Honesty, Talent, Professionalism, and Friendship.

I find it disturbing that our society is one based on fantasy. You don't believe me, see movies, books, and other media outlets that show people getting what they want. This varies from things like love and acceptance to freedom and the appreciation someone with talent deserves.

However, this is rarely the case. Parents encourage their children to do anything they wish, and I hate to be the cynic, but most of the time they can't. To quote an old episode of George Lopez, "There's only one president, but there are millions of factory workers." And I couldn't agree more. I think one of the biggest mistakes that parents make is the mistake of misguiding their children. I hear so many little girls say they want to be singers when they grow up, and I'll hear them sing one note and know that they don't have the voice to sell hundreds of thousands of records. Of course, at 5 years old there is so much time for development and improvement, and I'd never break a little girl's heart like that, but when you reach my age you should know, chances are slim.

There are going to be people who will say, "Screw her; I can do it, I can do it." And I absolutely respect that. I just don't want people to be mislead into thinking that everything will fall perfectly into place because if it doesn't these people are left alone and lost and confused, which helps no one. Why do you think there are so many homeless people in Hollywood. Because there are ten thousand auditions and only one lead role.

I've seen some people who think that they are so accomplished in what they do because no one has ever had the heart to tell them, "This isn't actually your forte." And to do that to a kid, a high school kid, is the worst thing that you can do. What if you get someone who's spent his whole life being told. "Nice job, hun!" when he actually has the vocal abilities of a bullfrog? He'll go for something legit, a Broadway role, or something in a movie or audition for a band and be told, "You can't sing for shit." That person has spent his whole life being lied to, and now the one thing that he has focused all of his energy on is now useless. What if it's too late to learn how to do anything else?

My point? Be honest. There are ways to be honest without being outright nasty. Be gentle with language and use a respectful tone. It isn't "You can't sing for shit," rather, "The range wasn't good for you." Unless, of course, you are the professional. But as friend, don't tell a lie to spare feelings, because you are being asked for a reason. Be honest, not misleading.