#BBP - What Is It, Who is it and Why Does It Exist ? Your Questions Answered

Mark I envy you that is a wonderful experience but would also echo every word James has said. I didnā€™t think I was good enough, I donā€™t have anyone to play with and I only play for my own amusement and will inflict this pain on the wider JGC. But have no regrets signing up and feel my playing has moved on leaps and bound.

And the #BBP has been a big part of that. Class 2 will be starting soon and there will be more news on that in the coming months. And you have been around long enough to be familiar with Community members you would most likely gel with. Maybe some of them might also sign up for Class 2, Iā€™d highly recommend it as a good investment. You only get to find the folks to work with, in my case like those in the BBP, by Community engagement and awareness and to that I think you are pretty tuned in. Look at the big picture it pays diveidends,

:sunglasses:

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I was also hesitant about signing up for BLIM, and I think thatā€™s not uncommon. On the other hand, I do wonder (based on some comments I have seen) if some people who werenā€™t ready for it have signed up thinking it was some magical, silver-bullet.

The fact is, regardless of level, a course like BLIM takes hard graft. And thatā€™s the point of these things: you only get out of it what you put in.

In my case, I had no doubts I was at the required level, but I was concerned about the level of commitment I could put in to make it worth it, and whether I would lose interest or get distracted part way through. You might have seen squirrel-themed art? It turns out I wasnā€™t alone!

The great things is (as @Richard_close2u has pointed out) you donā€™t have to ā€œkeep upā€ with the course. Itā€™s best you do to some degree, but the course is pretty packed and I defy anyone to nail all of the material presented every month, and retain it. If they are capable of this, then they probably didnā€™t need the course in the first place. And you have lifetime access.

But, bringing it back to the subject of this thread, for me the, one part of keeping the squirrels at bay has been to have small support group and, for me BBP has been a key part of that. Itā€™s a safe space to open up about how you feel with people that you grow to know and to trust. Itā€™s a space to discuss, to vent, to confess, and (sometimes) to be a little random, silly, or even inappropriate with without the cacophony of voices and potential judgement you get in wider communities.

Itā€™s a place to discuss progress, concerns, challenges, triumphs and to share humour through the good days and the not so good.

I am extremely grateful that this wonderful little group of people invited me to be part of their beautiful madness. It has been a lifesaver for me.

But this community is full of wonderful, supportive people and, I hope and expect, that BLIM has spawned many such groups, just as it has fostered and spawned many such wonderful little groups who support and collaborate (this springs to mind).

Justin encourages such groups and, if you do a course like BLIM, I thoroughly encourage you to seek out ā€œyour peopleā€ as part of your journey.

Cheers,

Keith

#BBP

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Sorry to hear this, Toby. I hope the support in this thread helps you to get the enthusiasm back! Would love to check out a video on your progress.

One of my favorite things about this community is the ability to connect with others. There is so much support here! :grin: I have ā€œmetā€ others that I never would have had a chance to otherwise and am forever grateful to be here.

To the BBPers- keep doing what you are doing. Aside from doing BLIM, you are all active community members here. I donā€™t feel that by supporting each other through (what sounds to be) a very rigorous and challenging course that you are at all being exclusionary. I think itā€™s great that you are all supporting each other!

Thatā€™s what we are all here for right? :wink: That and guitar :guitar:

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All good here fellas. The air of mystery was just a bit of spirited fun to be honest; and anyone who knows you guys would never think otherwise.
Glad the group has been a success for you. Its whatā€™s its all about.

Cheers, Shane

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Hey Toby & the other legends in the BBP! :star2: :smiley:
Interesting (and at times very entertaining! :laughing:) but equally troubling read. My absenteeism on the forum of late has meant all this has slipped past me, but reading your detailed post and the following string of (as always very supportive :hugs:) replies, it has been great to have some insight into the BLIM experience and benefits gained, not only from the course content, but also from each other as well! Having gained so much myself from learning and working with others I have met here, Iā€™m a huge advocate for taking those opportunities when they arise :slight_smile:
Sad that youā€™ve had these issues interfere with what should just be a fun experience but well done to you all for navigating it with grace and common sense! Keep having a blast :boom: :guitar: :smiley::+1:

:male_detective: :joy:
This gave me a giggle :rofl:
Take care mate! :hugs:

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I did notice the tag and only thought was I wonder what it means, and now I know I can carry on in peace :laughing:

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Iā€™m starting to feel a little sorry for the several people who have indicated that they started to wonder things and experience a feeling of exclusionā€¦

After reading all the comments( Of course I knew that a lot of people would respond, but not that much textā€¦) , I would like to say that if you all create groups in an already separate group and there are also groups that are not accessible to everyone because they work by invitation or gender and talks about there was hinting for special merch ā€œfor crew under the radarā€ , it is a matter of time that questions could arise if it is so prominent, even outside that first large Blim group it was easy to follow the group of you 6 ā€¦ I was therefore not surprised (or better should I say ā€œwas afraidā€) that these question marks arose, but look how big this topic has now become :flushed: ā€¦ now I donā€™t know exactly what was reported to Richard, but apparently enough to report it to Toby that something had to be explained and even though it was never intended that way, it is how it came across to several people ā€¦ and quite understandable (or a bad example?) if you consider how it went very briefly before the start of e Blim and a short discussion about the stickers on the avatars ā€¦ and a closed sectionā€¦

