by Linda Ratcliff
Don’t let compliments go to your head, and don’t let criticism go to your heart.
In today’s culture, people feel free to say whatever is on their mind, whether it will hurt someone’s feelings or not. If you ever get negative feedback about your dulcimer playing, it can feel like a personal attack. Sometimes it’s very hard for musicians to separate themselves from their work. (And yes, you ARE a musician. It hurts because we put our heart and soul into our music, no matter if we are beginners or quite advanced.
Get Some Distance. 
The last thing you need to do is keep rehashing the criticism over and over in your mind.
Once the sting has worn off, ask yourself if there is anything you can learn from this critique. Maybe there is an area of your practicing that you have been neglecting, that you should be working on. Proverbs 28:23 (NLT) says “In the end, people appreciate honest criticism far more than flattery.”
Look To Your Idols.
Go ahead, pull up YouTube and find your favorite artist (can be ANY genre). Now scroll through the comments. Yikes, did you find any nasty remarks? Every musician faces criticism at some point.
Brush It Off.
Don’t let cruel words have power over you and your state of mind. You never know what people are going through personally. Maybe they just had a rough day.
You Can’t Please Everyone.
Guess what! Even JESUS couldn’t please everyone. But He never let that slow Him down. Don’t let anyone steal your joy in playing. Just keep on keepin’ on … and you’ll do just fine.
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