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.