JPF Home Page Forums General Messages New Member Introductions & Helping Hands Some things I've learned here

Marc, I completely understand what you're saying, but remember when you said, "No idea is new...you just have to find a different way to express it." I felt Glyn did that with this song, so much so that my women friends went NUTS over it! Women are 70% of the music buying public. We DON'T always want good time, rowdy, drinkin' songs. Sometimes we want to hear an "angry chick song" (as you call them ) so we can identify and heal the hurt that is inside of us. That's how WE process. So when a song called "Step to the Side" comes along, and delivers the angry chick speech better than any I've ever heard, of course MEN are going to HATE IT, and MEN are dominant in the music industry, but WOMEN love it and I say they would buy it if there was a way to market it to them.

However, I will take your advice and play it at open mics, even get my band to play it, and play it at rowdy meat market bars too (with a spoken intro of course ) and report back to you what happens. Of course I'll have so much anger and emotion tied up in the performance, it'll probably get all the men and women arguing and all the "would-be hookups" for the night will suddenly become defunct, BUT, the women will be empowered and go home to their handy dandy battery-operated boyfriends.

I have a brilliant idea for a video of that song that would make it a number one hit! It involves a battered wife becoming someone involved in an empowered career. Can't say more than that...you'll see it on the video forum someday!

Mark Kaufman is God. *Did I just say that out loud?*

Sausagelink, when someone critiques me negatively, I sulk, I cry, then I make up a voodoo doll to the likeness of their avatar and put it in my deep fryer. But I'm not sensitive or anything.

Bill, of course if a song is piss poor we shouldn't say, "Great job! Way to go!" We all know what a piss poor song is. That's not subjective, it sucks scissors by ANYONE'S opinion! Those are the kind I usually don't leave a comment on, because there's nothing that can fix it. It sucks, if there was a way to fix it, it would be mediocre at best, so, what's the point? Now, don't anyone get paranoid because I haven't left a crit on your song....been BUSY lately (2 jobs, unruly daughter, etc.) I rarely have time to leave a crit anymore so I only do it on songs that catch my eye from the title and end up being appealing to me.

What I DO think is that constructive criticism is best served politely and gently. Why? Because a song is like someone's baby. We all know that feeling...you write a song and you LOVE IT SO MUCH, you think it's the greatest song ever, and you're so proud to post it, like a new parent posting baby pics, and then someone comes along and bluntly rearranges it and takes away lines and doesn't like the bride...it's like my friend Janet Snow says, "They're amputating your baby". Yep. People's original songs (most of them) are actual life experiences, the baring of souls. Be encouraging and gentle. Especially to newcomers who are nervous about posting stuff. Be constructive, but be NICE and REASONABLE about it. Bear in mind that this is someone's BABY, so to speak. Don't call it ugly or disfigured, just suggest that they did a good job birthing the baby, but it might need a minor surgery to two to become appealing.