Comments on: Attention Music Critics http://www.headabovemusic.com/attention-music-critics Head Above Music Fri, 02 Jul 2010 07:56:09 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Paul Glover http://www.headabovemusic.com/attention-music-critics/comment-page-1#comment-667 Paul Glover Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:04:40 +0000 http://www.headabovemusic.com/?p=1097#comment-667 I took 15 years off from music to raise a family and am just getting back into writing, recording and submitting to opporunities in TV and film. I feel like I am starting over. As a more mature (I like to think anyway) artist really starting over, I have come to recognize a few things. 1) An understanding that less quality music is slected over far superior music available in circulation. It is what it is. 2) An understanding that my abilities will always improve. So today's critiques will not apply to tomorrow's music 3) Develop a "never give up" attitude. I am a firm believer that if you throw enough "you know what" against the wall, eventually something will stick. It did for someone else, why not me. 4) Enjoy the journey I agree with David that you have to accept all critiques, remove emotions as best you can, and then filter them down to apply the ones that make logical sense in what you are trying to accomplish. As an artist, we need to compile information, and then take action with it. I took 15 years off from music to raise a family and am just getting back into writing, recording and submitting to opporunities in TV and film. I feel like I am starting over. As a more mature (I like to think anyway) artist really starting over, I have come to recognize a few things.

1) An understanding that less quality music is slected over far superior music available in circulation. It is what it is.
2) An understanding that my abilities will always improve. So today’s critiques will not apply to tomorrow’s music
3) Develop a “never give up” attitude. I am a firm believer that if you throw enough “you know what” against the wall, eventually something will stick. It did for someone else, why not me.
4) Enjoy the journey

I agree with David that you have to accept all critiques, remove emotions as best you can, and then filter them down to apply the ones that make logical sense in what you are trying to accomplish. As an artist, we need to compile information, and then take action with it.

]]> By: David Trotter http://www.headabovemusic.com/attention-music-critics/comment-page-1#comment-666 David Trotter Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:01:21 +0000 http://www.headabovemusic.com/?p=1097#comment-666 Actually I am on both sides of the coin. I have a fair amount of my own music played on television, and as a producer, and creative director I have to critique a LOT of music. There are fun times on both sides, and there are very dificult times as well. It is not as easy as one may think to tell a composer that a piece of music that they have their heart and soul in, that, that piece is just not going to cut it. Of course there are ways to say it, and give encouragement, and ways to bash someones hopes and dreams against the wall. That said, the really tough situations are when someone submits their best work, and you as a critique giver knows, "There is just no professional talent here". When someone is holding their breath, hoping you will love their work, it is so very difficult to offer advice. So we all have our ways to do the jobs we have, and I am the first to admit that courtesy is sometimes a lost art in this business, but you as a composer or artist should take every word of criticisim to heart and ask youself, "Is this correct?", and grow from it. That is how you win. Actually I am on both sides of the coin. I have a fair amount of my own music played on television, and as a producer, and creative director I have to critique a LOT of music. There are fun times on both sides, and there are very dificult times as well. It is not as easy as one may think to tell a composer that a piece of music that they have their heart and soul in, that, that piece is just not going to cut it. Of course there are ways to say it, and give encouragement, and ways to bash someones hopes and dreams against the wall. That said, the really tough situations are when someone submits their best work, and you as a critique giver knows, “There is just no professional talent here”. When someone is holding their breath, hoping you will love their work, it is so very difficult to offer advice. So we all have our ways to do the jobs we have, and I am the first to admit that courtesy is sometimes a lost art in this business, but you as a composer or artist should take every word of criticisim to heart and ask youself, “Is this correct?”, and grow from it. That is how you win.

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