Nigel, you would have been one hell of a corporate manager in a company that featured a high level of diversity (still don't know how you're able to keep all these Republicans in line ).

chas

Some of us are just too nice and can't criticize ...seriously there is a fine line one needs to toe when making comments on performances. Too tough, and feelings could be hurt, and friendships could be lost. But all nice, all the time, comments can come across phony. Nothing worse than "Nice Job", "Keep Up The Good Work". Reminds me of the old Bandstand days when Dick Clark had kids evaluate a new record. They almost all had the same line... "Well, it had a good beat, and it was easy to dance to"
Generic responses are not helpful, better to say nothing.

So my (new) policy... If it just plain bad, I won't say anything, unless the artist WANTS me to point out any flaws I hear or see. However if it's a good performance I almost always let him know that's it's either great, or try to point out what could make a 'good' into a 'great'. (not that I'm an expert, just try to help)

Again, it's not easy being a 'judge', not all of us can be a Simon Cowell, and be brutaly honest

I guess a question at the heart of this issue is, don't the worst posters have any idea that they are awful....can't play or sing at anywhere near a professional level?


Russ

.......but, if I could....:)

Larry, I agree with everything you said....AS IT PERTAINS TO AMATEURS. BUT, when you represent yourself as a 'PRO', you are going to be judged by 'pro' standards. You think people like Taylor 'I sing in the right key MOST of the time' Swift and Britney Spears don't catch a boatload of grief? Making big time money helps ease the pain but I'm sure it also makes them strive to improve (even if it means just getting better pitch correction software next time out:) ). However, because of the delicate nature of relationships on this board, your 'if you can't say something good, don't say anything' policy is probably the best one (in ALL situations). I do understand Russ's dilemma though. My own tongue is raw and bleeding from having to bite it so much . Ahhhh, gotta love this forum.

chas

On a forum like this I admit brutal honesty is not even encouraged as it just comes across as being inflammatory in text which I won't tolerate due to the problems it causes. The forum is for all arranger players not just pro players. If your only response would be brutal then say nothing ... otherwise offer some constructive criticism that may actually help improve the performance.

I don't want any players to be discouraged from posting as that has been a problem in the past and I don't want that to become the case again.

.....well, except for that one guy that couldn't keep time in a bucket; played everything one measure ahead or one measure behind. Even the stuff in the middle was off beat. Someone HAD to tell him to go take up tennis. Mercifully, he stopped posting music. I think his music teacher may have shot him. Of course, that was a special case .

chas

I once went to see a customer to repair his Hammond Console, all the time I was there he played home recordings of himself doing something unimaginable to the keyboards of the organ and kept saying - I have never had a lesson...its marvellous!

Most times I can find something good to say about peoples playing...but honestly I never heard anything like it in my life!

To my ears it was an audio version of Willem de Kooning "Woman".

You are being very practical. You can't take it with you- it won't get you better seats in Heaven's Superbowl. I would do two things to try and ward of bickering:

1- Keep the terms secret until after the event of your passing

2- Add a clause that anyone who contests the will or takes other legal action to obtain assets in excess of your wishes be cut out of the will permanently.