♬ SETTINGS

INDOOROOPILLY ACTIVITY HUB

The Music-Centric Content of this website began in 1998 (as code in a document in MS Word then LibreOffice Writer, then LibreOffice Calc, then websites for the IMS (Indooroopilly Mens Shed), IAH (Indooroopilly Activity Hub) then tec10 (my own intended business, although that now seems impossible). For IAH a particularly flexible dynamic perpetual activity calendar was added, able to list and select activities and events by categories/tags, current status, etc, with user options like multiple levels of activity detail (from title to multi-page with pictures, rules etc) and time spans (e.g. 8-365 days from today). All content remains copyright 1998 to date by me (Anthony Roe, anthony.m.roe@gmail.com). It is unconventional, consisting of a single page with links only to other separate documents, like pdfs.

But IAH committee member (/ IT professional / liar / thief) Rob Wheeler demanded that his code be added to the IAH website for other reasons, falsely claiming that his code would not allow the acquisition of my copyright files in bulk. If you are aware of any music lead sheets being accessible other than via tec10.com.au, please advise me (the owner).

The precis below summarizes a small part of more than five years of bullying / intimidation / sabotage / IP theft etc by Rob Wheeler, Ray Lockett, Donna Denham, Frank Denham and Martine Poiree, supported by the rest of the IAH committee (committee members not supporting the bullying would typically be removed).

My Mixer Configurations: I created the Hub's sound system, using a modern, very flexible digital mixer, beyond the ability of any other Hub member to understand, let alone operate effectively to produce good sound in the Hub environment. So I also created unique mixer configurations that:

• were much more easily operated without "pro sound" training or experience,
• prevented bad gain-staging (and the resultant noise or input clipping),
• compensated for some bad room acoustics,
• compensated "standard" dynamic mics up to "SM7B studio standard",
• automatically partially corrected bad balance and bad mic technique (normal at the Hub), based on loudness (not signal level) so that bass guitars and singers with "boomy" voices or poor mic technique would not be unfairly suppressed.
  This limiting was tweaked while popular strong Hub singer Bob Blinco was performing, as Bob's mic techique is typical of Hub performers, and he has one of the stronger voices. Bob's voice was then quite audible singing hesitantly while looking at the fretboard, and loud but still comfortable when he re-addressed the microphone closely with confident loud singing.
  The configuration then typically reduced power variations in Bob's voice from 1000:1 (30dB) to a more tolerable and better sounding 30:1 (15dB).
  It also protected ears and equipment from accidental deafening sound levels, saving ears and speakers when Garage Band found a direct output-to-input cable mis-connection.
  When not sabotaged, it typically limited instruments and voices to approximately the loudness of a modest 30W amplifier (more at low frequencies, for the same loudness).
  It did this ONLY if the main LR channel mix controls remained at 0.0dB (a widely stated condition of use of my configurations), although the final output gains may be varied from -6 to -8dB (main) and -12 to -14dB (foldbacks) because the ear is far more sensitive to bad balance than to overall volume. Around 1000 other controls may be used when needed in ANY configuration, as their function is more easily understood. Using the correct channel gain control instead of the main LR mix control (as required) is just as easy and has the same effect, but doesn't destroy either the performance or the equipment.
• became a tool of sabotage / bullying from the beginning, by violating the above.

Bullies use any form of power or control over a victim to knowingly (and generally repeatedly) harm the victim's physical, emotional, mental, reputational, social and/or any other significant state, with no reasonable justification.

Ray Lockett relentlessly sabotaged my music performances:

