Choristers' Social Media

Current and former Members of Libera

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wpgoalie03
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Choristers' Social Media

Post by wpgoalie03 »

I'm a fairly new Libera fan, and I am interested in getting familiar with the members of the choir. I was wondering if anyone follows the members on social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. If so could you let us know what their usernames are or provide a link to their page so that we can follow them? Thanks!
Sanctus
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Re: Choristers' Social Media

Post by Sanctus »

Some choristers have their accounts on instagram on private so I wouldn't recommend following them as we need to remember they do have lives :lol: and they are just children. However some of the boys seem to love the attention hhahaha and are open to fans not putting their accounts on private. I follow Matthew M, Alessandro, Timothy, Kavanna and Tom I think on instagram but as I said remember to keep the privacy of the booys in mind :D
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Surpinto
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Re: Choristers' Social Media

Post by Surpinto »

Hi goalie,

I think the best response that can be offered to your request is a link to this locked thread from 2009. The discussion there is about Myspace and Facebook only, but it can be generalized to all of the myriad of social media outlets available today.

Reading through that thread would be helpful to you. Jimmy Riddle's post there is pretty much in line with my thoughts on the subject. While a few of the choristers seem to maintain publicly visible accounts on social media and some are even somewhat engaging and social with fans who are followers/"friends", they are also kids who are on social media primarily to interact with their friends from school and not with fans of Libera. Many who were previously fairly gracious to fan followers have subsequently made their accounts private or created new accounts after being utterly inundated with fan messages and follow requests by Libera fans.

For that reason and many more that were discussed in that thread I linked, I don't see any net benefit to engaging with them in that medium and do not recommend it.

I know that you were not expecting this sort of reply and I hope that I have not offended you. We are all fans of the group and hold the hard work of the choristers in the highest regard and appreciate it greatly; so it is perfectly understandable to want to connect with the group and its members to show that very appreciation. But ultimately the way to do that is through financial donations, appreciative messages on the official Libera guestbook, a "thank you" in a concert autograph line, etc.
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Sue
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Re: Choristers' Social Media

Post by Sue »

I'm not a member of instagram. But on twitter I follow 6 former Libera members and 12 Libera-fans and fan-groups. You can get great informations from other fans or fan-groups, too :)
Facebook has much fan-sites, too.
wpgoalie03
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Re: Choristers' Social Media

Post by wpgoalie03 »

Surpinto wrote:Hi goalie,
While a few of the choristers seem to maintain publicly visible accounts on social media and some are even somewhat engaging and social with fans who are followers/"friends", they are also kids who are on social media

I know that you were not expecting this sort of reply and I hope that I have not offended you. We are all fans of the group and hold the hard work of the choristers in the highest regard and appreciate it greatly; so it is perfectly understandable to want to connect with the group and its members to show that very appreciation. But ultimately the way to do that is through financial donations, appreciative messages on the official Libera guestbook, a "thank you" in a concert autograph line, etc.
I'm not offended at all! This is a thought that didn't even cross my mind, and I appreciate that perspective. The privacy of the members is most certainly in their best interest for obvious safety purposes. They need the chance to have as much normalcy as possible. We've all seen those child-stars who have been forced to grow up too fast and we end up with terrors like Justin Bieber and Lindsay Lohan (no offense if you're a fan). :lol: Thanks guys!
wpgoalie03
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Re: Choristers' Social Media

Post by wpgoalie03 »

Wow. I just read through the thread that was provided in the link and it was definitely sobering to read some of the messages. My generation, which grew up using social media, is often too comfortable regarding the personal information that is put out for all to see.
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Surpinto
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Re: Choristers' Social Media

Post by Surpinto »

wpgoalie03 wrote:Wow. I just read through the thread that was provided in the link and it was definitely sobering to read some of the messages. My generation, which grew up using social media, is often too comfortable regarding the personal information that is put out for all to see.
Perfectly understood and I am glad to know I did not offend.

A friend of mine, after reading the entirety of this thread, linked me to one of the former choir members public social media accounts to show me what one of them posted. By sheer coincidence, this former choir member, who I shall not name, actually posted the below message just yesterday. This is someone who is still very young, and has been extremely accommodating to fans in interacting with them and so on for some time online in social media. Because of his gregarious nature, he was inundated with tons and tons of followers and messages, to the point that it drowned out his interactions with his school friends and the like.

I have edited the image to remove any and all identifying information about the chorister or the publicly visible account from which it originated. I would never ordinarily post such a thing on this forum, but what he has to say is so very demonstrative of just what can happen when hoards of well meaning fans start connecting with these young kids on social media....and this was posted just yesterday.

[thumbnail]http://s18.postimg.org/7qlbr1lrt/image.jpg[/thumbnail]
Sanctus
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Re: Choristers' Social Media

Post by Sanctus »

I saw this and I must say that I feel bad for the kid. Fans need to remember that they are just children :(
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alcesalcesobservator
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Re: Choristers' Social Media

Post by alcesalcesobservator »

Sanctus wrote:I saw this and I must say that I feel bad for the kid. Fans need to remember that they are just children :(
I guess people think that they are the exception, and that one more message/friend request would be appreciated by the boy... Really, though, it must eventually get creepy to have hundreds of adults that you have never met--or only said "hello" to in an autograph line-- following your feeds, figuring out where you go to school, saying how cute/talented you are. It must make the boy's parents nervous as well.
wpgoalie03
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Re: Choristers' Social Media

