Saturday, May 12, 2007

One Mans Trash

Feedback for an artist is critical. That's obvious. Any Band/Singer etc. that is not gauging what they are creating in an honest way; soliciting crucial feedback to the market they are trying to 'shop their wares' to is not living in real time. Constructive criticism can build upon, and even deepen your ability to create great art, because objectivity about your muse is next to impossible. What I have discovered in this odyssey through the digital domain is that in the absence of familiarity as far as promoting music, mistakes are often made via marketing/promoting to the 'wrong' audience; promoting more 'high minded' material to a group that maybe prefers something a little 'lighter',etc. This sort of stumbling often gets alot of bands/promoters...even labels into real adversity very quickly.
So when anyone takes the time to reach back for a comment or two about any of the artists I represent, I always appreciate it..even if its less than favourable. I've been in this quagmire of a business enough to understand that not all audiences will be "in love "with you. Some will think your art is downright shit. And will tell you so. Thus is the nature of art, and the nature of subjectivity..and well understood.
The other aspect of this, is a more fruitless, more indignant angle. Those who, for whatever their idiosyncrasies motivate them to such disdainful ends, have to try to 'stick it to you' with the perfunctory "You Suck!" ,"Your Shit!", "fuck your music..FUCK YOU!". Perhaps its borne from some psychological pre-disposition to displace anger. Maybe some these verbally inept and brutish bastards had Mommy beat them one too many times with the family spatula...Others might be that jobless twenty-thirty something-year-old college dropout know-it-all asshole still masturbating to Internet porn in the downstairs den while Dad is at work at the Mill. I don't know..maybe many were that contemptuous four-eyed little freak; undersized in his formative years and was reminded of his insignificance by the daily barrage of ass-beatings in school by the more physically gifted and stronger bullies who not only took his lunch money, destroyed his calculus notes, but departed with whatever sense of self dignity that was bestowed him.
The Internet age, when first introduced as the "world wide web" in 1994, was intended to bring together a global community . Make the world a far less isolated, smaller, accessible place . A Cyber-community. The age actually did the opposite. Our collective cultures are more isolated. "dropping by for a visit" has been replaced with "I.M. Me on my AIM!" And the Internet has spawned a world of 'keyboard gangstas': those who hide behind distance and anonymity just to spew trash at the world. These are the erudite peoples I want nothing to do with. Constructive thought, let alone criticism, is an oxymoron at best with this group.
There is alot of respect I have for those who "tell it like it is": giving examples, stating their case, exhibiting knowledge and history of the subject their critiquing. Being receptive to disagreement, and doing it with class. Even agreeing to disagree. Sure, there might be "your stuff is SHIT,.." but is always followed with "..and here's why I think so." Just dropping "your music sucks"' as a critique, and sarcastically ending the draconian and impish phrase with a cheaply condescending "..sorry" doesn't qualify. All this really does is communicate inadvertently what a pernicious, sniveling idiot you really are.

And that's not a complaint, that's just what it is.

One mans trash is indeed another's treasure. Same in music. I do appreciate the nice comments for P.N.G...and I appreciate the criticism (what little I've has gotten) that I've received. I not so much affected by those who wish to blow out another mans candle, but simply to offer balance. It's been my experience that those who are the most vile and vehement against someone they do not know, are usually the ones who can not 'do' themselves. And as for their little bits of 'treasure' they bestow on me, I'm more than happy to roundfile it in my 'trash' can.







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