Taking Criticism: Constructive Criticism vs. Random Opinions

Constructive Criticism

Comes from a place of knowledge. It’s objective. It doesn’t contain your personal opinion at all.

Opinion

Comes from whatever you feel or think. It’s subjective and doesn’t require validation, qualification or proof.

When it comes to receiving and taking criticism, there are a few things you should keep in mind:

1.       Is this useful? Does the information put you in a better place for correction?

Example: Let’s say you really like the sound of a distorted 808 kick/bass sound and you present the song for critique.

Constructive Critic might say: I hear that 808b is distorting very hard. Was that your intention? If so, you may want to adjust the compression threshold at -28 so that the distortion sound doesn’t bleed into the rest of the mis and the 808 can keep that signature distortion sound you’re going for.

TIP! It’s always helpful when the critic asks you questions about your work so that they can tailor their critique to the vision and NOT their own personal preferences.

2.       Does the information help my goal?

Example: Your goal is to have a clean, wide mix.

Constructive Critic may say: I hear a lot of great things in this song but the mix needs a little work to hear them all shine. Panning and dynamics can really help with this. You can also automate/live record the volumeof certain parts/tracks to come in and out throughout the song like a ghost. Try to take out 5dB from the bass, pan the strings to the left at 30 degrees, hard pan the synth to both left and right, and add some EQ to the drums to level them out because the highs are overshadowing the vocals. Give that a try and you’ll start hearing a cleaner, wider mix.

3.       Is this person knowledgeable in my area/genre?

The last thing we want is to listen to someone give us feedback and they don’t have a clue about our genre, you or your vision. Let’s remember that not everyone can give constructive criticism if they don’t have knowledge or experience in it. For example: If someone is criticizing your jazz music and they don’t listen to jazz, do yourself a favor and listen to their OPINION. You don’t have to agree with it or like it but you can hold a respectful conversation. We are less likely to take this opinion into consideration anyway because, it’s an opinion. Opinions don’t usually help us get better. Make sure the person giving feedback knows your genre enough to give you constructive criticism.

Story Time!

I’ve received a lot of criticism and opinions on my music for years, naturally. I tend to give the most value to the critique I’ve received from people who have given me all 3 points. I’ve recently received great feedback on my sheet music scores that have helped me score and write better. I have also had a song of mine called ‘Galaxies’ lightly roasted on a YouTube Live video from an indie rapper (i.e. negative opinions).  From that experience, I learned that even though there were many people that didn’t like or understand my song, there were some people that started to compare it to a video game or movie. THIS WAS MY GOAL!! I primarily attended this feedback session because I had a goal I wanted to achieve as described in Criticism Point #2: Information that helps my goal.

My goal was:

If no one knew who I was, could they know what I was doing with my music? Did I paint my musical picture well for them to see? 

I did! Goal Achieved! I have presented ‘Galaxies’ to a different crowd of people and received positive opinions. I give this example to show you how subjective and random opinions can be. This is why it’s important to know your own reasoning for receiving feedback.

We can always find something to take away from listening to opinions and constructive criticism. Just remember these 3 things and try not to take any of it to heart; Especially if these people know absolutely nothing about you and what you do. Ask yourself what your artistic goals are and if these opinions and critiques are helping you achieve that goal.