Improving

Just like writers need editors and actors need directors, musicians need critics if they want to improve their music. Critique is an important and vital part of development. Your music can be good, but just like any art, it can always be better and you need to be open to that.

Just like visual art, music is subjective. The Virtual Instructor discusses criticism in visual art, but the same goes for music.

“As artists, we also need a second (or third) “set of eyes” on our work. We need to know how our work can be improved. We need to understand how our work is perceived by our audience—the viewer. Sometimes we can spot issues on our own, but most times we need input from others. This is where critique becomes an important part of our development as artists.” – The Virtual Instructor

Getting critiqued shouldn’t be something that you fear. It’s something that you should actually be seeking. A good musician looks for people to tell them what they think of their music. Constructive criticism is a very important thing you can gain from critics.

Music Critics Know the Industry

There are three kinds of critics for your music—your fans, your friends and family, and professional music critics. Each one will provide you with a different kind of perspective on your music and it’s important to get all of them, but most of all you need the criticism of professionals.

Anyone can give you feedback and criticize your music. The feedback on your music from your fans or people close to you is beneficial, but they don’t necessarily know the industry and the ins and outs of making music. Music critics do.

“Music criticism, whether written by a musician or a blogger or a skilled teacher who reads sheet music and plays four instruments, is not about what’s good or bad. It’s not about categorizing the creative experience into a letter grade. The role of the critic is to contextualize, to generate an understanding of how our world is being reflected in popular culture and how that reflection compares to what came before.” – The Hollywood Reporter.

You’re Not the Only One Listening to the Critics

Music critics can be your best friend and your worst enemy. Consumers and audiences often look to critics to learn which musicians are worth listening to. They know critics know the industry and often trust their judgment, that’s why it’s beneficial to you to maintain a good relationship with those critics.

If a critic gives a bad opinion of your music, getting upset about it isn’t going to benefit you whatsoever. The most you can do about an unfortunate bad review is learn from it. If you can’t, it’s only one bad review, but if you make a big deal over it there is a much larger chance you’ll receive more.

“The articles a music critic writes are a combination of fact and opinion and informs the consumer as to which artists are worth seeing and which albums are worth buying. The opinion must be backed up by technical expertise in order for it to be taken seriously.” – Career Explorer

The best music critics know what they’re talking about and they will also notice when you improve. Look at a bad review with an open mind and maybe you can learn something. One bad review doesn’t mean a lifelong hatred.

Reaching out to a critic will help you maintain a relationship with them, one based on learning and improving. That’s one of the best things a musician can hope for.

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Editor's Note: Blog Reposted By Remix Social Media

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