The Life of a Critic

I think in some way each of us are critics. Everything we interact with on a daily basis, we judge. Our food, movies, music, friends and family. We decide what’s fashionable and trendy. Society, as a whole, is one giant pointing finger, and you just have to hope that you fit the mold of what’s “in” so you don’t have to hide your true self.

When I started playing music, I did it because I thought there was nothing cooler than being in a band. Of course I loved music and loved to play, but let’s be honest – I wanted to be cool, and guys in bands are generally considered to be the creme of the crop…the coolest of cool. As I made made way through the maturation process and as my musical endeavors expanded, I became more serious about my direction as an artist. I stopped caring so much about being cool and focused rather on being the best I could be.

My first real project, Endthefall, was a real eye opener for me. For the first time, my music (our music) was let out unto the masses. All of a sudden there we were in the spotlight with all eyes on us, and subject to the very judgment that we so casually passed out before. It was then I learned that integrity and maintaining my artistic values were more important than anything else I was doing. “Take the criticism and learn from it.” “Bad press is better than no press.” One cliché after another. I learned to take the good with the bad, and smile pretty for the camera.

Here I am now, on the other side, and it’s my job to give our readers my opinion on artists. I truly feel as though, having played both sides of the field, I can portray a sense of honesty and fairness in my writing. I know how it feels to be judged as an artist; however, I also know how important it is to maintain integrity as a writer, and I will always be true to myself and the artists in my reviews.

I think I can speak for all of us here when I say that we love our job and we love being a part of the music community. We enjoying writing and are very opinionated people who are not afraid to be direct and straight. Let us do our job, but at the same time, feel free to disagree. Call us out and tell us that we are wrong. Explore your right to be heard, because we appreciate your opinions as well. Don’t question our capabilities and candor with mindless insults and sarcasm. Contribute your ideas and suggestions, and know that we are hearing your voice. We listen to the music; it’s what we do. The NewReview is ever-growing and with your support we can become an unstoppable force in the music community. Keep reading and, by all means, keep disagreeing. God bless!