Being a critic...

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OK, time for a philosophical post...

 

Is being a critic a requirement of creating good music? If so, how much of a critic should you be?

 

I've observed that usually someone becomes a critic as a result of their own failed ambitions. For example, Roger Ebert wrote the screenplay for "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" before becoming a film critic. A number of famous classical composers were also published music critics. And I'm *sure* that every person who writes reviews in Rolling Stone, Spin, etc. used to be in a band...

 

However, in order to pursue those ambitions in the first place, you should be able to discern what is "good" and what is "bad" (to you), and that would involve being a critic to some extent.

 

Too much self-criticism can prevent you from finishing anything (as well as being enough of an ego deflater that you quit doing music altogether), but too little means that you release *everything*, and much of it could very well be junk.

 

Where are you on the critic scale? Are you a tough self-critic? Are you more or less critical of other people's work than your own? Or is everything you create absolutely perfect in your eyes?

 

If you are a tough self-critic, how do you keep going even when you get discouraged?

 

 

 

 

This message has been edited by popmusic on 06-11-2001 at 10:09 AM

[fet]

Good topic.

 

A friend of mine writes and sings acoustic guitar folk songs. He goes into a studio, records EVERYTHING, and has CDs pressed up, which he sells and gives away. His material is somewhat less than fascinating; kind of a lobotomized Dan Fogelberg, or James Taylor with less hyper energy. I tell him to just record the best 10 percent of his stuff, but he loves it all.

 

I, on the other hand, can't release a thing - all I hear is faults and weakness in my own music.

 

The best course is somewhere in between these two, I'm thinking...

[RecreationalThinker]

This IS an interesting topic, and one to which I have given a lot of thought. I tend to be very critical of my own material, and find it hard to "just let go" of a project. There always seems to be something else that could be tweaked or refined, so, like fet, I tend not to get my music out there.

 

The essense of critical thought is comparison, and the standards to which we hold our material or preferences are based on the qualities we admire in other artists and styles. Being a fan of Peter Gabriel, I have such a high standard of comparison that I am reluctant to release material until it has the right sound and feel. Unfortunately, my recording skills are not at the level yet that I can achieve the sound of what I hear in my head.

 

I listened to an old demo tape the other day of material I had recorded in the late 80s and early 90s. At the time, I thought it was amazing material, and I was quite proud of what I had accomplished. Boy, did I cringe when I listened to it this time! True, there were SOME good ideas, and I may refine and update them, but the majority of the material was...let's just say I fast-forwarded through most of it. The same thing happened when I started mass-buying CDs recently. I wanted to replace recordings of some of my favorite bands from the 80s. When I started listening to them after all these years I realized that my memories, however fond, were not based on any particular reality.

 

My experience over the years has refined my critical focus and writing ability. I no longer fill every available 16th note interval with sound, or use effects to excess, or run a marginal idea into the ground with repetition. My sounds are cleaner, my phrasing is better and my idea development is more focused.

 

Geez, sorry for the testimonial...let's see if I can get back to the point? I think being critical is a natural aspect of development, regardless of the field in which you are exploring. I also think that a "middle-ground" approach to self-critique is probably the best: Get the idea out there, but don't obsess about details to the point that you lose sight of the big picture - no matter how digitally refined your approach is, life is still analog.

 

[i edited this 40 times before submission]

[fantasticsound]

I am too self critical, when it comes to writing songs. I get little done in that respect.

 

You have to be a great listener, and detach yourself from the idea, to gain a balanced perspective. This is what a GOOD producer does.

 

He fleshes out an artist's ideas, using the engineer as a means to an end, and constantly balancing the artists desires with the reality of recording. (Whether because of technology or budget/time constraints.) Having a second set of ears with a different bias and perspective is invaluable... so long as their priorities and vision are in sync with the artist.

 

Some artists like having someone else's fingerprints all over their creation. Others want NO interference. Most are somewhere in the middle.

 

Finding an empathetic, quality mixer who propels your music forward is tricky, and not unlike a sports coach on game day He has a better look at the overall situation. But the better balanced you are in critiquing yourself, the easier it will be to achieve a good, completed project.

 

------------------

Neil

 

Reality: A few moments of lucidity surrounded by insanity.

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Originally posted by RecreationalThinker:

[i edited this 40 times before submission]

 

ROTFL!!! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[Lee Flier]

Good topic there, pop! This is definitely a balancing act! I agree that you have to be somewhat critical of yourself if you want others to appreciate what you're doing, but not so much so that it prevents you from doing anything.

