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Someone has to do it, and it may not be easy for them to hear or for you to say, but SOMEONE has to do it!

We've all been exposed to it. We hear our friends singing off key, and even the wrong lyrics at times. An old friend of mine was singing "Thank you Thailand" in place of "Thank you Silence" in the common Alanis Morrissette song, "Thank You." -Did I sit there and let her think she was right? No maam, no sir! I did exactly what a real friend would do: It's called "Cold Hard Reality." We both had a good laugh about it and she knows the correct words now.

It happens all too much anymore, regardless whether it be singing or any other physical acts; being patronized. A little is okay, but instructive criticism is most often times very far and few between. People "getting each others backs", etc. Then, when the real judges or rules set in, they can't handle the rejection and the truth, and think that people are just being "mean" to them. Take American Idol as a prime example... Some of these people can't sing their way out of a paper bag, and it's awful and we often times wonder if it's staged.... but it isn't.... the majority of the world really does believe that they are so WONDERFUL and GREAT at what they do, when really... they are mediocre to poor. But without some good old fashioned instructive criticism from someone that really cares, they're going to believe that they are good. Then when Simon say "Do you really think that you're good...seriously?", they get all huffy and think he is being rude just to be rude. He is a bit harsh, but he's SO right! Which family member or friend actually let you get this far? To me, THAT is rude.. because it's misleading someone you claim to be your friend or family, so when they get the real news, it's a huge shock to them!

The moral of the story is this: Let 'em down easy, but be up-front and honest to someone, even if they do sing like a piece of un-tuned factory machinery. Because they can build off of that, correct it, take a singing lesson, and do what it takes to make themselves better. If they can't handle that as one of your good friends, then they can't handle life very well and are in for a very rude awakening. Or you could patronize them to death just because you're too weak to let them down easy and fear that they might not 'like you anymore' for your truth, and watch them stumble and fall throughout their entire life or take on positions that they are not qualified for and become miserable. Like I said, this goes with more than just singing....

Learn more about this author, Daniel Selzer.
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