By Sara Penny
Sometimes, laughing at the critics is the only healthy response. Any artist dreads that moment when they share their work and wait for the response. It can be helpful if it comes from a place of caring, or hurtful if it comes from a place of scorn.
We need to help our students learn to separate the valuable ideas from the useless negative comments when they enter any competition or festival that gives judging feedback. They also need to know how to handle the casual hurtful critiques that may occur in a group class or performance. This also helps them be aware of the need to be kind to their peers and teachers.
The trick is to separate the valuable comments from the chaff. If the criticism is helpful and moves your work to a stronger place, then it is worth considering. If it is negative with no redeeming value, then it is to be discarded quickly and completely in a hyperfast “Let it Go” mode.
Tomer Rozenberg suggests looking at one-star reviews to get some perspective on criticism. This is a classic one-star review of the magnificent Grand Canyon: “Too big. Just a hole in the ground. Not enough benches.” My son thinks this may have been an English person who is used to green landscapes and lots of benches along the trail. It makes me laugh about an entirely different perspective of a place that I love. Another hilarious one-star review is about Yosemite: “Trees block views and too many grey rocks.” This falls into the “what did you expect?” category.
When I judge for the local String Festival, I try to give two positive comments to every suggestion. Children who perform from a young age and receive written comments develop resiliency, which is especially valuable in middle and high school ages. Teachers and parents can help the students implement the useful suggestions and discard the comments that are not useful.
You might think that there is not a lot to say about a one-minute violin piece, but there are many facets to any performance. Even a four-year-old knows that posture and the bow hand matter. Straight bows, clear tone, accurate intonation, and so much more are involved in the performance.
In our area we have an annual String Festival that uniquely features mini-recitals so the family and friends can attend the performance. This gives the student valuable emotional support. Hearing the other students helps them get excited about upcoming pieces or the reassurance of hearing their previous pieces played. So, instead of a child going into a room with one judge, the child hears up to six other students perform.
We also insist on three judges. As a high school student, I had the bad fortune of having a very grumpy judge for state Solo and Ensemble who was pretty brutal. I was so upset I considered stopping playing my violin. It turned out he had a lot of personal problems and was in a particularly vile mood that day. When I set up the Southern Utah String Festival in 1983, I used three judges. This was a good decision because it balances out any particularly cutting comments or poor ratings.
Also, when all three judges say to fix your posture or bow hand, it has more weight and the students understand this is an issue to be resolved. When all three judges compliment the vibrato or dynamics, it reinforces the work involved in a more musical performance.
Whether it is sharing a new book, a painting, or a dance, the artist has to be vulnerable and willing to be open to criticism. The idea has been translated into an art form and the feedback is part of the artistic process. This is one of the benefits of participating in the arts: Learning how to communicate through art and being brave enough to share your art. Risking the criticism, embracing what is helpful, and discarding the rest is part of the process. This is a path of artistic growth.
So when you get those inevitable “one-star reviews,” remember to laugh, because seriously, that is the best response.