This was always a completely transparent community and now there are more and more closed clubs/sectionsā€¦
not everyone likes that and if there are only 2 people with complaints (or questions) with something there are many more who keep their mouths shut and look furtherā€¦ an important lesson when you have a business :wink:)

To be clear, I am very happy that you from this group and share and learn and all those messages personally and not here in the open ā€¦ almost 5000 messages :flushed: :exploding_head:
:smile:

I just hope for some understanding for people who may not be able to express themselves well and have simply asked @Richard_close2u some (maybe complete normal ) questions about this ā€¦

Greetings and please have fun :smiley: :guitar: :microphone:

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This reminds me a bit of the ā€˜storm in a teacupā€™ when Justin introduced the Class of ā€™23
(The FB platform was one concern, but also a sense of separation/exclusiveness in the community :thinking:)
One of my favourite aspects of this forum is the sense of inclusiveness, irrespective of how advanced you are or how long youā€™ve been here :smiley:
Watching a separate group and smaller groups within that evolve, esp. when they are folk we like and admire, does leave me with a sense of FOMO.
Donā€™t get me wrong, I know Iā€™d be welcome (but also know itā€™s not my cup of tea).
For all those feeling ā€˜excludedā€™, please bear in mind that the bloominā€™ Blimmers (including the BBP) are funding your free guitar tuition and Community platform :wink:
Cheers lads, and back to the bluesā€¦

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You may be forgetting we were actively encouraged to create Study Groups by Justin at the start of the course. Plus there were no guide line per se, just a strong recommendation to do so and no suggestion who to include or not. That was down to each individual student, if that was something they wanted or needed to do.

And I would have been happy to field any questions via a DM, so please bear that in mind folks in the future as, I am not wasting another dayā€™s practice and recording time.

Thank you.

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Hi Toby,
No, I have certainly not forgotten this, and it is not at all a complaint or anything against you or your group from my side , I am just saying how it comes across to some people when you personally inviting people to a small group without an open invitation simply gives that to some people that feeling what also Brian discribes ā€¦I think itā€™s the same thing with slightly different words, right?
I am 100% happy with what you are doing ,no reason for discussion as far as Iā€™m concerned, just a small side note for the more sensitive people to try to understand a littleā€¦ this is now being made way too bigā€¦ something about that storm in a cup of tea glass saying :blush:

Greetings , And yes lets play :guitar: :sunglasses:

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Donā€™t forget the hats! :sunglasses:

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I think that no more need be said.

It has all been covered. And the overall discussion has impacted the well being of at least one of our most respected and supportive friends.

Toby - I advise that you literally ignore this topic for at least the next 48 hours.
Hopefully it will fade away.

:slight_smile:

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Thatā€™s a very useful answer @Socio. I didnā€™t feel my skills (nor my budget) were ready for the initial Blues Immersion and decided to focus on becoming a more competent ā€œadvanced beginner.ā€ Your thoughts make me think perhaps Iā€™ll be ready for the next offering. Plus I really want @TheMadman_tobyjenner to teach me the #BBP secret handshake!

Toby, it sounds to me like youā€™ve got the blues. Great opportunity for some new music! Could be the lead track on the BBP Under the Radar releaseā€¦

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Iā€™ve got to be totally honest, I know what BLIM is, I have no idea what BBM is, and all this other stuff really just passed me by. Takes me back to being at work when everyone wanted to know what the latest gossip was and I never had a clue what was going on! Maybe I should get on the forum a bit more regularly or try and work out how to use it more effectively or something I donā€™t know.
Ignorance is bliss as far as Iā€™m concerned. Iā€™m just a simple soul really.

:face_with_monocle::wink::slightly_smiling_face:

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:speak_no_evil: :zipper_mouth_face: :person_shrugging:

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Toby,
It is sad that you lost the enthusiasm to do your BLIM Mid course update, I for one would really like to see that. I hope you get the energy back.

It has been very apparent that everyone involved in BLIM has been very consumed by itā€™s activities. It would be great to learn of your thoughts and see how your playing has improved through the class.

When it opened up I know I was very interested, but also daunted, particularly when much more accomplished players like yourself doubted you had the pre-requisite skills. It is probably FOMO or jealousy watching others go on a journey that you didnā€™t.

It would be great to hear how different people felt about that journey, before the next one opens up.

People have different methods of learning, total immersion sounds daunting, but is apparently very effective. What should those of us on the beginner slopes expect when we get ready to go for those black diamonds? or are we better to keep the future BLIMā€™s as a distant dream, so that we enjoy the trip of a lifetime when we embark.

Certainly had no worries about #BBP, I thought I heard what it was once at an OM.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and seeing the progress soon, as you are alays supportive, instructive and helpful to the community.

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I have been away and having not worked out how to ā€˜quoteā€™ on the forums using my mobile phone (Iā€™m back on my pc) wanted to add that thisā€¦

ā€¦ sums up the reasons why I didnā€™t join BLIM. At the moment I donā€™t have the ability, agility and confidence to invest the large sum of money required for BLIM & having seen this The Madmanā€™s Diaries - The Blues Chapters - Chapter Five - BLIM Half Term Report Iā€™m not sure Iā€™ll ever get there to be honest, but Iā€™ll keep plodding on!!

In my view there is no reason to apologise for the use of the hash tag BBP.

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