• by malicious mixing (with guitar or sometimes drums or bass barely audible), made vastly worse by also using the prohibited main LR mix control with my mixer configuration, further worsening the mix, distorting the dynamics, and making it almost impossible to play, even though 99% of listeners (includng Rob Wheeler) don't hear any of the subtleties in music, and couldn't differentiate the sound from "normal" bad mixing.
• at every opportunity since the beginning of the Hub, while I was performing and therefore defenceless, ignoring countless explanations of the harm that his actions caused to me: face-to-face and in detailed tutorials on the use of the mixer in Music Tech sessions, in on-line "Zoom" sessions, in detailed emails and in the Sound Systems page on the Hub website - all in general terms. All humans make mistakes; but when the same harmful "mistakes" happens at every opportunity over many years in spite of repeated explanations and reminders, it's not an error, it's bullying.
• without any retaliation or public "outing", in the hope of a peaceful solution, even though Ray had also spearheaded a campaign to push me out of the Open Mic activity (for which I had spent hundreds of hours creating a near-ideal sound system with the expectation of being able to use it).
• and ultimately promised Martine Poiree never again to mix while I was playing, and complied for a time. Later, both he and Rob Wheeler also promised never again to violate the condition of use of my mixer configuration because they then understood why it was so necessary. Only weeks after that, on 2023-12-03, Ray violated both promises and the condition of use, sabotaging my playing worse than ever before. Ray had previously limited my guitar channel by 5-10dB (to the power of a bedroom practice amplifier), upped to 15dB on 2023-12-03 (down to the power of a smartphone).
• casuing harm to me because I am far more aware than everyone else present of the tone, pitch, balance, distortions, dynamics, artifacts and other elements of music (especially when what I play is not what I hear); I surprised Ray after the most recent sabotage by telling him that he had set mixer channel 5 main LR mix control to about -15dB, which he freely admitted to be exactly true. Mixer operators EVERYWHERE ELSE are expected to provide good sound for both performers and the audience, and to respect IP rights, but not at the Hub.
• was actively supported by Rob Wheeler and the Hub committee, defending Ray's (and everyone else's) "right" to mix / sabotage / bully in any way that they chose, and to bully victims who speak up (well, me at least; I doubt anyone else would have the knowledge or courage to speak up after seeing how I have been treated).

Rob Wheeler, who was then in my band and also runs the Hub barbershop activity:

• coerced and lied to get his malicious code onto my Hub website, to allow the theft of most website content,
• created the committee's irrelevant policy statement "We are aware that there are a number of approaches to how the mixer might best be used" (supporting Ray's actions with no limits), after previously repeatedly arguing the same, and vehemently supported the (disallowed) use of the main LR mix controls with my mixer configurations,
• typically arrived for band performances at the Hub too late for a sound check, whinged relentlessly that the bass mix wasn't working, and (because he just doesn't hear musical issues like dynamics) never accepted that those issues were purely due to Ray's using the main LR mix control (that he encouraged) on his bass,
• had his barbershop cronies publicly sneer at my band while we supported his Hub barbershop performance, then walk out en masse in protest just before our set, also in defiance of the Hub's much-stated requirement that everyone should stay to support others if possible.
• decided that the committee should block me from performing at Hub musical events, even though I had performed at ALL past Hub musical events, replacing both him and drummer Pete when needed.
• attempted to also block my band from playing at our regular Hub and other events by just refusing to play (but of course he was easily replaced, as he would have been at the Hub),
• disrupted my band whenever possible, and (along with Martine Poiree) induced our drummer Pete to also leave it.

Ray Lockett's most intense sabotage on 2023-12-03 elavated my condition over the ensuing days from chronic/mild (from the years of previous sabotage), to acute, during which I complained to the Hub committee about the ongoing sabotage by mis-using the mixer (with no response); then, while my brain was still able, I directed a scathing but still general email to the Hub liars, saboteurs and bullies, and to others involved in Hub music (also ignored by the committee, although I received several emails of support). I then landed in the QE2 hospital Emergency Department with symptoms normally related to vertigo, stroke and brain tumour, then in the critical care ward. Being bullied elevates some hormone levels (e.g. Cortisol and Adrenaline) to enhance fight/flight responses, at a cost to all other bodily functions and organs. The negative effects are normally insignificant as the hormones return to normal quickly when the bullying episode is over. However repeated bullying over a long period (as in my case) CAN cause the hormones to remain in a permanent fight/flight state, causing progressive irreversible damage to all minor arteries (Arteriosclerosis) and hence to all organs, initially symptomatic in the kidneys and brain, in my case with substantial loss of memory, mental ability, recognition, reading, language, speech, balance, etc.

