It's been a wonderful ride...
One year and "4" months ago I started Rogue and Poet with the idea of promoting "local" musicians and artists. I felt there was a need for a website to chronicle the Rogue Valleys artist community and that such a website could become popular and even profitable. I figured that it would take me a year to make any significant income from the site but I believed…
Creating the website has been fun on a number of levels. I really like to write - I like the technical challenge of "coding" the site - I love that the site has been well received by everyone who has ventured by - and I love that the site has given me the opportunity to get to know so many of the area's artists and musicians. Because of my work on the site I've come to feel like I'm part of the areas artistic community and that I've become friends with so many.
All that said I must now tell you that I've decided to end Rogue and Poet. Several factors have weighed in on my decision. Summer is approaching and I learned last year that when it's warm and light outside it's just a drag to feel like I "must" go inside and stare at a computer screen. Also a few months back I got involved in a band with my good friend Don Howell and my wife Heidi and that's eating up a ton of my time. And lastly in the year and four months I've run Rogue and Poet I've incomed a whopping $115.00 total dollars. That's donations from "2" people - an area poet and an area guitarist. I could continue the site on limited hours but if I can't do it to a level I can be proud of it's probably best to just let it go. Hard as that is...
So the bottom line for me is that I no longer believe that I can develop a sustainable income source from Rogue and Poet. At 6 -10 hours per week I simply can't see putting that much time into it. Please don't be angry with me for this decision. I feel like I gave this project a good shot but at this point I feel that I've failed to turn it into something that I can continue to do - it's just not a sensible option.
Lastly, I've got no blame to throw around, that's pointless. I simply haven't been able to turn this into an enterprise that is viable enough to justify continuing. I've got a lot of people who've helped to push and promote this site, to them my apologies and I ask for your understanding. I'm not going to take the site completely down immediately but my attention must move to other priorities.
Big News
Just in from all the guys from The Mixers. Their new CD Double Down comes out this week. The CD cover is pictured below (cover photo by Sammie Orton of Greater Works Photogrphy) and...
Click here to order your copy of Double Down
The "Jam Scene"
How's this for cool - The amazing Dennis Hardesty spends the weekend at the coast and still finds a way to report on the local jam scene...
Click Here for this weeks "Jam Scene" report
Does this make us Alley Cats? - No Pinhead - Meow...
The "cats" - the House Cats that is - are at Donnelly's Sports Bar and Grill (Lava Lanes in Medford) Saturday night February 20. Go prowl with the guys...
Thunderridge presents!!!!
The Brinkerhoff's are at it again - doing their part to bring great musicians to us. From Al and Deb…
Hi you guys! (feel free to forward to anyone interested!)
"Joe Craven" is solo-touring through the area--on his way to the renowned-award winning Wintergrass festival later that week--he'll be popping by to entertain folks as he goes!--
I've included a link below that describes the outstanding--unique--NOT ENOUGH WORDS TO DESCRIBE Joe Craven----please let us know that you can attend
NOTE: UPDATE! Joes show will be at 10821 Galice Road 7pm (Joe cant get here earlier!!!) about 2 miles beyond the Taylor Creek Road turnoff to our ranch
This is at the little Galice Association Community Hall--a historic one room school house type of setting--once upon a tme a general store during the pioneer era of Galice. Its a straight shot down Merlin Galice Road--if you get to the Galice store you've gone too far----there's plenty of parking around the building and across from the front--in a real big "turnout"... you'll see the cars---
Sunday, February 21st 6pm check his web site link:
www.joecraven.com/Joe_Craven/WELCOME.html
Stuff...
This month the Willamette writers are meeting on Saturday the 13th in Central point at the
City Hall Council Chambers. The morning session is free to members, $5.00 for non-members, and starts at 9:30. This months speaker is Author Melissa Hart. Melissa is a contributing editor to The Writer Magazine. Her memoirs The Assault of Laughter was published in 2005 and Gringa: A Contradictory Girlhood was recently published in October of 2009.
The AFTERNOON SESSION is $30.00 - Preregister by sending an email with your name to valerie62@charter.net or call Valerie Foster at 541-621-8587. This session will cover characterization, plot, setting and theme.
and ...
Last Dec. 12th at Pacifica (The old Steve Miller compound which is now the
Dragon Family Foundation) a big show was planned, country and bluegrass players and poets were all lined up - then the show had to be postponed due to an
ice storm. Well the show was moved to Sunday February 14th starting at 2 P.M. The same list of performers will be there to entertain with Country, Cowboy, and Folk music along with a bit of poetry. Drinks and maybe some goodies will be available from the Hidden Valley High School Equestrian team. Hope to see y'all there. For more information please feel free to call Butch Martin at 541-218-2477
A Rogue and Poet welcome...
I want to acquaint you with Dan Doshier - and his business Off the Wall Music in Central Point. Dan offers a wonderful collection of new and used equipment. He loves to deal with vintage instruments and he really knows his stuff. I met Dan at a "jam" out at Thunderridge ranch - and I can attest the man is an astounding songwriter. You might have caught him locally playing in his band Dandelion Jo
Anyway, stop by his shop - you'll be able to find some interesting instruments and gear and you'll probably be handed a guitar and find yourself jammin'.
Something "NEW"
I've always want a comic strip or cartoon for this site and thanks to poet and now cartoon creator Glen Graves I've got one. I would love to highlight a local cartoonist weekly. So - send them if you've got them!!!
Music Video of the Week
I was in Larry's Music in Grants Pass and the guys showed me this video from local studs Dry Season man this is good - really good.
Slideshow of the Week
These great photo's from area photographer Howard Cook will remind us just how beautiful the Rogue Valley and Oregon coast are. Howard also has the ability to print photo's in large format... very cool
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I made a trade with Larry's Music I get a nice ad in their bi-weekly newsletter - and I get this nifty "flash" for my website. What's really cool is that you can click on the items in this and buy them right here - right now!
Thousands of cool items available
Site Changes
Over the past month I can boast a number of notable changes occurring here on Rogue and Poet. The biggest change is that Heidi (the wife) has decided to join forces with me and in doing so she has taken on the Fine Arts - Dance and Local Theatre Calendars to great result. The fact that she is a graphics whiz doesn't hurt either.
Also "NEW" is what I've done with the Poetry Page and "Poets in particular. Presently we are featuring a Poem of the Week and all contributing poets get a page of their own on which their contributions are posted.
Also "NEW" is we've added a "FORUM". I have long felt we needed a place for musicians to find one another and I hope this forum becomes that place.
I'm starting to get nibbles from advertisers and "Sellers". That means that over the next few months you should see a lot more stuff showing up in the sidebars: Ads for businesses - and ads for stuff the site is selling. I'm also discovering that I need to find new ways to keep interesting stuff available. Some of the reviews I've done - some of the slideshows that have been posted - these are things that should have some shelf life. I'm not sure how I'm going to do this yet but look for info and changes in that direction shortly.
One other note is that soon I need to get flyers out. Local artists have found Rogue and Poet but now I need to put much more emphasis on the "locals" finding the website. Any thing you can do from your end will help; give me links on your websites, or just spread the word.
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