This is a public apology, to someone who will probably never read it.

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I can be an insensitive sod, at times.

I was, last night.

I was listening to a group of young musicians practicing at our church, and one of them was "off". I discussed this openly. It was wrong of me to do that.

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Now, allow me to justify myself -- and this is always the fat edge of the apology wedge, not the thin edge.

I have lived a life with relative pitch (see also pitch), and good time sense. Both are a blessing and a curse. I can tell when instruments are even a little 'off key', and I can also tell when the rhythm of musicians has 'left the rails'.

I often say that I did not like my own playing (of the violin) until I'd reached Grade 5. It was the pitch and timing issue. At that stage, I was performing at a standard that my 'ear' could stand.

So, I find myself singing in a large choir and playing instruments in various settings where, from time to time, it 'hurts' me to be there because the performance around me just... sucks! Last weekend, I was in a concert rehearsal and the pitch was collapsing. Our choir sank by over a tone in about two pages of music. It was mainly because one of the soloists was 'leaning' on the note -- JUST a smidgen / tiny bit flat ALL the time -- that I asked the conductor whether we basses should try to 'retain the note' (help stop the sag) or just go with it. We went with it. It hurt!

Do I like poor note pitch and rhythm accuracy? Sure.

Is it important, ultimately? Most times.

Does it matter? Well, when stood up against "world peace" and so forth, no!

Am I going to change my ways? (and not say anything about people who can't keep even moderately adequate pitch or rhythm control.) Yes.

Is it out of line to say that others can't control pitch or rhythm? Yes. It hurts them, whether they hear it or not, because I'm thinking less of them and it flows out of me.

So, I am just going to hurt, and use that hurt to give me more energy in my musical efforts.

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Peter