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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
 Posted - 06/08/2005 : 07:25:30 AM
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Aloha,
Karl Monetti, the Alaskan slacker, and I have been trying to do a live webcam kanikapila via the internet. Since we both have Macs, he thoughtfully loaned me an (expensive) iSight camera, which is a Mac web cam that works with iChat software.
There were some technical problems and I had to get high-speed service at home my house first. We finally got online last Monday, but we found his internet service to his house, 12 miles from North Pole, Alaska, wasn't quite fast enough to maintain the connection and Karl joked that a moose must have tripped over the wire. He's researching his options for getting better service.
But while we were on (for three minutes or so), it was great! He had hoped that we could play together in realtime, but there is a slight delay, both in the picture and sound. In audio only mode, we were pretty close together. It was easy to just play songs for each other, allowing each other to see each other's fingers playing the notes.
Additionally, if more people have conferencing capabilities, more than two can join a group to try to convene a virtual song circle.
Has anyone else tried this? It is fun to hear another style of play, another repertoire and just to chat and play slack key with someone else.
Jesse Tinsley
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Lawrence
Ha`aha`a
USA
1597 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2005 : 4:09:43 PM
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Great idea - I know that Dave Barry and his band, The Rock Bottom Remainders, which includes Amy Tan, and Steven King (all are authors) play together over the internet. Dave is in Miami area and Amy is in SF area, etc.
We tried a lower bandwidth version, which was to sent a track out (Like Slack Tracks) to everyone who wanted to play, and they would send it back with their track added. KonaBob was actually the only one to send a track back out of the 20 or so "volunteers". I also got a local talent (Hiram Bell) to add some tracks, but there has been no attempt to send anything out again.
This wide-band video supported version seems much more immediate and possibly even more fun. Now how do you get 8-10 folks all hooked up? Some sort of Web-Meeting thing I suppose?
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Mahope Kākou...
...El Lorenzo de Ondas Sonoras |
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Fingerpickin
Lokahi
117 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2005 : 4:25:26 PM
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What a great idea, Jesse.
The potential is huge, however, the technical challenges are vast. Webcams are jumpy and "slow" relative to real time, even on broadband connections.
I suspect this will change soon, however, and it is possible that we could all attend, say, the Maui or Molokai slack key camps remotely!
How great would it be to take a class from George or Led from 2,000 miles away? Just fire up the laptop and off you go.
Very cool idea, and one that should be realized in the not-to-distant future.
-Lance |
"Hey Lance, try watch." -Ozzie |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2005 : 4:54:38 PM
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While waiting for the technical challenges to be overcome, I have been sending Karl mini movies of me playing a few songs. A two-minute movie of a song compresses down to about 2 mb which can be easily emailed. It's a fun way to learn a new song by seeing it played, not just hearing it.
If anyone else is interested in this, let me know and I'll send out a movie or two and see what people think.
Jesse Tinsley |
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Bwop
Lokahi
USA
244 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2005 : 5:36:16 PM
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Aloha kakou!
E Jesse, like I wouldn't like some movie of you doing dat Jesse ting.... But as far as this "virtual" idea, I'm sorry, but I tink we no "virtual". We're organic beings on a phenomological planet in "real" time, and if we want to play together, we need to play together. This is a serious drawback for those geographically disinclined, I realize. But it does underscore the immediacy of what kine communication happens in "pa'ani". My two sense. |
Bwop |
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Keone
Akahai
50 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2005 : 7:09:47 PM
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Hey Jesse and Karl,
I think the internet playing is a great option for those geographically challenged by a lack of instructors or players nearby. I also agree wouldn't it be great to have an instruction over the internet? I know several universities teach classes this way and I have even attended some "webinars" which were pretty much real time. In fact, Reid and I just brought this idea up with Peter Medeiros because he has a lot of material he's put down for his University of Hawaii Slack Key course. (he said he would consider it but he's gong to work on his book first btw). Anyhoot, keep trying I would be interested in see some video Jesse (I'll shoot you an email) and if I ever get a MAC I'll let you know.
Mahalo,
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Keone |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2005 : 8:40:41 PM
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Although I am kind of a song circle hog, I enjoy the process of just sitting and watching someone else play, so the video exchange idea works well for me. Karl has sent me a couple videos and he's trying to work out bugs in his camera so he can send me more.
Karl and I spent an hour online tonight (I've never met him, btw) and between audio and video dropouts lasting 5-15 seconds, he played some songs for me and vice versa. We were able to just chat about songs and artists we like. Because of the congested internet and the dropouts we experienced, I don't think a group online realtime class is possible yet. But short visits and emailed videos are a lot of fun.
I'll send videos clips (up to 2mb in size) to anyone who wants to see what you can do with a simple web cam. I don't play anyone's particular arrangement in the videos, I just figure out my own take on the song and then sing and play it into a webcam movie. They are in Quicktime format (.mov). You don't need a Mac to watch these or make your own, just a webcam ($30-$100) and a mic ($5-$25) and a program to record it. Most video software will do that, including Microsoft Moviemaker, I think, which is in Windows XP.
Jesse Tinsley
BWOP: phenomological...huh? |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 06/09/2005 : 09:45:35 AM
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Guess i should put in my two cents.
I triend to interest someone, anyone, last year when i first got these cameras. No takers at that time. I tried to get Bobby Moderow on Oahu, and though he was willing, he had no access to high speed macs at the time. RJS sent me some videos he had made in an instructional format, and they were helpful, but just that...video instructionals that we already know about. The problem with them is the lack of interplay with the instructor, the time lag betsween production and the user, and they get "old" afer you hear them or learn the songs well. (BTW, the first song on RJS's first video, Johnny's Bounce, written for his dad, is a great little piece, well worth the cost of the video)
What i was really after was a to get inside somone's home, inside their life (like i did with a lesson with Bobby M. in '97...it was a great experience, besides the lesson i got), to get the FEEL of slack key, the ESSENCE of what the songs were about, and some real time, or close to real time interplay with the instructor. Sort of like the kanikapila at Auntie Nancy's last month (thanks again, Nancy). We all just sat around, played for and with eachother,and had a great time.
But then i met Jesse via TP, and our situations seemed to be similar so now we can see eachother and communicate fairly nicely. The movies he is talkiing about are really great...a wonderful way to share music. It is also a great way to get to know someone better. You know how you get a mental picture of someone from their posts, but these iChat conferences and/or the video movies let you see who you are dealing with. What a pleasant surprise to see and hear Jesse sing and play. Who knows, we may find out that BWOP has hair, Gordon doesn't, Sarah is tall and thin, Reid short and fat, wdf (well, enough of you already know Dusty to know what he looks like), and that I am only 3'6", 83lb, jet black hair, 8 years old, sing like a bird (emu) and can't really play a lick.
So, if any of you get the urge to see and hear Jesse, by all means, take him up on it. And, if you have a way to make these Quicktime movies yourselves, please avail the rest of us of them...I am sure we would all love to get to know eachother better, learn more music, share more. At least that is what i got on here for, and i have not been disappointed.
Still have some bugs to work out as far as the video conferencing, perhaps a problem with my high- speed-but-wireless connection at home. But, even with our patchy interplay last night, it is a real hoot to do. Once i get the problem solved at my end, i am sure i will be very happy with the results.
We will keep you posted. |
Karl
Frozen North |
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koaguitarman
Aloha
USA
19 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2005 : 06:49:48 AM
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Jesse
You have some email.
Russ |
Russ |
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