minstrel: aid for baby bards

[Pendar]

On Mon, 10 Mar 1997, Joshua Kronengold wrote:

> Thank you, Heather -- Bou said what I wanted to say, but better, as
> well as more politely.  
> 	I apologize for the flamey content of the previous post
> (though not to the original poster, I'm afraid, I still find the
> statements that you should "not try to teach, because anyone who can't
> learn the bardic arts on their own is never going to be any good anyway"

WHAT!?!? That is NOT what I said. What I said is that Bardic skills 
cannot be taught (because) The person learning them must motivate 
themselves to learn them on their own. I never said anything about them 
"never going to be good anyway."

Repeatedly over the last several years I have been approached by people 
who wish to learn songs or bardic skills of various sorts from me. I give 
them what I can, and often nothing comes of it because they don't 
practice. Thus I have become fairly cynical towards the whole teaching 
process. I can give you the materials and the knowledge, but it is up to 
YOU to put it to use. That last line is exactly what I meant by my 
statement and not "they'll never be any good anyway." You are jumping 
down my throat for something YOU misunderstood. 

> and "don't give feedback, because all neobards have fragile egos and
> will be driven away by the faintest hint that their works aren't the
> best,

Generally, yes, this is true. I'm glad you disagree with it, it shows you 
are not as cynical and jaded about it as I am, but I tend to treat all 
new bards as unpolished silver. You can polish it into something 
beautiful and shining or beat it into a dented mess. The majority of the 
new bards I have met are frightened that they may be doing something 
wrong. Giving them criticism at this time is only going to do make them 
think twice before performing again. 

 and in any case, it won't do any good, because the bardic arts
> can't be taught strongly offensive) to all of the readers of the
> Minstrel list who didn't really need to read that.

I didn't say they couldn't be learned, only that they couldn't be taught.

-Pendar



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