I've discovered I don't take criticism well.

[Benjamin Strange]

Yesterday I posted an ad on Craig's List stating I'm looking for musicians to play with, and put a link to my website so people can hear what kind of work I'm doing. I figure it's a hell of alot better than giving some vague descriptions of what I sound like, then hauling a bunch of gear across town, only to find out in the first five minutes we're completely incompatable. There's tons of musicians crawling around on Craig's List, so I usually get a bunch of hits from it, but I'm not getting any emails from prospective musical partners. Hmmm...

Here's the point of the story: I got an anonymous posting on my guest book that says "Do people still listan to this kind of music, it's just do dated..."[sic]. No name, no context, no explaination, nothing. Now, I don't think of myself as being thin skinned, but for some reason this really stung. It wouldn't have been so bad if they had been kind enough to give me some sort of context - what exactly constitutes "dated", what they consider hip now, etc. Weird; constructive critisism doesn't bother me, but random insults like this just get under my skin. I find myself wondering if I truly do sound dated, and what I can do to avoid fitting that description. Hmmm. I know I'm reading too much into this, but for some reason this feeling is lingering longer than it should.

Am I alone here? Anybody else get random insults about your music that you just can't handle well?

[Jack]

I havent heard youre music, so let me know if Im off-base here.

If someone told you thery're favourite band of all time was Good Charlotte, because they're are innovative and original, would you care?

Its they're opinion, they can think whatever they want, if you like what you do then keep doing it.

I feel I had to say something because I just quit my band, they were getting too death metal, im much more of a light hearted punk-pop kinda guy. (Not Good Charlotte though!!! Think Less Than Jake + Offspring, happy and energetic stuff.)

You think you could post alink to your ad, Id like to listen to some of your stuff.


Jack


Edit - Just listened to 'Excerpt from the Apocrypha' and its a litte odd, but whatever floats you boat.

[Brendan]

Take a Valium, and chill out duder. If he can't even be bothered to leave his name, it's not worth getting worked up over.

[Stinsok]

They were probably looking for a Mark Hoppus clone.

[Gard]

Benji, face it, you suck.


Once you embrace your suckitude, become one with it, these things will cease to perturb you.










(of course, you do know I'm just yankin' your chain...and pokin' fun at the IDIOT that sent you a chicken-$h!t anonymous note)

[Josh Ryan]

Well, you do sound a bit 1620's, but your doing things that with it that the fife and harmonium could never do!



That guestbook post is meaningless, feel free to ignore.

[Munjibunga]

OK, I listened to Sicarii, and I don't get it. Not that it's not interesting, but I couldn't envision myself playing it to an audience. If you are you your only audience, well then good. But how big of a group of people would pay money to come hear it? Let's just say it's pretty esoteric.

Of course, this is just my personal perspective, based on my desire to entertain people. I suppose one could be equally critical of my satisfaction in only playing other peoples' music pretty much the way it was originally played.

I'm not trying to be offensive here, but just this once.

[Kavorka]

Think of it from a positive angle - its probably some dipwad who is jealous that you're a better player and looks to criticize your playing to make himself feel better.

Besides, given the music industry, ALL music is "dated" in style about a month after it came out.

[Dave Grossman]

C'mon, it's Craigslist. I'm sure you've seen the kind of kooks that post there sometimes. (er, referring to the respondant, not you, of course)

"Do people still listan to this kind of music, it's just do dated" ... well, anybody who thinks of music in terms of "dated" or not is not someone who is serious about music. Maybe they're serious about exploiting music to make a buck but not music itself. Additionally, a spelling mistake like "listan" is an indicator of just where that person is at. So, first, I wouldn't even take them seriously and second, if someone says something is "dated" it probably just means that it is in a genre that you aren't likely to hear on MTV or the local crap-hop-pop radio station.

If one of those new music nazis told me they liked my stuff, I'd take that as an insult. Fark that guy. Don't even give him a second thought. I'd be insulted that a turd like that simply exists in the universe and not that he said something negative about my music.

BTW, there are people who just go around insulting people on their guestbooks or message boards for no other reasons other than that it makes them feel better about themselves or because they're bored.

- Dave

[Benjamin Strange]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

OK, I listened to Sicarii, and I don't get it. Not that it's not interesting, but I couldn't envision myself playing it to an audience. If you are you your only audience, well then good. But how big of a group of people would pay money to come hear it? Let's just say it's pretty esoteric.

Of course, this is just my personal perspective, based on my desire to entertain people. I suppose one could be equally critical of my satisfaction in only playing other peoples' music pretty much the way it was originally played.

I'm not trying to be offensive here, but just this once.

Well, I'm glad you found it interesting. I think that's my favorite adjective.