 

I am definitely my own worst critic, usually. For example I just got done mixing a band I recorded a few weeks ago and I really beat myself up over the mixes. I really love this band and wanted them to sound killer. The self-criticism was good in this case because it spurred me on to work harder and really make sure I did a job that I could be proud of. And I'm glad now that I beat myself up. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif Of course there's the inevitable "Oh, I really should have turned the guitar up more there", etc. but two days after it's done I am beginning to hear it more objectively again and really just digging the music.

 

I think that's the key - being able to shift mindsets. It's not easy. You have to be able to go back and forth between the micro and macro view in your head. Sometimes you can spend hours picking over something because you're so focused in on it, only to realize that in the context of the whole thing, what you're worrying about doesn't really matter. If you can listen to something as a whole, as if you were a brand new listening audience, and can dig it from that perspective, you're probably doing all right. If not, if anything throws you off the vibe, it needs some more work.

 

This is especially difficult of course if you're wearing multiple hats. If you wrote the song, you're playing the instruments or some part thereof, and you're doing the recording and production, there are now 3 or 4 things to beat yourself up over. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Definitely can mess with your head!

 

That's fine if you're one of those people who loves everything you do and is completely non-critical, so long as you don't expect that everyone else is going to feel the same way. Anyone who wants to be recognized at least by their peers (and most of us do) has got to be able to turn a critical ear toward their own work, or know enough to hire somebody who will do that for them. The most talented people I know are often the most dissatisfied - the reason they are so good is because they believe they always have room to improve and are never quite happy with what they do. At the same time you have to stop and smell the roses long enough to really enjoy your work. Like I said, tough balance.

 

I try to do a little of both. I'll spend some time just jamming and being totally judgement-free in my thinking as much as possible, then zoom in later on the things I think are problems, and work on those. MOST of the time that works pretty well!

 

--Lee

[D. Gauss]

5 fun steps for selling more CD's:

1) record your CD

2) don't release it

3) change your name and get a job as a reviewer for rolling stone.

4) 6 months later, release the CD

5) give your own recording a "5 star best thing since tube socks review."

 

-d. gauss

[Philip OKeefe]

Excellent topic and great responses!

 

I am a pretty harsh critic of my own work, but I have to agree with Lee Flier - switching mindsets is the key. Being too critical in the creative stage is a sure way to kill something off before it even gets a chance. Listen with the critical ear AFTER it's finished. Edit and change it as needed, or scrap it and move on to something else.

 

 

Phil O'Keefe

Sound Sanctuary Recording

Riverside CA

http://members.aol.com/ssanctuary/index.html

pokeefe777@msn.com

[Tedster]

I tend (I think) to be overly critical of my own stuff. But, I can't tell, because I'm too close to it. I do need someone (several, in fact) to listen and tell me if it's good or needs a bit more this-or-that. To that end...I've got to keep in mind that the other person's taste may suck in my mind ("Oh, Tedster, your music is SO-OO revolting...why can't you write like Debbie Gibson used to?")...so, I've got to take that with a grain of salt, too.

 

I guess, if I like it, that's enough. After all, I'm not kidding myself about selling a gazillion CDs. I'm doing it mainly for me. If anyone else likes it, cool. If not, that's cool, too...

 

It's a lot like making chili from scratch...you get just enough of the ingredients in, it tastes great. Not enough or too much, it sucks. The art is in knowing when to stop.

[stanner]

its really easy for me: i hate everything i hear-mostly my stuff!

i throw everything away.i dont use words like critic or critique

or any of those 'crit' words(i wonder what the base word for that is...critter?)...i'm just pretty sure most stuff sucks.

zen saying:"nothing is what i want"

i want to reflect that saying in my instro music. see my problem?

[alphajerk]

how about 74 minutes of silence?

[RecreationalThinker]

Originally posted by alphajerk:

how about 74 minutes of silence?

 

LOL In Surround Sound?

[stanner]

great idea-but hasnt someone done that already? john cage,or

somethin...?

[Dylan]

I think that Homer Simpson said it best when he said "It really isn't that hard being a film cricket" ;-). But in all seriousness, I used to be a really harsh self-critic. This would prevent me from finishing songs that I was writing as halfway into it I'd say to myself, "damn, this sounds too much like so and so's song". But recently I've been better about this and try to ignore the little anal-retentive voice in my head. It took me years to get past this, but now I just enjoy music for what it is and stop caring about the little details.

 

-Dylan