Post by wpgoalie03 »

Surpinto wrote:
[thumbnail]http://s18.postimg.org/7qlbr1lrt/image.jpg[/thumbnail]
I just came across that very post myself and all of the related comments.What a disheartening situation. I think we definitely have our answer here. Irony or divine intervention? :shock: It's almost as if he now regrets his involvement with Libera, and that's the last thing I know any of us want for these talented individuals who generously share their talent with us. I feel terrible, but at least now there is some clarity on the topic with clear evidence that shows what can happen when the feeding frenzy on social media gets out of hand.
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LuxVenit
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Re: Choristers' Social Media

Post by LuxVenit »

To be honest, after the signing I experienced at the St. Charles concert I am leaning toward even being against those (meet and greets that is). And just to put my two cents worth in on the social media topic, I don't think that there's any reason that an adult fan should follow or interact with the Libera boys in any way online, even if it's available (public profile, etc) to them. I don't want to say that every adult who follows one of the boys' profiles is a sicko or something, not at all, but I know if people were following any of my kids' (my niece and nephew technically, I don't have my own kids) I'd be a bit creeped out by the fact that there are complete strangers basically stalking my kids. Yes, I know that they put the information out there themselves, but it's like others have said, it's for their friends, people their own age, stuff like that. I was tempted at first to want to follow Twitter pages, facebook pages, and other pages like that, but good reasoning prevailed. They deserve privacy, and they are kids after all. What kid isn't gonna be thrilled by having thousands of followers on Twitter? They might not realize the seriousness of it right away though. And talking to each boy after every concert you go to doesn't mean that you are officially acquainted with the boys and that it gives you the right to follow them online. Not meaning to be harsh, and go ahead and disagree with me if you want (as I'm sure many of you will). That's just how I feel.
“My heart, which is so full to overflowing, has often been solaced and refreshed by music when sick and weary.” ― Martin Luther
wpgoalie03
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Re: Choristers' Social Media

Post by wpgoalie03 »

LuxVenit wrote:To be honest, after the signing I experienced at the St. Charles concert I am leaning toward even being against those (meet and greets that is).
Was there something in particular that made you uncomfortable about the signing? I attended my first concert, and the signing afterward, in San Antonio, and I must say that I was surprised at the relatively unrestricted access that was given to fans. I was surprised 1.That photos were so freely allowed. and 2.The proximity between fans and choristers was so close. I think the signings are a good way for the choir to help fans feel more connected, but from what I saw, they could be a little more closely regulated. Restricting the number of, or even prohibiting, photos would seem ideal, and having more adult staffers present to facilitate the signing/provide security (heaven forbid) would be beneficial as well.
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LuxVenit
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Re: Choristers' Social Media

Post by LuxVenit »

wpgoalie03 wrote:Was there something in particular that made you uncomfortable about the signing?
Yeah, kind of. It was like you said in your post, the photos, videos, etc, but even more really. I'm uneasy talking about specifics here, just in case it was someone from this forum, lol. In general though I think it's just kinda creepy when people are taking videos of something like an autograph signing when they're not in line while doing it. It's one thing to take a quick picture of video of one of the boys as they sign your program (I saw that a lot from the Japan tour, or one of the tours from Asia) but just to take a video for the sake of taking a video just seems, I dunno, creepy. I try to give the benefit of the doubt, and maybe it's just my personality, I dunno. That kinda stuff seems like it could be controlled a bit more. That's all I should say right now. I really don't want to offend anyone, but there were a couple things (and like I said, maybe it's just me, who knows) that kinda creeped me out. I do think that signings are great, but something just didn't sit exactly right. *shrug*

*edit* I guess I should add that this was my second Libera concert, first M&G. Maybe that had something to do with it, but I dunno.
“My heart, which is so full to overflowing, has often been solaced and refreshed by music when sick and weary.” ― Martin Luther
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Sue
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Re: Choristers' Social Media

Post by Sue »

While I read this thread I want to add some things...

1. Every boy choir which takes performances / make performances is in public. Theatres, churches, cinemas, cathedrals, hotels, hostels - are all public places and the members of a choir KNOW THAT. In case of childrens choirs their parents KNOW THAT.
If you don't want to be in public or - as a parent - don't want anyone to see or to speak to your child and don't want anyone takes a photo of your child you have to lock in the child at home or don't allow your child to sing at a choir performance.

2. Here was forgotten the fact that many former Libera boys are adults today and that it's not a crime to have a connection with them in social media.
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john45
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Re: Choristers' Social Media

Post by john45 »

Regarding photography or filming at the signing sessions. These are public occasions. The signing sessions are only held if there is a suitable space. Unless there is a separate non-worship area, a church is generally not a suitable space. Professional security is present, but believe me, the Libera chaperones and staff are perfectly capable of putting a stop to any inappropriate behaviour - on either side of the autograph table.

It has always been my impression that the boys enjoy these sessions as much as the attendees. Is there any harm in making a photographic or videographic memento of such a public occasion? Is it creepy to do so? I don’t think so. I guess “creepy”, like beauty, is in the eye (or perhaps the mind) of the beholder.

Photography, filming, and recording of concerts is not allowed I believe for copyright reasons and it would also be distracting.

Paparazzi like photography or filming outside of their openly public appearances is an intrusive invasion of privacy and clearly inappropriate.

By the way, I haven’t taken any pictures at the signing sessions on the current tour – though have done so in the past and hope to do so again in the future.
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