Monday 9 May 2011

"i'm a beginner, please don't be too hard on my singing"

Man, I see that soooooooooo often in YouTube video descriptions, it's starting to annoy me a little...and that isn't even the worst! I've actually seen a video with a description that tells viewers to give their honest opinion about his/her singing, and if they don't have anything good to say, then don't say it.

-_-" That's lame...so so lame...as if the obvious contradiction isn't bad enough, he/she was purely deluding him/herself by just wanting to listen to the goods and completely reject the bads. I mean, C'MON!!!

Sure, it's understandable to be afraid of criticisms, especially if you know you aren't too good at something, but the fact that you're letting others listen to your singing should be an indication that you quietly allowed others to say and think whatever they want about it. Telling people not to be too hard on you about your singing and its potential problems, is like telling your audience what to think.

That ain't gonna work, especially if listeners take your words too seriously.

Be brave -- take whatever comes your way. With subjective issues like music, there are bound to be haters out there, alongside fans. They will be some who will give you good advice and constructive criticism, while others just comment without going into too much detail. Essentially, allowing others to listen to your singing means you're putting yourself out there to be judged, be that you intention or not. It's okay to be scared or nervous, it's even okay to tell, even apologise to your audience if you're new and not too skilled at singing yet, or that you aren't feeling too well, and would hence, not be able to perform your best. It's all good, but please don't tell them what to think of your singing! They have the right to their opinions, and if they're understanding, they will encourage or comfort you if your performance wasn't the best and praise you where it's due. If not, then it's up to them to pass criticisms.

To some point, it shows poor sportsmanship to tell listeners to be nice to you.

So yeah, give it your best, and embrace the response, both good and bad. Listen to them, try to be honest with yourself and filter out the purely destructive criticisms and keep the constructive ones to learn from. Even then though, let the destructive ones remind you that you aren't gonna please everyone out there, and that you are singing to a world consisting of both reasonable, and completely unfair people.

It's a good thing to keep in mind, while still keeping a clear and honest heart about your strengths and flaws, and how to improve on both.

To be perfectly honestly, I was born into a family that has made me instinctively defensive against any form of negativity or accusation, no matter how tiny. I've learnt to hold that instinct back over the years, but I still get very red-faced every time I get criticised or judged, even if it's in writing. Even so, I know I'd have to keep a cool and honest mind for the sake of improvement, and actually, the critic as well.

So yeah...keep that in mind my dear readers:) Music is after all, a communication of feelings and emotions -- and of course you'll get rejected every now and then!:D

I know I do!

2 comments:

  1. I agree with you:) you would never see me making excuses in my video description, lol. Well said Ken!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nor would you have to anymore:) your performances on youtube have improved so so so much! By the way, can't believe you're reading this blog...lol. It has been ages since I last posted I don't even remember what I've written here, lol. But thank you for commenting on it anyway. You're awesome for doing that!:D

      Delete