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a new year – beginning or end?

I’ve had this blog (it began as Daily Observations and was later named NobleViola) for a number of years now. I’m not sure where it should go from here. The numbers that I have harvested from Google Analytics are not encouraging for going forward.

Here are this year’s numbers:

Audience Overview - Google Analytics-142236

and here’s how they compare to last year:

Audience Overview - Google Analytics-142408

I need some feedback. Is what I do here worthwhile? What can I do to make it a place that more people will visit? Thanks, and Happy New Year!

26 replies on “a new year – beginning or end?”

Well, regardless of the number, I hope you continue to write in 2013 — even more if there’s a way to swing it.

As far as feedback on what to write about . . . your position in the orchestra and quartet gives you a vantage point into music-making that only a limited number of people have, so IMHO, anything related to that experience would be welcome.

Keep this blogging alive Charles! I’ve shared things you’ve written with many of my friends from conservatories and other orchestras, they have all enjoyed reading the things you have to say as have I. You have a way of reaching out to a variety of audiences, whether it be a musician/oso colleague, wannabe musician, audience member…it goes on and on. I’d be really sad to see this disappear.

On a happier note, happy 2013

Hey Charles! I always enjoy reading your blog posts, for what it’s worth. I hope you keep it up, I’ve learned a lot from you. You often end up answering questions I wouldn’t have even thought to ask. Happy New Year to you and Heather!

Hillary

Please continue to share your insights into OSO performances, guests artists, conductors and orchestra member reactions to programming. Insights that relate specifically to subscription concerts and artists enchance the performances for concert-goers.

I hope you keep blogging, Charles. I enjoy it and learn a lot from you. I’m a lay person, but volunteer at the AllClassical OSO table, love classical music, and love the symphony. Your insight into all aspects of that enhance my musical experiences!

I also hope you keep blogging! I look forward to reading about the goings on in Portland, and love hearing about the inner workings of the orchestra and chamber groups.

Please! Keep blogging! Your blogs have gotten Charles and myself to drive to Portland for more than one symphony concert. They are thoughtful, insightful, sometimes amusing and always heartfelt. For a person who loves attending symphony concerts, but is outside of the dynamics of the internal functioning, I find your posts intriguing and thought provoking. I have shared them often with family.

I would miss this blog very much — and I sit next to you almost every work day!

I don’t know what to make of the stats…Maybe you’ve got quality over quantity in your readership more and more? ;>) It’s still quite a few people tuning in, seems to me. Everything has its cycles, ups and downs, ebb and flow. You have a body of work built up, and that matters when events make you the go-to source for information or perspective. Still, it’s a lot of commitment to keep it up the way you have, and as your friend, I think you have to decide if continuing serves your life.

Disregard the numbers and just go forward, knowing that you have readers even in… Poland (sounds almost like Portland, but not quite it!). 😉

Best, J.

I am a symphony subscriber and look forward to your blog whether it relates to a concert or other.
I have learned much from reading this relating to music and musicians. Please don’t stop!

Couple thoughts –
* I’m wondering if the numbers reflect some other change in how people view the site (ie. I read the blog posts in google reader… not sure if subsequent views/reads get captured the same way).
* If you have the time and energy to keep it going – please do! Your blog is an essential connection between classical musicians and the community (local and global) in a time when this is essential to keep/bring classical music patrons/donors into the fold. The insider perspective on the OSO, chamber music and music as a profession is the special sauce that in-part pushed me to be more involved in the PDX music community.

i LOVE your blog & visit it nearly every day.

additionally, no one else slaps my cyber-wrist for overstepping the bounds of propriety with such good-natured grace as you, maestro charles! 🙂

keep on truckin’, muchacho, you are providing a valuable service to the music community.

Charles,
I assume you write in part because it gives you pleasure to do so and an outlet for your thoughts. I agree with Nancy: you have a significant number of people reading the blog and year to year changes may not tell you very much. I used to be a casual reader of a lot more blogs than I check regularly today, so I’ll extrapolate from my little market research pool of one person and suggest we are using the internet in a more focused and meaningful manner. Certainly your respondents find what you write to be informative and written from a singular perspective that they find valuable. So please carry on!

I wouldn’t take your Google numbers as the last word… I’d ask what my engagement was like overall: comments, Facebook, Twitter, Arnica, etc. Did that seem to go down during 2012? If so, part of the reason may be simply that it was an election year, sapping attention from the arts and other things. And if not, then don’t mess with success, no matter what the analytics report!

For just selfish reasons, I hope you keep it going, but if you DO decide to stop the blog (and even if you don’t), we’d love to have your thoughts on Oregon ArtsWatch!

I read your blog every day and find it very valuable, because it provides insight into a myriad of issues that many of us don’t know a thing about. I hope that you continue your work. If each of us (16,400+ unique viewers), sent you ten dollars, that would provide an extra incentive.

Think of 2012 as the quartet concert you put a lot of time into, and only 40 people showed up. You still got a lot out of it, and didn’t think twice about whether or not you’d do it again! Plus, I bet all the hoopla surrounding the Carnegie trip in 2011 did something for the numbers. In any case, keep it comin’ my man…I enjoy knowing what’s keeping you up at night. 🙂

Yes, Charles, please keep up the blog. You are among the very few who have a broad knowledge of Portland’s musical life, plus are able to keep up with national stories of interest. Badly needed here. Thanks for all the effort!

Charles, hi,

I very much enjoy your blog, particularly your insights about upcoming OR Symphony concerts and other around town performances, Arnica Quartet, Parallel 45, Mousai Remix, et al. I like as well your musings about classical musicians and the life of. Given that I am not a musician I always enjoy the “peak behind the curtain”so to speak of a professional musician’s life. Numbers alone do not indicate quality or influence.

Please keep it going, thanks – Mark Koenigsberg

Hi Charles! Please, do keep writing! I’ve found this blog to be a wonderful combination of informative and delightful to read, and have tried my best to diligently keep over the last couple of years. I would echo Jess’ comment in that I have shared your writings with fellow music students, and they are very valuable to me and others as up and comers. Despite what any numbers may say, a great many of us would suffer a terrible blow if you were not to keep up the blog. Please keep it up! Happy New Year!

I’m only relatively recently aware of your blog, Charles, but I immediately appreciated the quality of it. The other comments show that you have devoted readers. I’m sure the brevity of some visits is at least partly due to people like me who check in to see if there is a new entry, but move on in a matter of seconds if not. Every writer craves a broader audience, but one of modest size that is as engaged as yours is shouldn’t be underestimated!

The existential questions, of course, only you can answer. I don’t know if you write more “for yourself” or “for others,” or whether the reasons you began writing still exist in your life. The future will always provide an endless supply of “current events” to comment on (various concerts, timely issues in the orchestra, etc.) — but the relevance of those posts inevitably goes down over time unless the musings are tied to underlying principles or trends. I have personally enjoyed your writings on more general subjects for this reason. You have the professional and multi-disciplinary experience to tie broad themes together, and that type of writing is what tends to merit reading and re-reading.

In any case, good luck with your decision about which direction to go!

Please keep on blogging! Your posts are always insightful and give people like me on the other side of the Pond a fascinating view into the life of an American orchestral/chamber music player, not to mention that it is a great chance to keep up with what my friend Carlos is doing with his wonderful Oregonians.

In these difficult times for the arts I feel it is more important than ever that we reach out and communicate with our fellow musicians, audiences and inquisitive music lovers in any way we can.

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