Ryan, if your gonna stay in the biz, you can't wear your feelings on your shoulder (dang, I've heard that expression for years but writing it down makes it sound kinda lame). Especially when you perform a style a bit out of the norm. I don't get anything out of gutteral screaming vocals myself, but I don't criticize the people who can do it because I know I damn sure couldn't. Just like I tell people, "Around our house, we spell "rap" with a capital "C". Don't like the stuff myself, but see it as a valid form of expression. First time I got into home recording, I did a song (instrumental, lot's of lead guitar noodling) and put it on a CD and took it to my mom and dad's. They listened to it and my dad didn't say anything, which didn't mean much as he has always been a workoholic and didn't spend much time with the entertainment side of life. My mom, on the other hand, has always played piano at home and in Church, so I asked her what she thought. She asked me what all those sounds were in the middle and I told her that was my guitar (thinking I had really amazed her with my fretboard prowess). She simply said, "Oh. I thought it was a bunch of little kids screaming." and she was dead serious. I didn't say anything but it kinda hurt my feelings and I didn't take any more of my songs over there for a while. Turned out, she was starting to lose some of her hearing and lots of high notes don't come through anymore.
Moral of the story: Don't worry about people criticizing what you do. Usually it means they don't understand what you're doing, but as long as you understand it, it's cool. And, just because they don't get it, don't mean they don't love you.
p.s. Maybe we could take you more seriously if your pic on here didn't look so much like Adam Sandler.
Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 8:05 am
