Let the music play!

Times have been pretty busy here at Asni: Multimedia - not just with web design work, but various other projects. I have been working on some illustrations, designing next year's calendars to sell in my online shop, planning my trip to Europe in June, and harvesting large quantities of apples and walnuts from my garden.

In amongst all that, I do occasional still find time to do some work on my own website. The main task at the moment is to bring the old part of my website, which was originally intended to promote my work as a musician, up to scratch. Quite the undertaking, for this part of the website has been growing like a fungus for the past eight or nine years. Weeding is as much part of the job of running a website, as it is in the garden!

The obvious thing to do for a site which is intended to promote a musician, is to put on some music clips. I used to have audio files for download on the site, but these days this seems like a very clumsy and old fashioned way of doing things. So this past month, I've been busy developing my very own flash music player, which enables me to offer music streaming, for instant listening gratification. No more twiddling your fingers until that download finishes!

So far, I have completed the page with music samples from my most recent CD, "Travels in Middle-earth", which you can listen to here. - the other CDs will follow suit eventually.

Please note that this is an application which I have developed from scratch, and if you have ever programmed a computer, you will know that things never quite work the way they were intended, for everyone, in every browser and operating system, instantaneously and without protracted testing. I have already spent a month fixing up things in response to feedback from various people for whom it was not quite working as intended - as far as I am aware, it should be perfectly operational now, but if you do experience a problem, PLEASE LET ME KNOW ABOUT IT. It always surprises me how many people assume that they're probably just to stupid to operate a computer, when something does not work, instead of yelling at the web designer to fix things. We do need to be yelled at. It's the only way we can spot if something doesn't work.

Moreover, I have also just signed a digital distribution contract for this album with CDBaby.com - so if you like what you hear, you can download a couple of tracks, or indeed the whole album, for a moderate amount of money, here. I promise to report on how this goes for me, sometime in a future blog post!

Asni: Multimedia Art & Design:: http://webdesign.asni.net :: http://www.asni.net

A word on my own behalf

I shall make this a short note today, mainly because I feel a bit cranky. Tomorrow is the last day to sign up for the "Online Promotion for Everyone" classes at the Featherston Community Centre, starting on Tuesday (for more information, dates and times please go here )

So far, 2 - in words, two - people have signed up. A third said she was interested, but eventually told me that she thought it was too much money. Now, to state such a thing about a professional training course which, to keep it accessible, is held in a community evening course format and costs 12 dollars a session, quite frankly, I find that a little rude.

Perhaps next time I should book the Grand Mariott Hotel and send out shiny emails with bland promises every thinking person should know no one can keep, and charge a hundred dollars for the two hour session? Would that create more of a perception of value, and attract more people? We have a saying in Germany which comes to mind, something about pearls and where to throw them, but it's not flattering, so I might just want to omit it here.

The secret is, there is no secret. The internet is a tool - and a very powerful tool - but you have to learn how to use it in order to make it work for you. And you have to invest the time to go online and figure things out yourself. Find sites. Get involved in online communities. Meet people. Buy things. Sell things. Share things. Comment on things. Pass things on to others.

There is no "magic formula". But there is a whole new set of social rules, and it helps to be aware of them if one wants to venture out there and make the most of it. There is also a whole grand cyberverse of new opportunities, but if you do not engage, they will pass you by. It's everyone's own choice. Every one of you. But some offers are limited in time, and this will have been the last time I offer my classes at the Featherston Community Centre, for 12 dollars a session

Asni: Multimedia Art & Design:: http://webdesign.asni.net :: http://www.asni.net