at the top of the screen, then click the Test button. It's definitely a good idea to do a test before your actual broadcast.

Hope that info helps!

Hey, nice job with the blog, Barry! It's great to see everyone's bios in one place. Looking forward to Fiddlefest II!