If there is one thing that my PT professors are trying to hammer into me it is this: don’t be defensive.
That advice is hard to take in when your initial reaction is “What do you mean defensive? I’m open to criticism, no problem.”
Guess what? Everyone is defensive. No one likes to be wrong or likes it when their choices come under scrutiny. I have a high tendency to be defensive instead of listening to what people have to say and taking their words into consideration.
This past weekend, I went to a workshop for Cantors at church. I’ve been cantoring at mass for years and singing for many more alone and with ensembles. The presenter for this workshop told us things we thought we knew but needed a refresher on. Tips like how to stand to get the best air flow and when to move to the ambo to sing the psalm. At the end of the workshop, I was given the chance to work one-on-one with the archdiocesan music director.
Notice how I phrased that. Continue reading
The Diary of a Southpaw 