[Trombone-l] To Ray and all who have ever been "reviewed".

[Fred M Hudson]

When I played in the Asheville, NC Symphony in the '60's - '70's our
principal violist, a retiree from the NYC music scene, carried in his
wallet a laminated copy of a review of his recital in Carnegie Hall many
years earlier. It simply read:(to the best of my recollection)

" Mr. _____  ________ appeared on stage at Carnegie Hall last evening
carrying two violas. He played as badly on one as he did the other".

I have no idea what his first reaction was but he obviously decided to
treat it for what it was worth.

Fred

>
> Ray,
>
> I worked a job for several years in show room.  Every time a new act
> would
> come in so would the reviews.  That was every two weeks.  I was a hero and
> a
> bum.  One review said I was headed to be the next Tommy Dorsey the next
> one
> said I couldn¹t play at all.  (The truth was somewhere in between!)  The
> older sidepeople told me to let it go or it would eat me up.  They were
> right.
> I stopped believing these writers.  Some not only have ink in their veins
> but venomous poison too.  When I was really bugged I¹d write a scathing
> letter like you, then rip it up.
> Seemed to make me feel better.
> I¹ve always thought a ³review² should be a review not a critique.  Where
> was
> it?  Who was in it?  What did they perform?  How was the service
> (waitstaff,
> ushers, et al) ?  How much does it cost?  How long does it run? What does
> the ticket cost? Is it appropriate for the kids? Parking? Etc.  That¹s a
> review.
>
> Easier said than done dept:  Forget about it.
>
> Truly,
> Dean Hubbard.
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