Harmony Central – Why Forums…Why Now?

Harmony Central – Why Forums…Why Now?

There are so many other choices …

by Dendy Jarrett

Harmony Central just wrapped our sixth straight month of upward growth – big upward growth. We have you to thank for that. Our mission is to inspire people to make better music;  however,  you're also an inspiration to us!

Three years ago, Harmony Central returned to our core platform of vBulletin, much to the dismay of many who were concerned that vB had run its course and was done. We fielded hundreds of e-mails from people concerned that we should go with this platform or that platform, yet today many of those platforms are no longer supporting their communities. Meanwhile, vBulletin has continued to make improvements. We hope to be upgrading soon and enjoy some new features like live chat and social media integration.

But…why forums and why now? Certainly our communities took a big hit  when MySpace came on the scene and was further greatly impacted by Facebook. However, now we’re seeing people coming back in droves. Old-timers are reaching out who haven’t been to Harmony Central since 2010-2013, when some horrible platform changes would have destroyed HC had it not been for the community's loyalty. It’s kind of felt like a Harmony Central homecoming around here.

And why are they coming back? We'd like to think of Harmony Central as a large brain trust of music information—a shared knowledge base. If you do any participating on social media platforms, you realize that they are very much “here and now,” but don’t try to find the information in an hour or even tomorrow. With Harmony Central, the information is there and is easy to find later. The technical term is that social media like Facebook is dynamic and ever changing, but Harmony Central is dynamic and static. We make information easier to find, and answers to questions for people experiencing similar challenges or needs are readily available. You benefit from someone else’s experiences. Our content helps you learn how to make the most of the gear you own and make informed buying decisions so you can avoid costly and disappointing mistakes. Everything from "how do I string my guitar" to "how do I use my iPad to connect via MIDI"…we’re here for you.

But our core remains the community. Harmony Central is like a virtual city that’s packed with musicians. Everyone has an opinion, and they don’t all resonate with everyone. Like in any big city, you can find just about anything...and in this city, that all relates to your love of making music.

If you haven’t visited Harmony Central in a while and are having a challenge finding the door, please know that we’re here for you. Reach out to us here and we can help restore your account. Perhaps you want to change your user name or clean up some post you made in 2007. We’re here for you.

Most important, our mission is to help inspire more and more people to make better music. So if you haven’t visited your old stomping grounds in a while, come on by. We’ve left a light on for you - and your very own PA to the world is waiting to hear what you want to say.

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Dendy Jarrett is the Publisher and Director of Harmony Central. He has been heavily involved at the executive level in many aspects of the drum and percussion industry for over 25 years and has been a professional player since he was 16. His articles and product reviews have been featured in InTune Monthly, Gig Magazine, DRUM! and Modern Drummer Magazines.