I was discharged when I could again walk and communicate (both badly), to start the slow process of arranging medical treatment and rehab regimes for the rest of my life, to try to slow the process. But I still received no response from the Hub committee. As some parts of my brain recovered slightly, I realized how damaged my brain had been when I sent the previous email, so I emailed those same people (except for the liars / saboteurs / bullies to whom the previous email was specifically directed) to apologize for its language and unnecessary inclusion of many recipients. Again I received several emails of support, but still nothing from the Hub committee. Any decent organization would have sent at least a message like "we have received your email, and will review it and respond in due course"; the Hub committee regularly use "flying minutes" to respond quickly to situations.

The Hub committee finally responded about 8 weeks late, with "We are aware that there are a number of approaches to how the mixer might best be used". That has always been true, but irrelevant to my complaint about sabotage / bullying by using the one specific prohibited combination of main LR mix control with MY mixer configuration. No acknowledgement of bullying, sabotage, any limitations on "how the mixer might best be used", in fact no response to anything that I had said - only a regurgitation of Rob Wheeler's irrelevant rhetoric (essentially that anyone may ignore the Ts&Cs of IP used at the Hub). So I explained the problem to the Hub committee in FULL detail, which they also ignored.

On 2024-02-09 the weight of Ray's and then the Hub's bullying had become too much to bear in my very depleted state, and I suggested (in an email via Martine Poiree) a full "reset", putting aside all hostilities in both directions (the first of many such requests received and ignored, even when fully explained). The committee instead escalated their bullying against me, initiating three "bait and switch" meetings promising discussion on agenda items; "the one" of those meeting that actually happened dedicated zero time to the agenda items, instead focussing on abusing me, and reading out a prepared statement ending with "case closed". That one statement (alone) then became the (fake) minutes, directly conflicting with both the meeting itself and Donna Denham's written assurance that only the three listed agenda items would be discussed.

Ultimately I reminded the committee that due to their continued support for the illegal use of my mixer configurations (the core of the bullying by Ray Lockett and the Hub committee) they MUST remove all instances of such configurations. To ensure a smooth transition I also supplied a more basic conventional unrestricted and fully compatible mixer configuration (15 minutes to create, 1 minute to install); I suggested a very generous two weeks to comply; many months later there is still no indication that any mixer configurations have been changed, or that I will ever be allowed to inspect the equipment to verify compliance.

Authoritarian Rule: Instead of simply replacing my configurations and derivatives with my or any other unrestricted configuration within the 2 week changeover period, the Hub committee immediately cancelled or crippled Bands At The Hub, Open Mic, Jazz Jam and Garage Band to the detriment of the participants of all those activities, with no reason except to prove that THEY are in total control of everything, and that they and Hub mixer operators may still freely choose to sabotage and bully without limit or ramifications - a far cry from the original Hub vision / values / mission that I had written for the Hub website Welcome page.

The Hub committee later reinstated all music activities except for the following Bands At The Hub (at which I was to have played). My ongoing open offer (and multiple reminders) of a full "reset" of hostilities all remain unacknowledged, but were always followed by another wave of intimidation, most recently with a notification that my membership should be terminated.

I survived by making it clear that I was not able to endure ANY further contact with the main Hub bullies (Ray Lockett, Rob Wheeler, Donna Denham and Frank Denham); so Donna suggested a lengthy, non-binding, off-the-record, face-to-face mediation with herself and Rob Wheeler (then the "top-level" bullies), which naturally further worsened my condition. After trying to ignore the obvious for so long, I finally had to accept that Martine Poiree was also a main Hub bully when she adamantly defended all of the Hub's harmful actions and proven lies, screaming abuse at me by phone (verbal bullying had previously been Frank Denham's role). All this led me to send a second too-strong email, and then to realize that I was having another acute event. By immediately tripling my Valium and Aspirin intake I was able to avoid hospitalization this time, albeit with worsened symptoms, seriously impacting even my ability to play music or to develop this website.

Multiple drug and other therapies continue to help me to work around my brain damage, and potentially to slow (but not stop or repair) it's continued progression. My brain MRIs still show no signs of dementure; the rate of brain deterioration correlates well with the intensity of the bullying. I can no longer progress any of the detailed tech projects that I pursued even through 2023, or play scrabble, or answer the challenges on "8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown". Those I leave behind will find a very detailed record of all the bullying that caused it, and my encouragement to seek compensation on my behalf to the full extent allowed by law.

Tony Roe