Diki (and others),

“Testicular fortitude?“ ….Diki, that was good!

I really have to thank you (Diki and others) for your series of postings here. This is the first time I’ve been able to get a handle on the dynamics that go on in this room. Good for you telling it like it is:

“Lot's of people 'talk the talk', but let's face it. This IS a musician's forum. What good is the 'talk' without the 'walk.”

Now I’m starting to understand why there is NO musical exchange of ideas…it all comes down to human nature. Kind of like the Internet dating sites. You can be anyone you want to be as long as you don’t show yourself!

Still I’ll continue reading because there IS the equipment reports which as you said are enlightening if you use a certain amount of discernment. I’m still trying to digest how you can play to an audience 500 strong using a sub designed for your living room hi-fi set or your computer.

Other side of the coin. EVERYONE brings SOMETHING to the table. A few months back I heard a demo of someone doing a really awful version of Tico Tico. I could have learned a foreign language in the time it took him to complete the song! I was about to put it in the paper shredder when I heard him do an octave shift in the middle of a phrase. That was catchy…I adopted that idea and afterwards made it a point to listen to just about anything because you always pick up something if you’re astute (I even learned from Donny, though it pains me to admit THAT too!).

Next thought: Showering praise on everyone who posts a song! Isn’t this kind of living in the Twilight Zone? If everyone tells everyone else how wonderful they are, then there is no more benchmark to compare them with. Now look what’s happening in our schools. Students are falling so far behind that the only eventual solution was to “shower praise on everyone” and tell then how wonderful they are! Does that make the kid any smarter? It only gives him delirium about his capabilities!

When I was a child, my father came down on me so hard about “not putting on a sterling performance in EVERYTHING I do” that I told myself one day that “no one will ever say that to me again” and I proceeded to learn my music and everything else inside and out. I have to thank him for never patting me on the head and “showering” me with “undeserved praise.” I experienced phenomenal growth after that.

Finally, a few weeks back someone posted a link to a demo. Chas critiqued the tune and tried to offer constructive criticism. I remember thinking someone finally had the nerve to buck the “great job, Joe” routine and explore new territory by suggesting the performance could use some “touching up.” I personally thought Chas offered good, honest advice but, if I remember correctly, he caught H___ for that! And no one backed him up for using his own style of “testicular fortitude!”

Speaking for myself, I always tell people something like “I didn’t play this song to show you how GOOD I am, I played it so you can bring up some suggestions you might have to make it even better! I’ve always found humility to be an unassailable ally! If I had the proper recording equip, I’d certainly post a song…NOT to show my skills but to hear ideas from other musicians on how THEY would play it (or are MY now living in the Twilight Zone?).

John DiLeo’s idea is a good one. Set up a “music room” for the exchange of ideas. Unfortunately, it would probably go bankrupt within a week. I‘m going back to equipment watching!

Lucky