Disquiet Junto F.A.Q.
This was last updated on 2013.04.25. New and edited information is marked with a delta symbol (Δ).
Q: What is the Disquiet Junto?
A: The Disquiet Junto is a group based on Soundcloud.com where musicians respond to weekly, fast-turnaround assignments to compose, record, and share new music. The idea is to use restraints as a springboard for creativity.
ΔQ: How long has the group been around?
A: The first Junto project began on the first Thursday of January 2012, and the series has continued weekly since then.
ΔQ: Is there a list of all the projects?
A: Yes. Here: “Disquiet Junto Project List.”
ΔQ: Is there an email list for announcements?
A: Yes. To subscribe and unsubscribe, go to: tinyletter.com/disquiet-junto.
ΔQ: How does the group work?
A: A project is announced each Thursday — usually in the afternoon or early evening, California time — and it is due the following Monday by 11:59pm (that’s 11:59pm wherever you happen to be). You upload your track to your Soundcloud account. Then you associate it with the Junto group. And you include the appropriate tag with the track, as delineated in the project’s instructions, and include that tag in the name of the track (the tag is the word “Disquiet” followed by a four-digit number followed by a hyphen followed by a keyword, such as “Disquiet0003-glass” — again, the number and keyword are provided as part of the assignment). Be sure to click the “Add to group” button below your track’s waveform, and select the Disquiet Junto group.
ΔQ: Why isn’t my track showing up in the Junto group?
A: Read the previous question and follow those directions. If that doesn’t work, get in touch with the group’s founder and moderator, Marc Weidenbaum, at marc@disquiet.com.
Q: Should I provide any additional information?
A: Yes, please. Please include with your uploaded track some description of both (1) the compositional approach you had undertaken, as well as (2) the equipment and process you employed to achieve it.
Q: Do I need to participate every week?
A: Gosh no. There is no intent to pressure anyone to do any more than they have time for.
Q: Do I need to do this alone?
A: These can be group projects, certainly. You needn’t work by yourself, though that appears to be the most common approach by Junto members. (And there will be some projects in which collaboration is actively required.)
Q: What is a “junto”?
A: The word comes from the name of a society that Benjamin Franklin formed in Philadelphia during the early 1700s as “a structured forum of mutual improvement.”
Q: What is “electronic music”?
A: Anything you want it to be. Drones, beats, drones with beats, abstract, melodic, tuneful, discordant, phonographic, synthesized. Go for it.
Q: Does my track have to be “ambient”?
A: No, not by any means. That mode, broadly defined, will likely be a not uncommon approach for participants, but it won’t be the only one.
Q: Is there any restriction on length?
A: Not necessarily. It depends on the project. Some will stipulate length. Others won’t.
Q: Do I have to set my track to be downloadable?
A: You don’t have to, but it would be appreciated. Also, some assignments may involve remixing previous project entries, and if your track isn’t downloadable, it won’t be easily remix-able.
Q: Can I post more than one track for a project?
A: No, please. Just focus your efforts on one track. (That said, there may be occasional Junto projects for which you will be asked to do more than one track, but that will be part of a specific assignment.)
ΔQ: How can I communicate with other Junto people off of Soundcloud?
There’s a lot of Junto activity on Twitter. There is also a discussion tab at the group’s Soundcloud page. There will likely be a forum added to Disquiet.com in the near future.
Q: Are those really the only questions?
A: So far.
Q: What if I have more questions?
A: Get in touch with Disquiet Junto founder Marc Weidenbaum, at marc@disquiet.com.