I don't really care if people don't like it, or whether I ever make any money doing it. I know it's weird, and entertaining an audience is not really my intent. But it does bother me that somebody thinks it's "dated". I'm always trying to come up with something new and/or different, but the "dated" term puts me in a little box that I don't really care for. I just wish I knew what that box was.

[Matt Till]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

OK, I listened to Sicarii, and I don't get it. Not that it's not interesting, but I couldn't envision myself playing it to an audience. If you are you your only audience, well then good. But how big of a group of people would pay money to come hear it? Let's just say it's pretty esoteric.

Of course, this is just my personal perspective, based on my desire to entertain people. I suppose one could be equally critical of my satisfaction in only playing other peoples' music pretty much the way it was originally played.

I'm not trying to be offensive here, but just this once.

Phhht, c'mon, haven't you ever heard of drugs? He'd have a huge following!

Well Ben, maybe you should stop trying so hard to sound like...
...
...
The Temptations...


My only guess on the whole dated thing is your music is... down. And down is out of style now. I honestly think to the non intellegent listener, their are three kinds of music. Happy Music, Sad Music, and Sorta in between things are going OK music.

That and I honestly think you could sing for an Alice in Chains tribute band. You've got a very Layne voice, but you make it your own especially with the music you put underneath it.

So write it off as someone who doesn't have anything nice to say and should say nothing at all. That's not a review. "That's just nitpicking now isn't it" (Spinal Tap/ )

If someone has something against your music, if their opinion mattered they would say... well kinda what Munji said, "I don't personally like your music because..."

[LiquidMidnight]

Originally Posted by Dave Grossman

anybody who thinks of music in terms of "dated" or not is not someone who is serious about

More true words have never been spoken.

[vbass]

I would chalk it up to being CL more than anything. It seems a lot of roamers on that board do nothing but criticize other people. Also, keep in mind that most people only download one, maybe two songs, and so it's likely he downloaded the first song on your site, which is from the early eighties (didn't listen to your version). So if that's all he listened to, then I can see why he would say that your music is dated.

[Eyescream]

You should write him back and tell him to piss off. You do good work, and shouldn't worry about a joker like this.

[Mudfuzz]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

OK, I listened to Sicarii, and I don't get it. Not that it's not interesting, but I couldn't envision myself playing it to an audience. If you are you your only audience, well then good. But how big of a group of people would pay money to come hear it? Let's just say it's pretty esoteric.

Of course, this is just my personal perspective, based on my desire to entertain people. I suppose one could be equally critical of my satisfaction in only playing other peoples' music pretty much the way it was originally played.

I'm not trying to be offensive here, but just this once.

Personally when I go to a show I look forward to the chance of hearing something NEW and something I haven't heard 1,000 times before.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by Benjamin Strange

Well, I'm glad you found it interesting. I think that's my favorite adjective.

I don't really care if people don't like it, or whether I ever make any money doing it. I know it's weird, and entertaining an audience is not really my intent. But it does bother me that somebody thinks it's "dated". I'm always trying to come up with something new and/or different, but the "dated" term puts me in a little box that I don't really care for. I just wish I knew what that box was.

Well, somewhere I have an album entitled "Silver Apples of the Moon" from the 60's you should listen to.

[HeavyDuty]

Ben, since you suck so badly, can I have your Steinies?

Wish I could give it a listen, but I'm on dialup. I assume its Prog?

[Benjamin Strange]

Originally Posted by HeavyDuty

Ben, since you suck so badly, can I have your Steinies?

Wish I could give it a listen, but I'm on dialup. I assume its Prog?

Eh, I guess if you're the type that calls Pink Floyd, Radiohead, and Tool prog then that's what you could call it. I try to be progressive without sounding prog, if that makes any sense.

And sure, you can have my Steinies. You can take them FROM MY COLD, DEAD HANDS!!!!!!!!!

[john turner]

Originally Posted by Benjamin Strange

Am I alone here? Anybody else get random insults about your music that you just can't handle well?

i look at the random sniping criticisms as opportunities to address my own ego and self image. on the one hand, if it stings too much then i feel i have to re-evaluate why i am playing and composing what i do. on the other hand, hearing folks giving me a hard time about what i do helps to make sure i don't get too cocky, which is an invaluable resource.

[Benjamin Strange]

Originally Posted by john turner

i look at the random sniping criticisms as opportunities to address my own ego and self image. on the one hand, if it stings too much then i feel i have to re-evaluate why i am playing and composing what i do. on the other hand, hearing folks giving me a hard time about what i do helps to make sure i don't get too cocky, which is an invaluable resource.

Amen, brother. I have used this opportunity to look at my music through the eyes of others. It's not pretty, but it's good to do sometimes.