Criticism


The phraseology of newspaper criticism often disturbs musicians,

especially those who are very sensitive, and sometimes arouses their ire

so that they make reply. In doing so they make a mistake. They place a

weapon for further attack in the hands of the critic and add to the

force of his remarks by showing that they have hit the mark. One does

not prize a shot which goes wide of the point at which it was aimed but

is
uite proud if, by chance, he hits the bull's-eye. The sensitive man

in his reply shows how fortunate the critic is in his shooting. It is

not easy to bear the remarks of a harsh critic and it is much harder to

draw from them any good lesson. (Whether one may draw a lesson from

criticism is not open for remark at this writing.) Yet, when one gives

serious thought to the criticism which seems so cruel he will learn that

no one has been hurt by it except the critic himself. He has lowered his

thought from a high plain and has made his nature, thereby, coarse and

uncomfortable. That cannot come to anyone, even for a few minutes

without making him less manly. Out of the fullness of his heart at that

moment the critic has written and sent out into the world that which

lowers. What he sows, that shall he also reap, and in due time his

unkindness will come home to him. If he can bear his own act the

musician can endure it for the brief time that the "smart" is there.

None should ever forget that a man can injure himself but no one else on

earth can injure him.



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