Trolls

Yesterday I was reviewing the various comments I received over the last 10 months.  All but one were positive or helpful.  I came across one however that was obviously from some frustrated troll, possibly even a bratty 14 year old who sits in front of his computer when he isn't falling asleep in school.  I stated on the very first post I made when I began this blog,  that I would welcome any positive criticisms, or stand corrected if I make an error in regard to the facts.  I always try to do the best research I can, but from time to time I can miss something.  However, I will delete any comment that flames me personally or anyone else who makes a comment.  I review my comments before publishing them and delete the flamers and trolls.  I don't get them very much, but I don't stand for them.

I deleted the comment from this troll, but now I wished I published it just so I could answer this person.  I hope you're reading this.  I would love to see your next comment.  The comment read "I see you didn't even put your name on this blog.  Why should I or anyone give a f--k about what you have to say?  What have you done musically?"  There was a little more drivel, but I forgot it.  Then he signed it as anonymous.  There it is.  He comments that I don't put my name on the blog, but he remains anonymous because he's just a troll.

So my answer to him, and to anyone who may echo his sentiments:  You don't have to give a f--k about what I say, any more than I give one about what you say.  What have I done musically?  More than you for sure.  Am I famous?  No. Have I tried to pass myself off as a great musician?  No.  What I have done musically is that I started the saxophone when I was 11, my father giving me my first lessons.  I left it for a while when I and everyone else got caught up in Beatlemania and took up guitars.  By 1970, I came out of that trance and returned to the saxophone. Over the years, in order to improve my playing, I took lessons from working pros like Kirk Feather and Frank Vicari, and from top players like Tim Price and Lee Konitz.  I also mentored a few years with Benny Carter, my idol.  I have played in local groups, nothing big time.  My musical preferences are blues and swing music.  I especially like slow blues and ballads where I can really allow the horn to sing.  This is why players like Benny Carter, Johnny Hodges, and Paul Desmond are among my favorites, as well as Pete Brown, Marshall Royal and Cannonball Adderley, and Ben Webster and Lester Young on tenor.

I worked in music retail for a number of years, managing the woodwind dept. of a large music store.  The best part of my job was getting young people interested and started in music and learning the saxophone.  Although I made my money in selling instruments and accessories, my main goal was to make sure that the customer got the best at what they could afford.  I noticed how many families were strapped for money but wanted their kid to play music or something positive instead of getting mixed up with a bad crowd.  As dept. manager, this gave me the opportunity to look at and try alternatives to the saxophones we were selling.  Our student level horns were cheap in price for sure, affordable to these parents, but were just badly made instruments.  The pro level horns were just too steep for them.  So I spoke to sales reps and received many samples of saxophones that were slightly higher in price to the student horns we had, but much better horns in sound and build quality.  Then I sought the pro level horns that were of a high build quality but were at least half of what the top 4 brands cost.  Top 4 being Selmer, Yamaha, Yanigasawa and Keilwerth.  I tried all the horns I could, so I knew which horns I would recommend and which to avoid,

When I do a review, I get absolutely nothing from the manufacturers for any positive reviews.  I have met Jerome Selmer twice, I am friends with Alex Hsieh of P. Mauriat, Vice President of the Buffet Group, Francois Kloc as well as the staff of the Buffet Showroom in New York. I know some of the best repair techs in New York City and Boston, and also correspond with others in different cities and countries.  In all this, I get absolutely nothing, both financially or in free instruments or services.  I don't know of any manufacturer's who give away any of their instruments, even to endorsers.  That's not how it's done, and those who believe it is know nothing.  Believe me, given my limited income these days, I would love to receive a free instrument or services, but that is not reality.  Regardless what some of you critics think, these companies and people have enough integrity and belief in their product not to have to have a favorable review paid for with some kind of bribe, least of all from someone who is not in the big time.

I have been accused by a few for "being on the payroll" of a particular company because I gave a rave review of the instrument.  One example was when I did a review of 5 Phil Barone saxophones.  The two people who made negative comments assumed I raved about them because I was being paid to do so.  No, I normally rave about an instrument if it 1) is of good build quality and plays and sounds good 2) is at a price point that makes it affordable for beginners, intermediate, amateur and working professionals on a budget.  It just so happened that the Phil Barone horns I played were all of a good quality and played and sounded great.  They had an unbelievable price point for a horn of their quality.  I do not know Phil Barone personally, never met him, never spoke to him on the phone, and never received a reply to the one email I sent him.  Maybe the two comments were based on negative experiences or opinions about Phil Barone.  I was not reviewing the man, just the saxes, and they were what I said they were as far as I was concerned.

I started this blog because I love the saxophone. Since it is MY blog, I will write my opinions about things.  No one else needs to agree with them, and my opinions are not more correct than your opinions.  Of course, when it comes to actual facts, that's a different story.  Facts are facts.  Of course, sometimes I do get some things wrong, perhaps an error in my source material, but then there's always someone out there who corrects it.  I always appreciate it when they do, and usually, those that do also do so respectfully.  If you want to flame me, then so long sucker.

The blog is my labor of love for an instrument I love.  It is not the be all and end all of saxophone blogs, just my contribution to the saxophone world.  I am pleased that I have literally hundreds and thousands of readers throughout the world, and that very often, a reference to this blog can be found on the first page of many Google searches.

So to my troll.  That's what I've done musically.  What the f--k have you done?