NickD

Thanks all, and thanks Manny. You said someting that struck a chord:

I appreciate the notion of being somehow "tough" or "gutsy" for doing as you said. I sure thank you for those kind words indeed.

As an alternative thought, I see us ALL as having guts everytime we put one of these darn things up to our lips! The catch is the act of being a musician REQUIRES that we expose ourselves in this manner. This is why we do this! It's not that any of us WANT to risk being attacked by folks hiding behind the cloak of anonymity. Heck, personally, I don't want to be attacked by people even if I know who they are! However, as musicians, we are OBLIGATED to take those risks. It is part of sharing. I have posted this idea in various places on many different occasions. I'll reiterate it here. Music is very much like love. It has to be shared or given to have true meaning. I can play to my basement walls till the cows come home, and it really doesn't do much for me until I can share with someone as if to say, "Hey, man, isn't this a cool sound, musical idea? It makes me feel GREAT to make it, and I sincerely hope it makes you feel great to hear it!"

Manny, you are the principal trumpeter of one of the USA's great symphony orchestras! Man that is incredibly cool. Most of us would say that it takes guts to have to sit there and play music that EVERYONE knows and any tiny little clipped note will glare out like a sore thumb! Conductors can be rutheless about such things. Critics have been known to savage folks for this. Yet you gladly do it because of a couple of things. 1.) You have the increbible talent and skill to be sure that you do play flawlessly. 2.) You LOVE doing this! 3.) You LOVE having people share in it!

As an aspiring jazz player I have a different set of challenges, but one of them that is almost a complete reversal of the fact that you have to play things in an extraordinarily consistent fashion is the fact I am EXPECTED to NOT do that! I have to try to create a new solo evey thime I step up to blow over some changes. This can be very daunting in light of your comments on criticism. Sometimes I'll hear ideas and I can get them to come out the way I hear them and they fit the way I hear it and it connects with the audience. On other occasions, something doesn't quite work the way I had hoped, and then the criticism might ensue (depending on who the audience is). In the Ken Burns Jazz series, one of the shows was titled "Risk" and was devoted to this very concept.

So one might say that it takes guts for me to try to learn how to play jazz and that it takes guts for me to create something and then expose it to criticisim online or to the world (I plan on sending out press kits to DownBeat, JazzIs and the carious big newspapers around the world), but that is our lot in life - MY lot in life.

I hate being told that my music doesn't deserve to be listened to and that I would be better served to tell folks to listen to the music of others (jazz greats). That hurts! It should, or I'd be pretty insensitive. However, I HAVE TO BE PREPARED to take those comments for a variety of reasons. For one thing, folks are entitled to their opinons! Music is a subjective art and one of the things it is subject to is taste! Our tastes all differ. I harbor no illussions that my music will please everyone who listens.

I once had a 2.5 hour phone conversation with Herb Alpert. One of the things that he told me was "One should never judge art." I was impressed by this. I would add that ones art "is what it is."

Do I have guts? I'm not sure. but I don't have a choice, if I am to be a jazz musician (at least someday, eh?). That's OK with me. I love doing this, and though I don't like it, I can take the pain of criticism. It's worth it in the long run if I can help one person share the joy I have in making this music by listening to my work.

Incidentally, one of the nice things about sharing online is that folks can preview my music at my mp3 site for free with no risk. If they don't like it, they don't have to buy it or ever listen to it again! No hard feelings!

Manny, and all the rest of the kind folks who have been supportive here, thank you for all of your support. Deecy (is it Tom Deecy?? - just curious) thanks for providing some grist for the mill. At the very least you've given me an incentive to keep on writing recording and striving to hone my craft - art. I appreciate the not so gentle nudge!

It's ThanksGiving AM. My mom is staying with us. We're going to a church service in about 45 minutes. I'm going to go for now.

Peace to all of you and a happy ThanksGiving to my USA friends. To my non-USA friends, have a great weekend.

NIck

__________________

NickD
"Free Online Lessons in Extreme Trumpet Playing"
http://www.nickdrozdoff.com
http://www.newyorktrumpetcompany.com/
http://www.myspace.com/nickdrozdoff