[Harp-L] Courage and self-criticism

["samblancato" <samblancato@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Everybody,

 

I thought I'd add my 2 cents on this one, kind of as a way of getting a
major gripe off my chest.  This is going to start out sounding like
bragging, but it isn't.  When it comes to courage and self criticism I think
I'm in a pretty healthy place.  I'm very honest with myself about my playing
in all aspects of it; tone, articulation, timing - all the issues with which
most harp players are familiar.  And I'm an armature player in the end so
while I may have my Kim Wilson-like moments, there are only moments and I've
had my train wrecks too, plenty of them.  

 

What I find hard around here is the fact that I don't really see this much
in many of the people I play with.  Well, I could be wrong about this but I
the impression I get is that total self unawareness is more the order of the
day than anything else; where I come from at least.  And I guess that, in
the end, I can (and must) live with this.  What I find really hard to live
with is the absence of musicians criticizing other or, rather, critiquing
each other.  Maybe I'm a massoquist but I would really appreciate it if
someone would tell me when what I play doesn't sound up to snuff.  I don't
really want someone to say 'hay Sam, you really sucked tonight'.  That's
useless.  But it someone thinks that I overplayed on a number or that I
sound flat or I leaned too hard on their vocals or what ever, I'd really
want to know.  All I ever hear is 'hey, man, you sounded good' and this
isn't always true so I take that compliment with a grain of salt.
Conversely, I'd like to feel like I could comment on somebody else's playing
in an honest way.  When I go to a jam and I meet some drummer for example
and he talks real big about his playing and his gear or what ever, and then
I play a couple with him and his meter is off I'd like to be able to tell
the guy about it.  I did once and that guy didn't take it too well.  He was
really insulted and I wasn't trying to insult the guy.  I know *I* would
want to know something like that.  I would actually pay for that to tell you
the truth.  My girlfriend is a poet, a serious poet - Middlebury MFA and
published in serious journals and nominated for a Pushcart and all that.
These people actually pay each other for carefully prepared critiques of
their work so it's not a kooky idea from the twilight zone.

 

There's a show on TV.  I forget the name of it - The Next Big Star or
something like that.  People come on the stage and perform in front of a
panel of judges and then they get evaluated.  There should be jams like
that.  It would be good for everybody.  It would raise the bar all the way
around.  I don't think local blues musicians talk about their process
enough, critique each other enough, or critique themselves enough.  

 

Sam Blancato, Pittsburgh