I live in a different sphere than music - I'm a novelist and also, of course, a reader of novels but the same critique applies. Each time I see a post about how people don't read as much anymore I find myself thinking of my own experience, which is that every new "it" book is praised to high heaven by everyone under the sun but as a READER, it often gives me very little pleasure and I feel first duped, (I fell for the PR again) then jaded, so that now I don't believe ANY hype about a new release. We have to stop praising middle-of-the-road work with phrases like "I couldn't put it down" or "the best book of the year" when the new release is good, but not THAT good. I'd like reviewers to start being honest, but I'm sadly afraid that is not going to happen.
This sounds wacky...I'm a practitioner of a "Tibetan Buddhist style" of ethics and mind training practice. A great way to describe that is becoming an "Honest Broker". Look at your process as you began to critique your voice. What began to happen. You began to resist powerful yet unskillful inner and outer behavior. And critically, you kept writing through it. That was your meditation. Wacky connection, I know. But interesting, at least to me. Thank you for everything!
I actually started with “Music: A Subversive History” and found it a completely original view of the subject, not at all like any conventional histories, and yet supported by the same set of historical facts. Or at least not inconsistent, but an entirely new reading of them.
Synchronicity - I just finished reading an essay on Elliott Smith on Substack, emphasizing just how little he composed with an audience in mind and contrasting that with a lecture by Robert Fripp on the six principles of performance. Both have their own integrity if allowed to emerge on their own terms, uninfluenced by ego i.e. the demands of the self for justification. Your philosophy of the Honest Broker has the same principles of selflessness behind it.
Good read, thanks for the thoughts. I'm guessing no love lost on the former lifestyle; stress and gravity have a lot in common.
I bet you have at least one serious buttered popcorn summer blockbuster in your past. I've just finished several years in another sector where the daily routine involved a level of confidentiality. Gripping entertainment for a couple of hours but as you wrote, eventually it's time to get out.
Thank you. I guess my "moderately high" intelligence can be seen as a blessing, my ethics strengthened early on by my risk aversion. Later I saw taking risks with people as the key step in trust development. Always, as an engineering consultant, I turned down work if the client already knew the answer, or didn't want my opinion, whether it offered relief or uncomfortable responsibility. I did find fairly early (5 years in?) that people mostly stopped asking me to do that type of unethical, in my book, work.
Over decades, I did facilitate professional dialogs with my colleagues. Once, a large scandal plagued company had me do a workshop for their technicians and engineers, to generate introspection.
After I released my new Creative Critical Thinking Workbook in March of 2025, one of my colleagues was providing feedback. He noted that he wished that the clarity helped him develop backbone. That was a wonderful insight.
In the current political climate, my own "sins of omission" cause me suffering. But as you note, Ted, the suffering hopefully keeps me trying to find more strength to develop my backbone.
Building skill in doing the right thing is indeed a long developmental process.
A very interesting story...and I think a complex life experience probably adds some colour to one's perspective...I started writing about thirteen years ago by writing occasional liner notes to CDs I played on. Now I do reviews, but only of things I like and things I feel I can say something useful about. My main objective is to get people to listen to music and maybe have an idea of things to listen to in jazz that aren't just insider devices, but actual feelings and emotions, even images, that the music might conjure up. But it's mostly a vanity project, aside from some reviews for a website based publication....but it's a lot of fun.
I've generally ignored critics as they were, as you described, addressing an audience that wasn't me. They seemed more interested in hanging out with A&R guys and seeing who had the coolest bomber jacket. (I've seen this first hand while working in the music business in London.)
I live in a different sphere than music - I'm a novelist and also, of course, a reader of novels but the same critique applies. Each time I see a post about how people don't read as much anymore I find myself thinking of my own experience, which is that every new "it" book is praised to high heaven by everyone under the sun but as a READER, it often gives me very little pleasure and I feel first duped, (I fell for the PR again) then jaded, so that now I don't believe ANY hype about a new release. We have to stop praising middle-of-the-road work with phrases like "I couldn't put it down" or "the best book of the year" when the new release is good, but not THAT good. I'd like reviewers to start being honest, but I'm sadly afraid that is not going to happen.
This sounds wacky...I'm a practitioner of a "Tibetan Buddhist style" of ethics and mind training practice. A great way to describe that is becoming an "Honest Broker". Look at your process as you began to critique your voice. What began to happen. You began to resist powerful yet unskillful inner and outer behavior. And critically, you kept writing through it. That was your meditation. Wacky connection, I know. But interesting, at least to me. Thank you for everything!
I love your writing and am working my way through your books. Thank you for the origin story. I’m inspired by your determination and persistence.
Could you please recommend a first book to read? Merci
I actually started with “Music: A Subversive History” and found it a completely original view of the subject, not at all like any conventional histories, and yet supported by the same set of historical facts. Or at least not inconsistent, but an entirely new reading of them.
The high road is always less crowded
This is wonderful, thank you! both for taking this path, and for sharing the story of the path with us.
Great read, Ted!
Does being honestly broke count for anything?
Synchronicity - I just finished reading an essay on Elliott Smith on Substack, emphasizing just how little he composed with an audience in mind and contrasting that with a lecture by Robert Fripp on the six principles of performance. Both have their own integrity if allowed to emerge on their own terms, uninfluenced by ego i.e. the demands of the self for justification. Your philosophy of the Honest Broker has the same principles of selflessness behind it.
What do you think of Rick Beato?
I assume you noticed that Mr Gioia was on Rick Beato’s show.
I did not know that. Thank You.
Great story!
Keep on keepin’ on, Ted.
Great 👍. Thank you 🙏.
Good read, thanks for the thoughts. I'm guessing no love lost on the former lifestyle; stress and gravity have a lot in common.
I bet you have at least one serious buttered popcorn summer blockbuster in your past. I've just finished several years in another sector where the daily routine involved a level of confidentiality. Gripping entertainment for a couple of hours but as you wrote, eventually it's time to get out.
Thank you. I guess my "moderately high" intelligence can be seen as a blessing, my ethics strengthened early on by my risk aversion. Later I saw taking risks with people as the key step in trust development. Always, as an engineering consultant, I turned down work if the client already knew the answer, or didn't want my opinion, whether it offered relief or uncomfortable responsibility. I did find fairly early (5 years in?) that people mostly stopped asking me to do that type of unethical, in my book, work.
Over decades, I did facilitate professional dialogs with my colleagues. Once, a large scandal plagued company had me do a workshop for their technicians and engineers, to generate introspection.
After I released my new Creative Critical Thinking Workbook in March of 2025, one of my colleagues was providing feedback. He noted that he wished that the clarity helped him develop backbone. That was a wonderful insight.
In the current political climate, my own "sins of omission" cause me suffering. But as you note, Ted, the suffering hopefully keeps me trying to find more strength to develop my backbone.
Building skill in doing the right thing is indeed a long developmental process.
A very interesting story...and I think a complex life experience probably adds some colour to one's perspective...I started writing about thirteen years ago by writing occasional liner notes to CDs I played on. Now I do reviews, but only of things I like and things I feel I can say something useful about. My main objective is to get people to listen to music and maybe have an idea of things to listen to in jazz that aren't just insider devices, but actual feelings and emotions, even images, that the music might conjure up. But it's mostly a vanity project, aside from some reviews for a website based publication....but it's a lot of fun.
What a wonderful story!
I've generally ignored critics as they were, as you described, addressing an audience that wasn't me. They seemed more interested in hanging out with A&R guys and seeing who had the coolest bomber jacket. (I've seen this first hand while working in the music business in London.)