Criticism - How Do I Handle It and How Do I Use It?
Monday, July 6, 2009 at 10:29AM I received an interesting phone call this morning from a friend and veteran artist of dozens of recordings. He wanted to send me his new CD before it goes to manufacturing because he had been getting different feedback from everyone he’d played it for.
I told him that everyone has an opinion, but that he must serve his vision of the recording, but he still felt a little confused and unsure of himself with regard to the recording and asked me if I’d listen to it for him and give him my opinion. 
As an aside, please remember that when you ask a professional producer to stop his own life, his own projects and listen to yours that you are requesting that they give you time. Time is one of the things that you pay a professional for; their time. So when you make that request of someone, tell them that you expect to pay for their time and expertise and ask them what they will be charging you.
You must pay them for the hour or so that they will be listening to your work and secondly, you must pay them something for the knowledge and expertise that they have developed from years of dedication to their craft and the fact that they are now sharing it with you. This is simple business.
Now regarding the fact that everyone has a different opinion, please expect everyone to have something to say. And if you ask someone for criticism, that’s what you are going to get. They will all have agendas and different takes on everything, so expect that and expect to consider it and then use or disgard whatever you will.
First ask yourself my fabled question, “what do you want to have happen?” Why are you making this CD? Who is this CD for? Who will be playing it? What do you expect to do in sales? Where do you expect to sell it? Who are you selling it to? Answer those questions before you give your music to anyone else to critique. The criterion developed from this series of questions will allow you to handle, categorize and employ or disregard the advice and criticism you are going to get.
Why are you making this CD?
Is it for you? Is it to get your music into films or television? Is it so that when you play live you can leave some music behind? Is it to help you iin some way to make a living? Or is it because you have some music inside of you that you simply want to get out and onto something concrete. Determine this as early as you can in the process.
Who is this cd for? Who are you selling it to? Where do you expect to sell it?
Is it to sell to audiences at your performances? If so, it must reflect honestly what you do up there on the stage. Performing solo and selling the audience a CD that has a nineteen piece funk band backing you up on everything is not going to make them happy. They saw you do what you do alone and if they want to buy that music and take it home, that’s what they think they are getting. I have several albums that I sell at live shows. They honestly and effectively reflect what I do on stage (I also have a wonderful two disk live CD of one of my shows). Then if these people become truly interested in me as an artist, I can break out the other things that I have done.
Is this CD to demonstrate to music directors what you could do to a piece of film? Is it to demonstrate to singers that the songs contained would be perfect for them? Whatever your purpose. Remember that and serve that.
Who will be playing it?
Will this CD be played by family, friends, radio stations, fans; who is going to play it? Make certain that you know who you are expecting to play this CD and you will know how to produce and arrange it. The answer is inherent in the question.
What do you expect to do in sales?
You ask yourself this question so that you don’t end up with a living room full of CD’s that no one seems to want. Give yourself an honest assessment of what you think you can do sales wise. And make enough copies so that you can give away at least half of them as promo. It sucks but that’s the way it seems to be.
If you have answers to all these questions, then whatever criticism comes your way, you apply it to the questions at hand. Does it serve this vision that you’ve created by answering these questions? If it does, then apply that criticism. If it doesn’t, then disregard it. If you have answered all these questions truthfully then you can trust yourself and your vision. You know where you are going.
Reader Comments (5)
I blushed!!!! But it's my pleasure to be here, I'd even say it's an honor to be spotted here!!!!! Love ya!
Sometimes an artist is unsure of his work and needs an "experienced" set of ears to validate his efforts. But you are correct as to respecting the producer's time and paying for it. In the end, it may result in a better CD.
BTW...why is there a woman in a bikini in a serious column?
Because this serious woman also loves and supports James Lee's ideas, that's why! Besides that, it was Independence Day and what could be more serious than that? :-)
I concur...and I love those bejeweled sandals
and besides, i LOVE this photo and this woman.