With the level of insecurity and self-deprecation in this statement, you may want to just hang a neon sign around your neck that has the same encouraging word collection (Sarcasm). Honestly, I think it’s better to state the obvious. The statement should be, “Somebody once told me I wasn’t very good and I let them get into my head”. Or the even more accurate, “I continue to compare myself to those that have significantly more practice time in than I do, and as a result I have made illogical comparisons and assessments of my own self worth”. But I get that practically no one would stop and read all of those words.
Stop comparing yourselves to every kid on youtube. To every professional that spends every second of every day with their instrument in hand practicing. To every person who has attained the skill to easily perform a song you have yet to master. It is pointless and there is no end to it. Live in the moment and follow your own path to musical fulfillment. It doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing. IT ONLY MATTERS WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
Where does this defeatest attitude come from? Why are we constantly comparing ourselves to others? Why are we allowing these borderline moronic statements to determine whether or not we are worthy of playing this instrument? Well I’m here to tell you, to literally beg you to stop doing it!
Can we agree on one statement? Can we at least agree that music is art? If that’s true, then how can art be judged? By its very nature it is considered a subjective piece. We do not possess the ability to judge someone else’s skill level in regards to something artistic, especially in the case of music! Perhaps we need to expand our minds and assume that not every note outside of what has been documented on the piece is incorrect, but rather an interpretation by the performer.
I have always believed that music serves to create changes in our moods and body language. I even go so far as to include that statement on the Bio page of this website. Perhaps our moods can be interpreted differently depending on who is listening?
Perhaps it’s not about every single note that is on the page?
Perhaps it’s more about the notes that aren’t being played?
After all, most of us refer to that as Jazz.
