How-To: Feedback Session

Feedback session can be difficult if you don’t know what to listen/look for. So let’s talk about it!

Put your screens away

Even if you are taking notes, it wont feel that way to your presenter. So put it away and be present.

Be Humble

Whether you are presenting or critiquing always be kind and humble. We are all at different stages of our own personal journeys and we are all here to get better and grow.

Never Apologize

…

Think

Remember what we do is often a deeply personal act and feedback session can feel like reading your private journal to a room of strangers. Before you share a thought, think carefully about what you are about to say and how you are going to say it.

Whenever possible frame your feedback in a constructive manner. Instead of saying, “This part sounds bad,” consider phrasing like, “This section could be enhanced by tightening up the rhythm to match the energy of the rest of the piece.”

Ask

This is probably the best thing you can do at the start and throughout a feedback session. For example, at the start of a session, ask the presenter if they have any specific things they are looking for feedback on. Then, ask some follow up questions that dig a little deeper and give you a little more context.

In the middle of a feedback session, if you hear something you don’t like, rather than saying “I don’t like this hi hat.”. You can instead say something like, “Talk to me about this hi-hat. What kind of sound/style are you going for? Did you have a specific inspiration?”

Be Specific

Avoid sharing vague thoughts (e.g. “I can’t explain it, but it just feels so sick!”). Instead, always try to identify concrete and specific elements.

Listen through Different “Filters”

There are different “Filters” we can listen to music through that can help us focus our attention to hear the music in a different way. Often times, changing your listening filter can help you identify concrete reasons for the feedback you are giving.

Production

Listen for how the song/composition has been produced/mixed.

• How are all the elements of the creation balanced in terms of…
  • Volume
  • Frequency (eq)
  • Distance (reverb)
  • Stereo Field (pan)
• What audio effects are used on each of the individual elements?

Arrangment

Listen for how the elements of a song/composition change over time.

• Are there clear sections?
• What instruments/sounds can you hear in each section?
• How does the composer/producer transition between sections?
• Do parts get repeated?
• If parts do get repeated, are they always the same or do they evolve?

Composition

As you listen attempt to boil the complex elements of the creation down to their simple musical building blocks: rhythm, melody, and harmony. Then ask yourself thing like…

• Do this rhythm and melody work together?
• How does the harmony contextualize/change the melody?
• How do these elements change over the arrangement of the creation?

Workflow

Since we are all constantly striving to improve our workflows and become more fluid in our ability to express and create we should always pay attention to how we work.

During each feedback pay attention to how the presenter works.

• Are they practicing Good Digital Hygiene?
• Are they following Audio Mixing: The Basic Concepts & Workflows?
• Are they using keyboard shortcuts?
• What tools are they using?

When you see something you like, call it out and ask questions so you can learn from them.

When you see something that they could improve upon, offer to show them.