No apologies, no excuses
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@ryuu Jan 2022
I remember the "No apologies, no excuses" challenge from the few last FAWMs. The concept of it, as I understood, was: Don't apologize for things you perceive as imperfections of your work. Don't disparage it. Don't make excuses for imperfections.
I found that pledge tremendously helpful, so: why not bring back #no-apologies-no-excuses this year? -
@postcardhelicopters Jan 2022
@timfatchen first offered that advice, I think, and I fully support it.
The mistakes/imperfections you make are probably different from the mistakes/imperfections others make so there's some stamp of individuality in them. -
@sbs2018 Jan 2022
I like it!
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@johnstaples Jan 2022
I agree! (But I'll prolly still do it when I know I messed something up!)
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@frenchcricket Jan 2022
Honour thy error as a hidden intention!
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@judypie Jan 2022
I feel like it was @evinwolverton that posted this advice originally? Regardless, it’s sound (if difficult) advice to take :D
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@scottlake Jan 2022
This aspect of FAWM should be held as one of the official mores of FAWM!!
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@cts Jan 2022
The only critique will be that I didn't try.
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@odilongreen Jan 2022
I agree with all the above. Especially when one is working fast on a demo, the temptation is strong to say "I know this song has X problem, and kind of sucks, but here it is anyway." But I'm pretty good about resisting that self-deprecating urge. When I see someone else posting apologies or excuses about their own song, it makes me hesitate to listen because I feel like they're basically saying I'm wrong or have bad taste if I like it. We all understand these are demos and experiments and for fun and not meant as final perfect performances or productions. Let your experimentation fly free and without shame!
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@philkmills Jan 2022
I have been in other groups that were more aimed at providing advice (fiction writing, photography) and there it was sometimes useful to say, "Here are things I know how to fix; I'm looking for reactions to problems I don't already know about."
I need to remember that FAWM's purpose is not that kind of feedback. -
@odilongreen Jan 2022
@philkmills I do think it’s fine to ask for constructive criticism or advice about a specific problem (or generally), or to identify something one intends go back and fix. But that’s different from saying “I know this song sucks, but I did it so here it is.” If someone is going to essentially disown their own song, why would I listen to it? We all understand many / most songs here may be pretty rough. That doesn’t mean we won’t enjoy it if the poster allows us to give it a fair chance!
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@timfatchen Jan 2022
Your songs are your children. Don't trash them. Don't abuse them. Let them start and grow here. Plenty of knives and hammers and pitfalls and arrows await in the music world beyond FAWM.
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@franniezest Jan 2022
Love this motto. I follow this when I share my music and it is so hard for me but I do it.
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@phlex Jan 2022
I forget the quotes, but Miles Davis would often see the mistake as an opportunity - especially with the muscle memory he would had. The mistake is, for people well oiled, divine intervention.
Robert Smith I remember reading did the same thing. Maybe every hit song is the result of some error. You hit the wrong note - why? follow the rabbit. -
@candle Jan 2022
One of the perks of recording improvised experimental music is that I'm the only one that knows where the mistakes ended up ;->
But yes, this is a motto that all artists should live by.
@frenchcricket": nice Brian Eno quote! Very àpropos…
See You In The Shadows… -
@jmadison Jan 2022
Last year I posted an a capella song that had (my truly awful) harmonies in it. I'm not a stellar singer and I had never tried vocal harmony before. Honestly, I didn't understand how it even 'works'. But I posted anyway. No apologies. That's one reason I'm here. I try new things and learn lots. The 'no apologies' thing helps me.
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@writeandwrong Jan 2022
I am so guilty of this... okay... I will commit. I love that everyone here understands that most everything here is the first draft.
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@sheilerk Jan 2022
I’ve frequently been guilty of preemptive apologies, especially when singing is involved. But I remember @timfatchen pointing out how counterproductive that is and I’m working on breaking that bad habit.
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@whispermouse Jan 2022
Definitely guilty of this. Part of it is the urge to self-deprecate, to acknowledge my imperfections, to avoid hubris. Part of it is also because I don't need to see a comment that says "the last line of the bridge could use a different rhyme" when I already know that :D
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@mikehind Jan 2022
100%.
I couldn't agree more. This isn't about being perfect, it's about writing songs. -
@tiller2 Jan 2022
This year I'm holding all my plans and methods lightly, and leaving the musical decisions to my immortal soul. Thus I will not apologize and will deny any responsibility for what happens ;)
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@frey Jan 2022
I used to do that all the time 'cause I was embarrassed! Now I don't care. I'm a songwriter first, not a recording artist/mixer/masterer.
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@cheslain Jan 2022
I never apologize. I'm sorry that's just the way I am.
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@evinwolverton Feb 2022
@judypie Yep, this was my challenge. thanks for the shout-out : )
I'm playing it pretty quiet on the forums this round, or I'd have lobbed this and other challenges in advance. -
@klyma Feb 2022
The objective of FAWM is to write 14 songs in 28 days. There is no time for editing. Write. Demo. Write again. Give yourself permission to post everything and expect you'll need to revisit most of what you write. I've got songs that I wrote 20 years ago that I edited recently. I'll edit till I die. In February, the editor is on vacation. It's time to write. Right?
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@jacobeverettwallace Feb 2022
@timfatchen offered me that same succinct advice personally many years ago and it changed the way I create and feel about my work in a positive way. Kudos, Tim. Much appreciated all these years later.
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@hbusse Feb 2022
Trying to heed this advice this year! I've caught myself several times in writing liner notes already :)
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@chroes Feb 2022
I already adopted #no-excuses, saw it some days ago as a tag and needed that at that time. It's great!
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@rayboneor Feb 2022
[Redacted. Who needs to hear my thoughts on this subject?]