Hive Open Mic ( #openmic ) is a virtual music stage, giving musicians a chance to freely share their music with an appreciative audience.

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Overview

Hive Open Mic Week 1: April 12-17, 2020

Today I have the pleasure of showcasing the highlights of Hive Open Mic Week 1. Thanks to the musicians who brought their talents to the stage, and thanks to the music fans for their upvotes and applause. I'm glad to say it was truly an international event, featuring musicians from four continents.

Our theme was "Sweeter Than Honey," and the first Hive Open Mic was exactly that. We heard "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve, an organ song called "In Dulci Jubilo" which translates as "In Sweet Rejoicing," a song that honors the honeybee... "Sweeter Than Honey" is the sound wave we made, inviting an audience to surf and swim as the songs ripple out and resonate.

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Highlights

Bitter Sweet Symphony [Cover] - by @juliolunar

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Check out this hip rendition of "Bitter Sweet Symphony," by The Verve. I dig @juliolunar's percussive guitar playing—it's got a danceable rhythm. And in the end, I admire the way he captures the essence of The Verve's string arrangement, through whistling! What surprise. I appreciate the solid camera and audio recording technique.

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Dangerous Minds [Original] - by @montycashmusic

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This original song is full of vibrant energy. I can almost hear the drum and bass tracks, and maybe a didjeridoo too, accompanying @montycashmusic in Australia. To me, this song is a clear indication of this artist's massive talent. He's a strong songwriter and a dynamite performer. I'm especially impressed with the punch ending. And I'm grateful for the nice recording quality of the audio and video here.

Also, @montycashmusic stood out as a passionate voice in the discussion of what the #openmic stands for here on Hive. He is instrumental in shaping this event as it currently exists, as a placeholder for freedom of speech. He helped me to see the importance of allowing the Hive Open Mic to be more fully "open". This in-depth conversation is visible on the initial launch post: Hive Open Mic Week 1.

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The Man Who Told Everything [Cover] - by @steevc

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Cheers! I'm grateful to @steevc for being very first musician to step up to the microphone here on Hive Open Mic, with an excellent entry. Good of him to lead the way into what is hopefully a new era of #openmic life. He was a solid presence on the Steemit Open Mic, and I'm delighted to see him jumping into this event here on Hive.

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In Dulci Jubilo [Cover] - by @partitura

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This song title is roughly translated: "In Sweet Jubilee." It's a pleasant instrumental song, by Bach, I think, performed live by organist @partitura, from the Netherlands. The sound is indeed honey-sweet, to my taste. I'm grateful to hear this song here, played in such an elegant way.

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To Create The Peace [Original] - by @cabelindsay

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This is a song about learning to be peaceful through observing the natural surroundings. This song fits the theme, "Sweeter Than Honey," with two stanzas written in admiration of the honeybee.

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Rewards

Hive Open Mic showcases Hive's wildly imaginative and gifted musicians. I appreciate these people for stepping up to the microphone with something special to say. This a true act of courage, and it deserves to be applauded, and rewarded.

The total payout for Hive Open Mic Week 1 is: ~$14. This is our Tip Jar, to be split equally among the performers. Each performer also earned tips individually, through the upvotes they received from their posts. All participating musicians and music fans benefitted through the expressions and the connections generated here.

To me, Hive Open Mic is a valuable contribution to the Hive platform as a whole. It serves as a community of music lovers for music fans and musicians, giving us a common ground through musical vibration—a chance to practice being in harmony with the world. In my opinion, sharing harmony is our Work, with a capital "W", and this is what Hive is all about.

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Inspiration

Taj Mahal's song "Queen Bee" is performed live here, from the back of a mule-drawn carriage in New Orleans. Here, we can see his dobro technique: leading with his thumb and accentuated with the middle finger. It's an intimate look and listen at a legendary Blues musician—a hero of live music.

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Acknowledgements

Thank you for supporting, upvoting, reblogging, and entering Hive Open Mic, a community of music lovers for music fans and musicians. Let's keep this Hive humming and buzzing.

Quick Reminder: Hive Open Mic - Week 2 is underway now, where the weekly theme is: "Golden Sun." Join in and enjoy!

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