7 months ago

#guitarwisdom #guitarinspiration #dealingwithcritics
It takes courage to put your music out there publicly. And no matter how good your music is, some people will REJECT it, CRITICIZE it, even HATE it. In this short video, I offer few decades' worth of advice on how to deal with your critics and get inspired instead of demoralized.

Soundtrack Music:
"Messenger" (backing tracks) © 2022 Cosmic Spin
Written, produced and performed by Robert Cassard
(Audio MP3 available FREE to Patreon supporters.)

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT
What if you've been playing and maybe singing for a while? You've mustered up the courage to put your music out there — maybe you're playing live, or you're recording and releasing songs, maybe even writing original songs...
Well, you'd better thicken up your skin. Because It doesn't matter how good or even great you are — some people are gonna HATE what you're doing, and in today's polarized social media environment, they're gonna let you know they hate it.
Cuz when it comes to music EVERYBODY has opinions — and they're usually STRONG ones. One challenge for us musicians is that making music is a vulnerable thing to do. Playing and singing are intensely personal. And when you do 'em publicly, it takes almost as much courage as stripping naked — at least until you’ve built your confidence.
But how can you build confidence if you've got haters telling you you suck? Cuz the fear of rejection is real. And rejection can really mess with your head and even stop you from making music altogether.
So today, I'm gonna help you put on your armor and learn how to handle criticism and use it as a motivator. This won't take long, but it's a super valuable lesson no matter where you are in your music career, so stick with me.
So I've been making music professionally for many years. I put out my first album when I was 18. I opened as a solo act for national artists during college. I've produced albums for some really diverse and talented musical acts. Then for a while, I threw myself into raising kids and doing my day job, and making a lot less music. But now, no matter what else I’m doing, I’ve made the choice to be and stay in music. I'm playing live, I'm making these videos, and I'm recording and releasing music consistently.
And guess what? Now I've got HATERS. I think I have a pretty thick skin, but when someone lands an unexpected punch, it still hurts. But... there are some creative ways to dodge the punches, and it really depends on YOU.
I want you to think about the black-and-white arguments you see people having about even the biggest, most successful musicians. Obvious example: one person says Bob Dylan is the greatest artist of all time, another says he sucks and can't even sing. So which is it?
An opinion, no matter how hateful, always says more about the HATER than it does about you and your music.
We know intellectually that the only worthwhile feedback is constructive feedback, not acidic criticism. But there’s a lot of people throwing acid, and most of them aren’t taking risks and putting their own music out there.
So I want you to think of your haters in a whole new way. Because making music, you're competing for every listener's attention.
You're competing against all the music that's even been released. And there's something like 60,000 new songs coming out EVERY DAY.
And then all the TV Shows, the Movies, the visual entertainment. All the books someone might be reading, all the podcasts, the video games...
What I'm saying is — when someone lashes out about your music, it's kind of huge. It means you got their UNDIVIDED attention — enough for them to say something about it — to care. Your music, your ART, generated a visceral response — and ironically, that's proof of its value. Whether someone thinks it's good, bad or indifferent, you got and held their attention, so you won. I say love your haters, get inspired by 'em, make music because you want and need to, and just keep going.

Robert Cassard shares guitars, gear and tips to make you a better musician.

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Hi, my name is Robert Cassard. Thanks for watching, liking, and subscribing!I am a lifelong guitar player, singer-songwriter, producer, and music fanatic
I create Guitar and Recording Discoveries videos to share the pure joy of music — shortcuts to help you play guitar, sing, record, and sound great doing it. I learn the hard way so you don’t have to!

Learn more about me, my music, and my videos:
https://www.guitardiscoveries.com/

Check out my band Cosmic Spin’s website:
https://cosmic-spin.com/

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