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The A Cappella Blog

Seeking Out Criticism

Dos and Don'ts

DO: Take constructive criticism.
DON'T: Take your friends’ opinions as gospel.

When I ask friends or colleagues for their opinion, I have an expectation that they will be completely honest with me. I encourage their honesty because I legitimately care what they have to say and
rarely take criticism personally. Likewise, a cappella groups should seek out people who will not only offer them praise, but also help identify their weaknesses.

Having been to many a cappella competitions, I can say that the groups that continually advance are the ones that are known to seek out criticism--from technical musicians to fans to average people. There is no such thing as bad feedback. If you listen to what others say, in the best case scenario, you will be able to put the objective views of an outsider into play. Even you don’t end up agreeing with an outside voice, though, it could open you up to an entirely new thought that you otherwise never would have come up with.

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