Composer Talk: Sharing Your Music

In this first post under “Composer Talk” we are going to be discussing sharing your music. The post may be most beneficial to those who compose, or have interest in composing, but I will be discussing the process of sharing your music, which can even apply to performers as well. I will be talking about things such as the creation process, feedback from friends and peers, and then finally sharing your work and getting it out to the public. In future “Composer Talks”, we will mainly focus on issues around and regarding issues of music composition and composers. As a composer myself, I would like to share some of my experiences with you, so that you can learn from my failures and successes over the years.

Sharing your music can mean having a CD or audio of a piece of music you wrote and/or performed. It can also mean having sheet music available for people to purchase, or play. The moment you share something you wrote, you make yourself vulnerable to feedback. This is a good, scary, exciting, and it is a necessary step.

When you make your music available, in any form, you are sharing something that was likely done in solitude and in a safe space for you. I think of the composition process as something very sacred. It isn’t something I easily let people into, and it is emotionally something I do for me. Regardless of if I’m writing for myself, a commission, or a project. If I’m not writing to fill an emotional need, then I’d rather focus on something else. Ultimately you have to be happy with your work, and if it doesn’t pass the “me test” it doesn’t see the light of day to anyone else. My ratio of finished works to unfinished works is actually quite high. I will leave a piece unfinished if I feel that at that point, I’ve done everything I can for it. I may or may not come back to it. Some pieces I write completely in a day or two, while others can start and end within years depending how long it sat unfinished and if I was ever able to go back to it. Fresh eyes can make all the difference and also help you become objective about your own music. As with any art, self editing is crucial. For every piece I finish, there are likely 3-4 that I haven’t that have been added to my composition folders. I eventually come back to most at some point and see if there is any material worth saving. If there is, I rename it as a thematic note, which can be used for inspiration on something else. Sometimes these become whole new pieces, but building on previous work done in a new context and need. This process and these files are always changing, always growing, and what I consider to be “living”. They are a reflection of me, my views and goals at the time, and my feelings. This is worth sharing because it is part of what you are letting go of when you share your music with someone else.

So you spent all this time working, writing, performing and possibly recording your music. Awesome! I bet you are tired. I know I am! BUT, the work is actually just starting in many ways. You now have to turn an object or final product into something for others. For original sheet music, this may mean doing final edits such as articulation, expression markings, performance notes, and page layout and design and part layout. For something you already recorded, it may mean mastering, doing final tweaks to audio, and normalizing the audio prior to sharing it. Depending on what you did to create the final product, this process may change. I tend to do both because I work in both sheet music and audio only sessions. They both require a different workflow that are unique to each piece, project, and end goal.

Once you completed what you wish to share, you need to determine who and where you wish to share it and make it available. This can sometimes be easy, because you may already have this in mind during the project. If not, you need to determine where and who and then work on the how.

Prior to sharing, it is important that you protect your works. If sheet music, you may want to Copyright it. If something else, you may want to make sure that it is only available in the mediums you wish to share it. With current technology, it is impossible to fail proof protect anything, but at least taking steps to try may make a difference in the long run. Use your best judgement here, but don’t let this step stop you from sharing your work. It can be scary, but it is only a step to being a “responsible” creator. This process would also be true no matter what art or original works you create. I’ve spoken some about Copyright here (link to post) if you want further information. After you have protected and registered your works in all places necessary, you can finally share it!

If you have a website, or social network of people who you share your music with, start with them. The people who know and care about your music are the best true fans to have and can not be bought or replaced. They are often your unofficial cheerleaders, and want to see you succeed. These fans and likely friends, and are hard to come by and have. Don’t be upset if you don’t have many people to share with, because over time as you share and grow in your art, so will your audience and true fans. They will likely give you feedback that you may or may not want to consider. No matter what the feedback is, listen and be open minded. The first share group are the people you want to make changes with prior to making something fully public. It takes thick skin to do this sometimes, but it is an essential part of growing in your craft.

Take the feedback you get and make any necessary changes, if any. The feedback loop from your most loyal and trusted fans is the most sincere. They have your best interest at heart, most the time, and want nothing but your success. They may give you insight to your project that only new eyes and people can see. Granted, if you disagree with all the feedback you’ve gotten, it is completely up to you weather or not you wish to consider their opinion. That is always your artistic right, but in this I say, “Be vulnerable, open minded, and true to yourself.” That is the hardest part about creating art, period, and will always be your guide for how to approach feedback. Please be aware that if you’ve protected your work already, you may need to do it again because with new modifications you changed the final product. If you took feedback from your close circle, complete the changes prior to the protection task if possible.

Make any final adjustments as necessary, and then share in your most public venues! Now you get to finally release your finely tuned piece, product or project into the wild! This is scary and exciting. During this phase, you may or may not make new fans, but you are likely to get what I call “unwanted feedback”. If people like it, great! Even better. It means that the work you did, touched someone and either made them happy, think, or appreciate your work. Positive comments and feedback from strangers are always rewarding. Strangers typically seem more concerned with sharing what they consider to be the truth, then your personal feelings. This is part of sharing your work, and you will learn to accept both compliments and criticism from strangers who don’t have any formal or emotional connection to you and your work. It is heart breaking, especially at first, to receive criticism from new people, but no matter what, be respectful, listen and let them feel heard. You NEVER want to publicly disrespect someone who took the time to give feedback. It will never work in your favor, and it makes it look like you are insecure and unable to handle putting your work out there. If possible, default to the “killing with kindness” approach. You will have opportunities to “prove the naysayers wrong” the next time. Who knows. You may get a comment from someone that makes you appreciate all the hard work that you put into it. Those moments can be few and far between, but honestly, that is what it is all about. Sharing your life, and work with someone, having their life touched by it, and then hoping they will become a fan and even maybe a die hard fan that will support you in all your work and become part of your “inner circle”. It can and will happen, especially over time as you share and connect with fans. To me, this is the ultimate stage of the art, because it is the last process, and it honestly never ends! A work you did 5 years ago can have the same effect as something new. It doesn’t matter when you created it, as long as you still feel it is worth sharing and putting out there for others to see.

Obviously, this process is just my point of view, but I find it works well for me. Your process may not be as complicated, or it may be even more so! It truly depends what you are doing, and your specific concentration. It takes a long time to build an audience and find new people to share your music with. It truly is a never ending process. The best relationships are never built in a day, and the best will endure anything. Appreciate your fans, because they are a part of what makes it worthwhile. Creating something and exposing yourself and your work, can and will be scary. The best part is, the more you do it, the easier it becomes and the more you learn to appreciate the process.

The best part about all of this, to me, is that this process can be adapted to many things. Not just music composition, but something as simple as homework or something you care about. We are far from perfect. We were built imperfect, and that is part of what makes learning, growing, and living so much fun. We have opportunity and means to learn, and it is up to US (aka YOU!) to make it happen. Of course, life is always better when you can share and enjoy it with others. The relationships you build, and the people you grow from are surely a part of what continues to make all the stress of life worthwhile. Now, if only we as a society can default to respect, compassion, and unity, rather than devision and discourse! That is another subject in itself though, and it is a way of life that I seek, and hope for. Just remember no matter what, we coexist together.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and if you do, please comment or share. We always appreciate your feedback and comments! This blog is a living document too, and is here and meant not only for the writers, but the readers! Without you, we would just be in the black hole that is otherwise known as the Internet ;). Many post ideas have stemmed from feedback or a question, and if there is something you’d like for us to write about, please let us know.

–The Flute Elf