I am enjoying reading your different takes on this subject. Thanks for the input, everybody!

RobertK--

You wrote, "The trick is staying open enough to mine the occasional gem someone brings up, but staying closed enough to know when a given opinion is eminently ignorable, worthy only for extra callouses upon one's rhino hide."

Very well put, and I like the analogies! I'm definitely trying to do just that. I was hoping there would be some common thread--one or two comments that came up several times--but it hasn't been that easy. I've paid more attention to the comments that had to do with whether the listener got the message I intended or not.

I figure it's just like when I was afraid to go off the diving board. I just had to keep doing it until the fear faded to a manageable level--even if that meant sliding out on my belly the first time! Probably I'll always be uncomfortable with critiques, but not scared like I was with this first one. And I kind of did slide out on my belly by putting up a song that is not the one I'm most proud of.

Anyway, thanks for the input on this subject!! --Jean

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/6/jeanlmusic.htm

[This message has been edited by JL (edited 02-13-2004).]