Marian said: >>I have never heard Kenny G. play and I would probably agree with you that Wayne Shorter plays better than him and most other people for that matter, but I don't like going there. I feel there is something inherently bad/wrong in making these kinds of comparisons/judgments.<<
But surely Marian you will not deny that records by these, and other, musicians CAN be compared. When we all sent our desert island disks to the list we had to make objective and/or subjective judgments on what to include on the list. Surely your criterion for inclusion was that you (and all of us too, of course) felt that these records were better than others. If not, how did you decide? Marian continued >>As a mom, I make a big effort not to compare one child with another. I try to be supportive of all of their creative and other efforts at learning and growing. In my view, in an ideal world, we would all approach each other in this manner. We would all urge/encourage each other to find and express what is inside. It is my view that criticizing others is a way of avoiding exploring one's own creative urges/abilities.<< I can't speak as a parent although I agree with the sentiment you express. As a teacher I also try not to compare one student with another although it is part of my job to 'grade' the work they produce. It doesn't mean I feel some are superior to others but one can't deny that the work they produce determines if they get to the next level or have to stay and repeat. The system doesn't work otherwise. I try my best to make all my students produce the best they can although some students' best is better than others, inevitably. We live in a very competitive world and I wish there were other ways to live our lives other than in competition with everyone else from a very early age although I have yet to find it. Regards mike in bcn
