Why few professionals on TH?

[kehaulani]

Why do we have so few professional players on this site and what can we do to attract them back?

But before we proceed, let me state that there are "amateur" players who play at a professional level, so I don't mean to demean anyone. But professionals are generally goal-oriented. They just want to know what are the best options for them and then they move to other things which are more pressing.

Most professional on TH are also merchants. Not sure there are many professional who aren't and not sure they would be here if they weren't.

Some possibilities:
*redundant threads.
*quibbling over minutiae that don't really have practical use.
*repeating things they have no personal experience with; i.e. "urban myths".
*to gearhead oriented.
*no substantial discussions on musical themes.
*threads that make too big a departure from the OP question.

Anything else?
And what can we do to attract them back?
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
"I wouldn't play like Wynton Marsalis even if I could play like Wynton Marsalis." Attributed to Chet

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet

[JayKosta]

I think most people who are active on TH are here for 2 main reasons -
1) what they can get
2) what they want to give

As far as attracting more pro players or teachers, what would they see as the benefit?

And would they be willing to tolerate the occasional 'questioning' that occurs.

Kitchen heat, etc.
_________________
Most Important Note ? - the next one !
KNOW (see) what the next note is BEFORE you have to play it.
PLAY the next note 'on time' and 'in rhythm'.
Oh ya, watch the conductor - they set what is 'on time'.

[LittleRusty]

[cbtj51]

[Tom LeCompte]

I thgink you need to better clarify the difference between "professionals", who you want, and the "good amateurs", who you seem to think we have enough - or too many - of.

The number of full-time trumpet positions that do not require teaching is small: in the hundreds surely.

How many "good amateurs" are there? Figure 20,000 pro" trumpets are sold per year. Probably more. Twice that? Five times that? Ten times that?

If 1% or maybe 2% of your "good amaterus" are "real pros", I'd expect TH to be 1-2% "real pros". Why would you expect more?

[nltrumpet]

This isn’t related entirely to pros, but some people stopped coming to the site when the mods cracked down on the mudslinging many years ago (post-audition complaints come to mind). Akin to watching NASCAR for the wrecks instead of the winners.

I think the change is good with less toxicity in that and in other veins. But that’s part of it.

More related to the topic, I’d say a possible reason is from the rise of other social media, namely Facebook. While I wouldn’t say what TH and Facebook offer is 1-to-1, there are some active trumpet-related groups on the site, and many big trumpet names are easy to find and send private messages to. Compare that to TH’s older forum-style of website, and I think many people find FB more convenient, at least enough to scratch the online trumpet itch for some. I’d say the pros who contribute most to the forum are generally older ones.

[LaTrompeta]

My guess:

1) The "Pros" probably don't have time
2) The "Pros" have a reputation to maintain
3) The "Pros" feel insulted when random Joe Blow mudslings at them
_________________
Please join me as well at:
https://trumpetboards.com

[kehaulani]

Regarding the name callers, if you're a professional, you've probably worked with, or for, some of the biggest A-holes in the business. Do you really think they would shy away from a few name-callers if there were more high-value reasons for continuing on TH?
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
"I wouldn't play like Wynton Marsalis even if I could play like Wynton Marsalis." Attributed to Chet

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet

[cbtj51]

[LittleRusty]

[stuartissimo]

[cbtj51]

For those late to the party, this is but one example of a most valued departure from TH:

[mafields627]

"...Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you." (Matthew 7:6) It's a bit out of context, but sums it up nicely.

If I were a pro and could have a nice group text with other pros, or post here where just about anything they post will get shredded by pro-am keyboard jockeys....well, I know where I would go. I've often thought that the moderation was not thorough or tough enough, but that's not my call.
_________________
--Matt--

No representation is made that the quality of this post is greater than the quality of that of any other poster. Oh, and get a teacher!

[kehaulani]

Since I originated this, maybe I'll add some thoughts.

I've very seldom seen posts where a poster attacked others outright. Yes, some silly statements but almost no outright aggression or insulting posts. There is one poster who I think is too blunt, but that's only one. And I can deal with that.

What I do see are posts that just outright ignore the OP topic and spiral into neverland. And topics that spiral into minutiae that have little practical value, ignoring the forest for the trees. And, perhaps most obvious, is the almost total absence of meaty musical content.

As is pointed out, I guess a working professional just doesn't have time for this.
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
"I wouldn't play like Wynton Marsalis even if I could play like Wynton Marsalis." Attributed to Chet

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet

[Voltrane]

« Even if I could play like Wynton Marsalis, I wouldn't play like Wynton Marsalis."
I really wonder why Mr Marsalis does not post on TH…

_________________
S’il n’en reste qu’un je serai celui là (Victor Hugo)
Je m’empresse d’en rire de peur d’avoir à en pleurer (Beaumarchais)

[LittleRusty]

Fwiw, my post about being insulted is not a theory. The two pros l listed, one repair, one a player, explicitly stated it. As have other pros. I seem to remember insults flying around when dizzie’s horns were being sold off and drove off the person(s) associated with the sale.

[kehaulani]

That's my experience.

And Voltrane, if Wynton had a desire to post here, he's been around enough to make that "Chet" comment roll off his back. And right or wrong, he could probably destroy me, so I don't think that's the issue.

I get back to the issues and they are of substance, and of irrelevant quibbling, and self-appointed "experts".
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
"I wouldn't play like Wynton Marsalis even if I could play like Wynton Marsalis." Attributed to Chet

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet

[LaTrompeta]

As a forum owner myself, I have come to a profound realization:

You can't please everybody.
_________________
Please join me as well at:
https://trumpetboards.com

[LittleRusty]

[A.N.A.Mendez]

If they have any spare time they would use it for practice.
_________________
"There is no necessity for deadly strife" A. Lincoln 1860

☛ "No matter how cynical you get, it's never enough to keep up" Lily Tomlin☚