Sometimes people ask me how to deal with “haters” and other critics. It’s inevitable, when you post your projects in an open forum, like the internet, you are going to get some negative feedback along with the positive.
I try to consider the source before really taking any review to heart. Some people will praise something just as absent-mindedly as another will hate on it. For me, the empty praise doesn’t mean anything more than the empty hate.
The feedback I really trust, though, comes from people whose opinions I trust. People who know me well enough to put my project in context (how it was created, the time, budget and resources) will always have better insight than those who don’t. That was one of the driving forces behind us releasing a "Making of..." video for Erase This, to put the project in some kind of context.
Today nerimon sent me his review of Erase This. A good portion of the beginning was very positive, then it got critical for a while, then he ended on a positive note. The perfect review sandwich. I may post the review tomorrow, or I may not.
The important thing is, not only did I get reassured that the pride I feel for Erase This is not misplaced, I also got a few areas nerimon believes I could work on for the next album, to make it even better. And because Alex is someone who I’ve met in real life, and someone whose opinion I value, I will take the majority of his advice to heart. Or at least consider it a bit more than I would consider some random, nameless commenter.
If you happen to get a nasty comment, or a bad review, or someone making fun of you in your comments section, try to consider the source before getting upset or even giving it a second thought. Anonymity brings out the worst in people, sometimes. Once you understand that this person didn’t spend more than five seconds considering you, or your project, you’ll be better able to not give them more than five seconds of your own time.
And when you do receive a positive comment or feedback from someone you trust, it’ll mean that much more.
Friday, May 28, 2010
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i literally just finished a song about this.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of that song from Glee (I assume it's from someone else, too) about haters. Hate On Me. True words.
ReplyDeleteHey Alan, you know what blog you haven't updated in a while? Alan Reads HP. Just saying (well, technically typing, but you get the point).
ReplyDelete@Alysia
ReplyDeleteHate on me hater/ now or later/ cuz I'm gonna do me/ you'll be mad baby/ Go on and hate on me hater/ cuz I'm not afraid of/ what I got paid for/ you can hate on me!
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ReplyDeletethat's very true. i never listen to opinions good or bad about something i do unless it's coming from someone who's opinion i value.
ReplyDeletealso, @ajunkiesloins has a point. how's HP going?
I'm all for outside opinion and critique. I think it helps an artist understand how their work is being perceived. Especially when we as the artist are too close to the project to see the forrest for the trees.
ReplyDeleteThough as a creative person, for me to accept someone's opinion towards my work, I need to feel that the reviewer understands what I'm doing, what I'm after, and most importantly, the mechanics of the art form that I'm expressing myself in.
For music, I definitely believe that there's a "Like or Dislike" feeling that people get, which is fundamental in us all. It's this instinctual human understanding of what sounds right and what doesn't.
An example would be how we as a species generally find tritones (the sharp 4th/flat 5th) unpleasant.
Even though our instincts tell us if certain musical intervals "feel" right, that only goes so far.
If the reviewer says things like, "the guitar did a twangy thing that made it sound weird" or "the timing sounded off in this one part", I take it as a grain of salt if there isn't any knowledgeable statement to follow up such a claim.
I'm not saying every reviewer has to have a background in music theory, but if someone doesn't have the musical mind to be able to follow and understand what's being presented, I just don't take it seriously.
Of course the "average joe" can have honest likes or dislikes towards a song or record, but like I stated earlier, for me to concern myself with another's opinion when reviewing my work, they have to prove to me that they themselves can back up their critiques with educated knowledge on the provided content.
I hope that my review was well thought out and I took things into consideration. I don't know, I tried to be honest.
ReplyDelete