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Like the circus, Hippiedog Produce will be coming into town as the opening act at the SxSE show Saturday night, November 7th at the Historic Train Depot in Myrtle Beach. 

Really Hippiedog Produce came about as just a name for the musical projects I do for video productions at the paper. It’s a name I use to place copyrights on the songs.

After I started doing the Common Chords blog and column for the paper I started getting the urge to perform again.

Later after a few live shows and charity instrument drives, I was asked to open the SxSE show featuring The Youngers.

I must say I’m nervous about this show and performing in front of a listening crowd, but I’ve decided to make it easier on myself and invite some real musicians to help me out.

My old buddy Don Wright from Eden will be joining me on the banjo and mandolins and Jeff Watson of Conway will play lead guitar.

Since the distance is great between the two musicians, I decided to record a practice between Don and I to help Jeff get a better sense of the music. Don and Jeff have never met and will meet the day of the show.

Piney Fork rehearsal 

Mill Train rehearsal © 2009 Hippiedog Produce

Corporation Blues rehearsal © 2009 Hippiedog Produce

rlh

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I really enjoy doing video but it is extremely frustrating to see only 313 page views on a piece that took two and a half days to put together. This video was part of a staff story about the victims of the April fires and how they were fairing 6-months after the tragedy. We revisited several of the subjects interviewed during the April wildfires.    

I don’t know where the problem is with traffic. The video was promoted in the paper with links. However, on the website the story suddenly was down turned after a school shooting started getting huge traffic.

Then in the vmix player we use, the piece was buried in the menu scroll by two talking head videos done with little production value.

There really doesn’t seem to be a way to promote video in a value-based matter.

I’m starting to second-guess my devotion to the medium only because of the lack of a promotion strategy and the low traffic numbers.

rlh