Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum Happy Valentines Day!

Rickster, that is really nice.

Wow, Larry, I’m speechless!

What can I say, except thank you for your words of support and encouragement!

And, I guess I’d better get busy writing that new song if I’m going make that 10 day deadline!

Thanks to all my wonderful Piano World friends!

Take care!

Rick

Rick--About a year ago Ted.Stanion posted this cartoon about YouTube comments. It's a little foul-mouthed, but it so perfectly captures the idiocy that is involved in YouTube comments that I had to pass it on here. I think in your current situtation you'll enjoy it:
Cartoon about YouTube video

Like everyone else said, consider the angry source and try to forget it. I am sure that person is not nearly as fortunate as you in their personal relationships, so just be glad you're not him/her. I know it would be hard for me to forget it too, so I certainly understand your reaction.

Nancy

Beautiful song, Rickster!!

Just can't fully enjoy it unless know "where" piano was made....

Norbert

Hi All!

Thanks again for all the positive and encouraging comments regarding my Valentine’s song and the PW/YT critic. I’m still working on that new song, but in the meantime, here is a poem I wrote that expresses my thoughts.

The Critic:

The critic is there in the shadows, you know

Lying in wait for the end of the show

When the music is over and the singing is done

They use their words like they would a gun

They aim for the heart and soul of their prey

With scathing words and things they say

It doesn’t matter who they hurt or harm

Their goal is not to comfort or charm

In hopes of getting their message across

No one is immune from suffering or loss

The critic declares their words of woe

Because they are not the stars of the show

If the shoe were on the other foot

Would their performance be nearly as good

The critic will always be waiting in haste

To try and make one’s life a waste

The best defense of the artist to be

Is to pay no attention to the critic’s plea

Soon the critic will fade away

And find other performers to claim as their prey

To harass and insult as best they can

The aspiring performer, whether woman or man

Life goes on and so does the show

For the aspiring artist with their heart aglow

I know I can’t play a piano and sing very well, but I enjoy trying and learning! And, I do indeed welcome any and all real, constructive criticism.

Best regards to all!

Rick

Well done Rickster. I am a fan!

I want to bring some balance to my previous post. I'm reminded of how when I watch "American Idol" and I see singers that are terrible I always think some time earlier in this person's life, someone should have told them that their singing was bad. Not that they were a bad person, or shouldn't sing, but that their singing was not good enough to entertain anyone outside the family. To fail to do tell them the truth is cruel, and exposes the person to potential ridicule later in their life.

Sometimes it seems we have ended up with two extremes. On the one hand; cruel, nasty, personal feedback, usually from anonymous people. On the other hand, positive feedback in the form of sycophantic, meaningless, uninformed drivel.

I think sometimes it's a generational thing. I'm 55, and when I was growing up, adults mostly thought that if you encouraged a child, or lavished praise on them, they would get a "big head". So then to compensate, people in my generation have gone overboard in the other direction, slathering effusive praise on their kids every time they successfully complete an inhale-exhale cycle.

There are also cultural differences. I was an accordionist in the Russian Folk Orchestra at the local university. We had a guest conductor for a few months who was from the Ukraine. One time during rehearsal I made an obvious and loud mistake. He stopped, glared at me and said "YOU ARE RIPPING OUT MY RUSSIAN SOUL!! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO TRY TO RE-WRITE THIS BEAUTIFUL MUSIC!!?" I wanted to say "Geez dude, relax, I just hit a G instead of an E!" In some cultures, I suppose it is thought that strong, personal negative criticism will make the performer tough, that they will practice more to prove the critic wrong.

So, I think it's best to avoid the extremes. To be helpful, feedback should be as specific as possible, and about the product, not the person.

Incidently, I broke all my own rules in my criticism of Rickster's critic.

Rickster,

I know I speak for many members of this forum when I say... I would LOVE to play well enough to post a video of my playing, and if I ever do, I hope it's as good as yours. Read the posts... we are out here trying to get our fingers to play even the most basic pieces from Alfred's or Faber, and questioning whether the idea that we'll ever actually play is a pipe dream... and here you are playing your own composition and playing it well. To heck with the snarker, you're my hero because you're DOING it. Don't stop.