Positive Notes: A Fresh Start on Twitch
As part of my continuing efforts to align what I'm doing on Twitch with my values and purpose, I have renamed my Twitch stream/account from “Newfangled_” to “PositiveNotes”. You can tune in at https://twitch.tv/positivenotes
I posted about this on the The Newfangled Gazette if you'd like a more detailed explanation, but I thought I'd share a post here, since this blog is where all future updates related to my broadcasting endeavors will be posted.
Back to One Blog
I'm will no longer be posting on that blog (The Newfangled Gazette). It was feeling redundant, anyway. I've been neglecting this blog for far too long and the whole point of it was to have everything in one place. The hashtag system here makes following specific topics easy and helps me cut down on splitting time and attention between so many different things.
Not a Brand
With Newfangled, I was trying to be a “brand,” build a following, and make more money – to be “successful” in the way Twitch defines and promotes success (hint, it all revolves around money). By contrast, Positive Notes is just the name of a show – a personal effort to share my love of music, reach out to people, spread joy and kindness, and make people feel good about themselves. Every stream will be a charity stream, and I have disabled features that try to nudge viewers into giving their money to me and Twitch. I'm not interested in making money or being an “influencer” or “content creator.”
You can read about all the changes I have been making and my reasons why in my posts going back to the beginning of March 2025 over on The Newfangled Gazette.
It's All About the Music
Playing music from physical media (vinyl, compact disc, cassette) is still something I enjoy, but it will no longer be a focus or emphasis of the show. I continue to collect physical media, but at a slower and more intentional pace than before. For me, the music has always been more important than the format. I will be playing more music from digital files, as well.
Still Thinking About Show Format and Schedule
While I've decided on the “what” of Positive Notes, I'm still trying to figure out the “how.” I will need to experiment over several streams to figure out format, cadence, and how structured an experience it will be. In other words, will I have a more loose structure where I don't necessarily have a predetermined set list or messages to share, but just a general concept or idea and let the show evolve as it plays out? Or will I have a more formalized program with specific music in mind and pre-selected quotes, stories, messages, etc.? Maybe both?
More structure will mean more time required from me offline to put together a program. I'm not sure how much pressure I want to put on myself to do that, or if I want to just enjoy listening to music with friends in an less formal way and just be more intentional about sharing good messages while I do that.
Also, I'm trying to decide how often and how long I will stream. With Newfangled I streamed 2-3 days per week, 4 hours per stream on average. I don't know that I want to spend so much time on the air anymore. Right now I'm thinking 1-2 days per week, 2-3 hours per stream. But I'll have to see how things feel when I start streaming again next week.
I might also, possibly, be branching out into doing an internet radio program on an existing station. I've always felt like trying things outside of Twitch. But I'll share more details in a future post if and when that materializes.
The inaugural broadcast of the new Positive Notes program on Twitch will be on Tuesday, April 22nd starting at 4pm PDT / 7pm EDT. I hope you'll join me!