Kuma wrote:

Chiptune, both the music and the community, saved my life when I was on the verge of suicide after a horrible string of events, most notably being left by my ex-fiance for another man.  that was painful.  fortunately, a friend reached out to me and invited me to Blipfest 2012, which was not only my introduction to chiptune but where I met my good friend I helped get to MAGFest, as well as many of you.  In that festival, I found myself and a reason for living, and have since dedicated my free time to enjoying this community and giving back to it.

Man, that's some powerful stuff right there! I'm really glad you found chipmusic. I hope you let your friend know he potentially saved your life!

I think he knows.  He's an obscure one.  doesn't like talking about serious things and doesn't like seeing his friends said.  he'll never directly address any problems we have, but if he somehow senses one of us is down, he comes around to us and picks us up, then kinda disappears for a year and then reappears during the next big event we all decide to go to, like MAGFest or New York Comic Con.  He's the best, though.  A lot of you guys are. =3

Chiptune, both the music and the community, saved my life when I was on the verge of suicide after a horrible string of events, most notably being left by my ex-fiance for another man.  that was painful.  fortunately, a friend reached out to me and invited me to Blipfest 2012, which was not only my introduction to chiptune but where I met my good friend I helped get to MAGFest, as well as many of you.  In that festival, I found myself and a reason for living, and have since dedicated my free time to enjoying this community and giving back to it.

Man, that's some powerful stuff right there! I'm really glad you found chipmusic. I hope you let your friend know he potentially saved your life!

-bought food and drinks for chiptuners
-bought their music
-gone to their shows
-promote their shows online
-invite other people to go to events featuring chiptune artists
-help people make connections, even across genres
-buy their old videogame equipment when they're low on cash
-offer them a place to crash when they're in town
-party hard with them
-interview them for blogs
-give them music and video game equipment you're not using anymore

and perhaps the most important thing I've done since chip

-pay for their way to MAGFest.

I won't say who I've done the last one for, but that person has since become my dearest friend in chiptune and I hope to remain good friends with him for the rest of my life.  he's one of the sweetest, most sincere people I know and he doesn't deserve half the bull he puts up with from his family irl.  I'm not a rich man, but I grew up poor, and I promised myself that when I was finally in a position to help provide for others, I would do so. 

Chiptune, both the music and the community, saved my life when I was on the verge of suicide after a horrible string of events, most notably being left by my ex-fiance for another man.  that was painful.  fortunately, a friend reached out to me and invited me to Blipfest 2012, which was not only my introduction to chiptune but where I met my good friend I helped get to MAGFest, as well as many of you.  In that festival, I found myself and a reason for living, and have since dedicated my free time to enjoying this community and giving back to it. 

its been worth it.  thank you for what you guys have done for me.  I hope to continue to give back to you.

tbh i'm a big boy and i can (probably) look after myself, but sleepovers are fun and we can stay up talking about the boys we like and have at least one pillow fight!

Hahaha, pillow fights, hair braiding, and snes!
Done and done, next time soundbytes rolls around or whateverz.

That sounds excellent, I'm about an hour from the city in melb too so this would definitely work both ways
In the past, have you had to get a hotel, etc?

yeah, backpackers n all that!
for square sounds it was alright since jen was with me and we'd had the trip saved for and planned out, but if it was a smaller show mid-year she probably couldn't justify the trip with her schedule and i'd be on the skint haha

tbh i'm a big boy and i can (probably) look after myself, but sleepovers are fun and we can stay up talking about the boys we like and have at least one pillow fight!

tell them you like what they are doing, be appreciative towards them.  too many people only put forward the effort when they are feeling negative towards something, somehow this negativity is more motivating.  and (awesomely) most everyone in this scene is very accessible and responsive. 

buy their stuff

go to shows if you're able (online/real life dichotomy breakdown!)

learn something new, and then share/teach this to other people when you can, and you'll end up being a student for a second time.  become an ambassador and you'll continue to grow in the matter.  i'm ripping off someone's quote i think i read on a bumper sticker, but whatever. 

reach out to them about their technique!  most people would love to share.  the 'how' of chipmusic is really as novel a thing as the music that's being made from the how.  the 'post your home/gig setup' thread on this site is a great example to illustrate the creativity of some people before they even make a noise

it seems like people are wanting more online interaction re: constructive criticism.  maybe jump in on that boat? 

this community doesn't really orbit around a central hard-edged identity, its a very fuzzy-edged group i think.  which sometimes means there is some general dispute over exactly what 'is' is, sure, but its also great ground for bringing in new ideas and working new concepts into whatever it is you're doing.  i think the best way any of us could help out this community is simply to bring our strong points/skills into whatever it is we're doing either in the purist center of the group or off in the fuzzy edges, or wherever you fall in between.  you'll also find that you might be able to interact with the community in a way which will allow you to train yourself up on the skills you already possess.  symbiotic relationship.  i bet there is a name for this in group-systems and networks studies lit somewhere

Thanks for taking the time to write all that, and on the topic of appreciating people, me (and most people here) love your work with kitschbent. In my opinion it's one of the most helpful ways to give back to a community. I was actually thinking a couple of days ago I'd love to buy some kind of kitschbent merch, like a tshirt with your nice logo (or maybe a design similar to your business card, with the pixel clouds and the little houses) on it to show my gratitude. I assume you've had these in the past but they finished their run?

SJSFC wrote:

let chiptune musicians sleep on your couch or floor. share your food, hot water and toilet paper until you send them on their merry way.

so josh, if you could put me up for a soundbytes night that'd be gr8 :v

and you can totally stay at my place when there's a thing on sydney (even though i'm about an hour out of the city haha)

That sounds excellent, I'm about an hour from the city in melb too so this would definitely work both ways
In the past, have you had to get a hotel, etc?

More generalish advice:
Don't allow your own self esteem issues to become an excuse to belittle others efforts.