Can you sing real well, but you've ever been insulted by a judge at an audition?

Question:

Can you sing real well, but you've ever been insulted by a judge at an audition?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Listen to Jan. This is great advice: "The sad thing about the arts world is that it is run by critics. Artists and potential artists need nurture. But we don't get it very often and we have to find our own ways to feed our souls, without buying all the crud around us."

And it is true that even the best of the best have taken lots of criticism. I think of Maria Callas at La Scala (I think it was there) who had to endure having radishes thrown at her at the end of a performance. She was way ahead of her time when she appeared on the opera scene and offered something quite different than the audience was used to. In time, the world caught up with her and made her the legend that she is, but until then, she just had to, as Jan says, "suck it up" and work hard and make herself the absolute best she could be. What an inspiration, right? A great example for all aspiring artists.

And, by the way, how do you think she responded to that rain of radishes? Well, being the diva she was, she scooped a bunch from the floor, raised it high and pretended it was the most beautiul bouquet of roses in existence. Now THAT's confidence!

Oh and one more p.s.: listen to some of the "supposedly" great singers of our time, the ones who are burning it up on the classical charts right now. I think, most particularly of Angela Gheorghiu. On many of her recordings she is completely FLAT in parts. The sad aspect of becoming such a big star is that no one will tell you when you are making mistakes and not performing up to par. This happened to Pavarotti as well. They get too big for their britches and everyone around them lives in fear of treading on their sensitive musical toes.

Be grateful that you can receive honest criticism. It's one of the best tools you have for improving and becoming the best you can be. But always remember to weigh it against what you absolutely know about yourself because, as we all know, critics can be wrong too. Take their advice with a grain of salt and and add a pinch of Jan's self-nurturing to your soul. Somewhere hiding in that alchemy lies the truth and only you know what that is. Callas understood these ideas and used them to her dying day. Are we any better than she?