I don't know what it is to treat people like a beginner, I suppose I'm not going to soften the blow for you or treat you with kid gloves.

I'm honest and frank with my feedback and I am purposeful in my language. I started out by simply encouraging you to strengthen the music, Nathan already brought up a lot of good points.

But when you explained away your own assessment of the work ("dull"), I felt it was important to stress why the criticism was helpful--why the criticism even came up.

This business is going to be full of compliments. Music, to many, is a voodoo craft that appears magically--to them, they have no insight into the process, they are amazed by everything--to others, music is easy because they once played guitar or tuba or something in middle school--to them, they are critical of a lot of things, despite the fact that they have no insight, but to your face, they'll compliment you, behind your back, they'll rail you.

You must be kean to sort out the critical analyses amidst the array of half informed opinions, short quips, and subtle hints.

Your job is essentially to seek out criticism--even in places where you don't expect it--but most importantly from yourself.

This is a mind-set.

Your defense, as I put it, is not the mind-set of someone seeking critical analysis wherever it may appear, despite the lack of details.

I lightly encouraged you to continue working on the music, to improve it.

You must assume the state of mind that seeks out constructive criticism.

Hans Zimmer is NOT an advanced example. If you want to seek out a stereo example, go find a stereo version of that particular track. The fundamentals are readily apparent in the example, specifically pertaining to my criticism.


Finally, a composer is someone who deals specifically with composition. Composition is the SHAPING of a work. You must learn to SEE music's shape in all the dimensions of musicality--in all the diversity of tone, timbre, rhythm, and dynamic contrast.

This will be a fundamental part of your development as a composer.

Dan is right. To spend a long time in this business is to come across all kinds of feedback. Some of it is good. Some of it is total crap. What I consider good feedback is feedback that gives solid details as to what isn't appropriate about the music. This way you know what to fix. Some examples would be:

"I don't think rock-polka works for our children zombie game."

"The music gets too frantic here. Can we tone it down?"

"The music here is too active and loud. This scene is supposed to be peaceful."

What I consider to be crap feedback is anything that is so vague, you have no idea what to fix or change to appease the client.

"I hate this."

"It doesn't work and I don't know why."

In my career so far, I've heard much of both. The challenge and responsibility to us as composers, like Dan pointed out, is to dig deep past the words and find what elements is pleasing or displeasing to your client(s). Keep in mind many times the people you have to appease may have no experience with music and no idea or method for discussing it. So you have to go to them, metaphorically speaking and find a common ground to share. Otherwise you may never hit the mark they need and that isn't good for anyone or the project.

Finally, you need to have thick, thick, thick skin. Music is a personal art and if you can't take it when someone else says "I don't like this." or points out the flaws.... then this will be a hard road for you. Perhaps even a road that you shouldn't travel on. I tell many composers, when working for a client it isn't about you. It isn't about the music that you want to write. It's about the project. Fight for what you feel is right, but ultimately you have to collaborate with the rest of the team. You all have to come together and make a product that shares the same vision. This will mean that many times you will have to compromise and/or adjust.

We're all here to learn, share ideas and get better at our craft. We're also at different places in our lives and our career. The best thing you can do right now Hakan is to keep writing music and putting it out there. Get as much feedback as you can and learn from it. Not all of it will be accurate, useful or even polite but the more feedback you can get on your craft the better you know how you stand amongst your peers and the industry. After all, once you get a job doing this, your boss(es) are not going to hold back. :P

I hope that helps,

Nate

[Edited by - nsmadsen on June 16, 2009 12:53:07 PM]

Really can't add much to the excellent advice already here but I wanted to say hello. Definitley agree though that dynamic and rythmic changes are super important, I need to remember this myself!

Hi Ben,
Welcome to the forum. It is a great place to share and learn new things.
All the best,
Hakan