What do you do for feedback on a new song you’re writing?

2009-02-27

Do you play it for a few friends, looking for praise?
Do you play it for a few friends, looking for criticism? (Really asking, “What don’t you like about it?”)
Do you upload it to your site, and email everyone you know, asking what they think?
Do you send it to a company for paid critique?
Do you have a songwriting teacher or mentor?

When you get feedback, are you looking to change and improve your song?

Or by the time someone hears it, is it pretty much done?

When I was at Berklee College of Music, then later living in New York City, I loved the songwriting workshops where you’d play unfinished songs for one teacher/mentor and a room full of other songwriters. They’d really tear it apart, analyze every note and word, and suggest improvements.

I learned so much about songwriting from those sessions. Not just for my own songs, but it’s really educational to help improve other people’s songs, too.

But that was before the internet. Is there something like that online, now?