Treating music as if it's a sport

[mjames]

Aren't you sick of this? Whenever I browse through comments on youtube there are always people making superficial comments about performers. Always the, "Yuja Wang is the best" "No one can beat her" "No Kissin is!" "No one can beat him."

Beat him at what? Wrestling? ***, sorry for the rant but this is just one of my pet peeves. Before I promised myself never to look at comments again but ughhhhhhhh. So annoying.

[stevensk]

You are absolutely right! I really dislike the "Who is the best.." "Who is your favorite.." threads in this forum. I think its childish and I expecects more from professional musicians.
 

[mjames]

You are absolutely right! I really dislike the "Who is the best.." "Who is your favorite.." threads in this forum. I think its childish and I expecects more from professional musicians.
 

I believe there is nothing wrong with saying "this guy is my favorite", but saying "___ is the best" is another story. Especially when you're basing it off stupid superficiality.

[j_menz]

Whenever I browse through comments on youtube ....

 

So don't. I find them easy to avoid and it much better for my blood pressure if I do.

[bronnestam]

Yes, I so hate this too. I don't think music society helps this up very much, as we have music competitions ... grades ... exams ... Well, I know this grading system - not very well known of where I live, thank God - could be helpful to some. One person I met last year explained that the grading helped her to set goals. OK.  Personally I set my goals in another way, it is a free choice you have.

And competitions ... you may say the same thing here, that you can participate if you like to and skip it if you don't like the idea. But again, the whole idea of competitions is supporting this STUPID idea that music is like sports, that it is something we rank and compete in. And that other musicians are our competitors. So if you and you and she play extraordinary good, I have to grit my teeth and wish you had not? Instead of enjoying these human and artistic achievments?

We are not competitors, we are fellow artists and therefore anyone's success is everybody's success. Or should be.

Then, of course, we should be allowed to have favourites. Idolization is a very bad thing in my mind, but some pianists will make a big impression on us and we may enjoy their performances better than others ... and get inspired by them, of course.

Not to mention that people in international forums like this tend to favourize very different names. There are so many good pianists; it is impossible to know about them all. And who said that a vast reputation is the same as being "the best"?