Do YOU GotCrowd?

A little while ago I ran into the most annoying of people on youtube. Of course the same was said about me, so the feeling was mutual. The run-in consisted of an argument about how good--or bad-- Celtic Thunder really was. If you're not familiar with the five piece vocal set of eclectic and multifaceted talents, you ought to (they do grow on you). I stood on the left side of the spectrum (as always) and she stood on the right in support of the quintet. I argued that there was little to nothing 'celtic' about their Thunder, but apparently simply being from Ireland or Scotland and having a decent voice makes you material to be famous...and Celtic...I know, dumb argument. But it happened.

A few weeks later I seceded to this individual on the grounds that she would listen to my music as well, and to my surprise she enjoyed it. Since then I downloaded the album off the Internet and also went on youtube to see all their videos (they have a lot). Since then they've grown on me and I recommend them to people who aren't as much into the folk music scene as I am (it takes a while if you've grown up on the Dubliners or Chieftains). This being said, it started a hilarious love-hate relationship of the oddest sorts, which in turn stemmed into my being the first official "World" musician on her new website GotCrowd.com

This hub is not about Celtic Thunder or about my rantings against the non-folk celtic music scene, but it's about this site. Obviously I use it, I already mentioned how I am the pioneer of the world music scene on it (and have been mildly successful as well). I also utilize the site for photography, writing fiction, and occasionally I comment on other peoples' art.

This is a small sample of what you will find on GotCrowd. This photo (taken by Sharon Stanko, all rights reserved) is a clip of the ocean coast at Myrtle Beach, SC. There are other works of photographic art on the site as well, including my own shots of Cape May Pointe. The site is fantastic for most people who are good at art. I have already said my success is limited mostly because I don't advertise and I'm not really all that good. This site offers some phenomenal photo work however and I suggest that fans of the art certainly check it out.

I'm not someone who sits down at GotCrowd and watches video incessantly. But for a healthy alternative to the monopoly called "Youtube" this offers some fresh perspective. There are indie flicks, music videos, and other small clips you can find here or there and make this site basically a one-stop shop for those recruiting potential camera gurus.

This part of the website is the most important in my opinion. Countless times I want to simply listen to musicians without have the distraction of video (don't we all?). This site offers great indie artists of all genre, but I personally enjoy the more folk-based styles. You'll hear live recordings, studio recordings, and probably something in between. For a sample, check out Bote's "Scolding Wife."

Overall GotCrowd.com offers multiple forms of exposure for the unexposed artist as well as numerous venues to display your talents, certainly if you have them. It's a clean, safe, navigable, and able-bodied site that has many selections to choose from and many routes to drive down. Basically, if you don't GotCrowd, this is your break.