Re: How to woo publishers and agents

Heather Rose Jones <heather.jones@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I try to promote the motto "Music is far too important to be left to
professionals". I wince every time I hear somone say that they would
never sing in public (or that they have given up playing an instrument)
because they aren't of professional quality. Sure, as a listener,
there are people I enjoy hearing more than others. And of course there
are venues where it's appropriate to set standards. But I think it's a
tragedy if someone decides never to sing at all in any circumstance
because they've been told they "can't sing".

If they don't sing because of that, it's their problem. This is
about being _told_ that they can't sing. Not being told is what I
would consider an attempted insult, because it shows they don't
care. You (general you) don't have to say "it's shit", that would
just show that you try to raise yourself by putting other people
down. You can say it nicely. Perhaps make suggestions to improve it,
or leave it as it is if they aren't bothered.

An aquaintance of me can't hit a house-sized note with a
sledgehammer. She'd probably hit her own foot instead, and the
resulting sound matches her singing in quality. That doesn't keep
her from joyfully singing along with her kids when they go out with
laterns (some custom here, in autumn). She's having fun, they are
having fun.

It's nice when someone can poke fun at themselves, instead of
folding up and hiding an inability. The latter is as dishonest as
not telling someone the truth. (But I'm not responsible for others'
insecurities. It's their problem and they can keep it. It just
doesn't make them particularly likable.)

My grandmother could sing, did loudly in church to fill up the empty
banks, and loudly at home, saying it's either crying, screaming, or
singing. To me it was torture.

I'd prefer listening to that aquaintance sing for an hour over my
grandmother for one minute. (If she were alife, but fortunately
she's dead some years now.)

--
Tina
WIP: Working title: The Knight's Journey 1656 words
WISuspension: Seasons & Elements trilogy | Magic Earth series
Posted to Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.sf.composition.

.

Quantcast