Mike,
Good thoughts.
One thing I always think about as inspiration for me...re: the public scrutiny
VanGough.....1 painting to his brother, was he less of a master. The impressionists were barred from the salon of painters, because what they were doing, wasn't really painting.
If one judges the success of a musician and their work by commercial success, including public scrutiny and acceptance....I'm sad to say that most all who post an all the forums combined, are doomed to failure, if that is to be the criteria, because in reality other than minor bouts of gigging, very few make it to the big time.
I think the other thing about judging that way, take a look at some of the main stream acts that are out there, I'm not so sure I would call them talented great musicians, to me more like packaged, marketed products rather than pro musicians.
I think it is interesting the criteria you laid forth for judging others work and while I don't disagree, I think that's the way one musician judges another on a technical level. The vast majority of the public would not have a clue as to what you are talking about. If you asked them well, why is that such a great tune do you think...uh I don't know man it's got a good beat and I like the way the dude wails on the guitar.
Never under estimate the buying taste of the public.
You are absoultely right though, if we put our work out in public, we are asking to be critisized about it. Isn't that sad that others don't just accept and support the effort, especially our own fellow struggling musicians.
Isn't that what a forum is really supposed to be about helping and supporting each other regardless of how we make our music, as opposed to a heirarchy of princes and paupers, that play top me. At least that's what I thought they were supposed to be, not a place of superiority complexes.
Terry