Welcome to Song Contest 100!
You know, I've been thinking lately about the purpose of the song contest. I haven't been here long -- by now I might have spent more time as the mod than as a participant -- but something about the contest just pulled me in. Was it the opportunity to get validation from others that the music I like is good? Was it a way to get a chance to interact with other users on the site without playing mafia? A way to discover new music?
I'm not entirely sure. Often we don't fully understand our own motivations.
But the song contest has not only drawn me in, it's kept me in. And the more I think about it, the more I realize that the song contest is just a unique opportunity.
That's because it's the only place I've ever seen where you get to really challenge yourself to learn more about music by exploring what other people like. You can ask other people what they like, but you're not going to get 26 doses at once. You can look up the most popular albums of the year, but that doesn't point you toward the best tracks, and it leaves you with an overwhelming amount of material to listen to.
And the diversity of music is pretty fantastic. In my relatively brief time participating I've listened to eastern European folk music, old school rap, several genres of electronica, metalcore, jazz, classic rock, pop and some things that just didn't fit into genres. I may not like it all, but I truly appreciate the opportunity to go through all those different kinds of music and feel like I know a little more about the enormous world of music.
So I just want to say thank you to everybody who kept the song contest going long before I got here, and everyone who continues to participate. Here's to 100 more.
I'm not entirely sure. Often we don't fully understand our own motivations.
But the song contest has not only drawn me in, it's kept me in. And the more I think about it, the more I realize that the song contest is just a unique opportunity.
That's because it's the only place I've ever seen where you get to really challenge yourself to learn more about music by exploring what other people like. You can ask other people what they like, but you're not going to get 26 doses at once. You can look up the most popular albums of the year, but that doesn't point you toward the best tracks, and it leaves you with an overwhelming amount of material to listen to.
And the diversity of music is pretty fantastic. In my relatively brief time participating I've listened to eastern European folk music, old school rap, several genres of electronica, metalcore, jazz, classic rock, pop and some things that just didn't fit into genres. I may not like it all, but I truly appreciate the opportunity to go through all those different kinds of music and feel like I know a little more about the enormous world of music.
So I just want to say thank you to everybody who kept the song contest going long before I got here, and everyone who continues to participate. Here's to 100 more.
--tool
