Comments on Death By Protools: Song Writing Workshops - Design by Committee

I agree with 90% of the piece. I have a slightly s...

2009-09-08T13:36:50.276-07:00

I agree with 90% of the piece. I have a slightly schizophrenic view of this. I write and record for fun and I'm interested in what people think of the music. I'll even take on board certain comments. Yet at the same time, I'm not going to be dictated to by someone's opinion because whatever I may write isn't being written by them. If there are quirks and idiosyncrasies then so be it. At the same time, I'm aware of the fact that much of art is communication, so on the one hand, I do want to be accessible {for the most part}, while at the same time being somewhat off the wall if that is where I'm headed. It's a hard balance so I don't try to balance it. As georgesdelatour pointed out, once the artist has released a piece, it is totally out of their hands what happens. Matt is also correct to state that songwriters don't necessarilly have a more valid opinion than ratcatchers, roadsweeps and vets. In fact, sometimes a songwriter critiquing a song with a songwriters hat on may actually be incapable of actually enjoying a song for that very reason. For me, at the end of the day, the song comes first. You either dig it or you don't. That's why so many "unlikely" songs that critics hate become hits.....

I understand the songwriting by committee. I am a...

2009-02-10T13:27:00.000-08:00

I understand the songwriting by committee. I am an author - published traditionally - and stopped attending writer's "critique groups" for a similar reason. I found too many people who felt the need to critique - because they felt obligated to critique. Then I would go back and try to see where I could work their suggestions into a piece that I'd already sold.

I have a few select songwriters and a few select first listeners who get my first run, nothing but the basics, version. I concentrate on the positive and then carefully assess any criticism.

Did multiple listeners comment/question the same thing, for instance?

Finally, if I like it as it, I may just play it live, see/gauge the reaction and maybe try it with a suggested change on another night.

FYI: I found your blog when looking into DI boxes and am glad I did.

@Christine Ouch...@Matt While I agree with you in ...

2009-02-04T10:32:00.000-08:00

@Christine Ouch...

@Matt While I agree with you in general... I still think the *first* few people should be other song writers that fit the characteristics I named. The reason being that you just can't get the same quality of feedback from someone who doesn't know the language to tell you what they think.

You even said yourself that you would have loved feedback that was like "needs a little more around 250"

Now, imagine you've just spent the last four years...

2009-02-04T08:11:00.000-08:00

Now, imagine you've just spent the last four years of your life in one long, ongoing songwriting workshop. *headdesk*

I believe - unconditionally - in artists' right to...

2009-02-03T14:39:00.000-08:00

I believe - unconditionally - in artists' right to write whatever they want, without censure. Absolutely. But I also believe this: that when the work is finished, all that exists in the song is what the audience finds in it. Nothing else counts. The writer's intentions are irrelevant. The writer may think he's written a song of achingly sublime heartbreak. But if every audience thinks it's a hilarious comedy song, like "I'm Too Sexy", who's to say they're wrong?

There's a danger to only asking other people who W...

2009-02-03T14:26:00.000-08:00

There's a danger to only asking other people who WRITE music to critique your style, I know you're not wholesale advocating that but you said "preferably."

My preferred audience are actually people who's main concern is listening to music,be they musicians or not. Those are the people that are the stewards of the arts -- the informed electorate who know a good thing when they hear it.

The problem with running songs by other songwriters is inherently those pople are going to feel a sense of competition with you and may not give you the best feedback.

Anyway, My two cents.