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I love real books. However, our venerable 270-year-old Library, with its atmosphere of a bygone era, is not where I expected to find inspiration for a social media project—even one related to books.
First, a bit of background. Years ago, I wrote a brief, informal history/walking tour of musical sites in New York. It was an enjoyable experience. But, commemorative plaques, buildings, street signs, and such can change or vanish quickly, just as new ones spring up—and before long, the book was out of date. Doing a second edition occasionally crossed my mind, but that’s as far as it went. I had already turned to other projects.
When I met Tienya Smith, the subject came up by pure chance. She enthusiastically suggested updating the book—not in print form but in a blog and photos via Instagram—an effective way to keep information current. Her point was a good one.
We talked again at a Library event, and she asked if I’d considered the idea. I agreed that it was a fine and intriguing thought, but social media wasn’t my strong suit. She then graciously offered to get me started.
Tienya guided me through setting up an account and identifying myself as a music writer. She suggested browsing to see what was out there and analyzing all facets of what I had discovered. After guiding me through a test post and ways to caption a photo, she urged me to continue exploring and to contact her with any questions. Soon, I was immersed in the wide world of cyberspace. It brought surprising revelations and, also, raised substantial questions.
I browsed through many music, music writer, city landmark, and related sites. The variety was far more expansive than I’d imagined. There was a piano teacher with an energetic mix of pictures, reels, narratives and links that opened my eyes to how well-presented posts can be helpful and meaningful. A classical radio station featured unique innovations in performance. A pair of photographers focused on smaller, often forgotten city sites. (Was there any musical connection in their pasts? Yes! I discovered two already.) My explorations continued—music magazines, concert halls, museums, history buffs, performers.
When I looked back at my original book, so much had changed—not just some sites but, also, the world. From apps to podcasts and more, people are less apt to be strolling with a physical guidebook in hand. I’d changed, too. Instead of just updating my former book, I now wanted to take a broader look at the topic of musical sites and maybe expand this to include other locations. I wanted to enjoy the exploration, informally share this with others and, perhaps, discover a new print book idea along the way.
As intriguing as all of this was, it also raised questions—from proper length of the commentary to organization of the posts. Rights and permissions for use of certain materials and photos especially needed to be considered—even if the photos were now informally taken with my cellphone. And in the vast world of the internet, guidelines for this seemed hazy at best.
