The spooky month of October had ended, and November’s pre-Christmas vibes had taken hold. I, meanwhile, continued to venture off into random places on Twitch in an effort to find people of interest and “venues” of entertainment. My “Following” list continued to grow (I likely had 10+ by this point), yet my hunger still remained. On a whim, I decided to venture into a category I very rarely check at all: Music.
Even now, my primary motivation to browse Twitch is to watch people play games. The decision to browse Music at that point was almost out of an innate curiosity; what treasures could be lying in wait? A thorough skim resulted in one particular channel standing out, motivated by the bold, bright yellow icon that adorned their stream thumbnail.
Introducing CornyEars. (← Link to her Twitch channel.)
Let me reiterate: I primarily use Twitch to watch people play games. Attending a CornyEars stream for the first time, it was almost akin to a performance, a set of covers in a home setting. Think of all the stay-at-home performances professional musicians gave last year during the pandemic, then imagine it done on a weekly basis by the same person via Twitch. It’s a solid offer.
As for what she plays, CornyEars is down for many things—though from my experience, she tends to gravitate more to a PG to PG-13 criteria. Covers and requests of pop, rock, rap, country, big hits, indie gems, and much more are constantly on the table, all organized in a playlist kept up by her and I assume some of her mods’ behind-the-scenes wizardry. Strange as this may be to say, her pacing is quite phenomenal. She just keeps going and going, song after song, with hardly a break for chit-chat in-between.
If you think you have a good picture of her streams based on what I’ve described thus far, allow me to alter it even further. Through available redemptions, and occasionally from the mind of Bethan herself, streams can go from professional to chaos quite quickly. Perhaps you want to mix two completely different songs together in a strange mash-up. You can do so. Maybe you want her to make up lyrics while playing a song. You can do so. While it’s no genie in a bottle, CornyEars has the material to make things magical.
Small aside fun fact: This stream has the most channel commands I have ever seen. Literally hundreds. So many commands for almost every situation. Seeing the command list alone might be worth visiting the stream at least once.
So many instruments she plays, as well! Per her own words, she plays guitar, piano, cello, and “Celtic harp” (I know not the distinction from an ordinary harp). However, I’m under a slight assumption that she knows more than she states. After all, anyone willing to get down with a “Celtic harp” is certainly hiding some extraordinary talent in their blood. Nevertheless, every instrument mentioned comes into play every so often during streams, though it’s mostly guitar.
A marvelous display of earnest passion for music and the rambunctious nature of a close-knit community. Every stream is the promise of something a little different, even if the template is set in stone. Music is the basis; whatever comes from it is determined by the forces of nature and the human spirit. A best of both worlds situation where you can see both a riveting cover of Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” and an immensely cursed rendition of “Baby Shark.”
If you’re feeling especially keen, she also composes her own music! Personally, I find it to be almost ethereal; soulful, insightful tunes that encompass a gentle tone, despite what the lyrics may provide. Almost ASMR-like, which may definitely have something to do with why I like them. These tunes will occasionally be sprinkled into stream playlists, so attendance can sometimes mean a look at what she’s been composing herself.
And what kind of post would this be if I were to forego the formalities of the streamer’s personality? A classic “What’s up-er,” that’s what she is. That’s how she generally greets me, anyway.
Outside of being hip with the current slang, Bethan seems a bit of a complexity. Nice and calm, though also witty and coated in a thin layer of charming sarcasm. She embodies a sort of intelligence that’s somewhat rare to find on Twitch, though that is not to disparage others. Her persona simply exudes a sort of… regality, perhaps. A quirky regality—not entirely sure which wins out. Definitely a fun character!
More than anything, though, her sweatshirts are to die for. So many fantastic tops she shares with the world, and I am ever so grateful. The image choices throughout the article may have been a deliberate dedication to the best ones I’ve seen.
Oftentimes, attending a CornyEars stream will leave you buttered up. A fabulous display of technical know-how and instrumental bliss. A welcoming community (her mods are very good at greeting newcomers), lovely loops, and just a drop of absurdity (quantity may vary by stream), it’s always a fun time. If only I could think of a “kernel” pun to end this on a corny note…
If any of this has made you interested, I would highly encourage checking out CornyEars on Twitch. If you’d like to hear more of her content, you can check out her Bandcamp, Deezer, Spotify, and Apple Music profiles.
For all other Twitch streamer odes, check out the Twitch Streamer Highlight Reel.
Be sure to stop by on the 13th for the next edition of the month’s Twitch streamer shoutout post!
Thank you for your time. Have a great day.
The Visualist's Veranda 