Song Circles
Guidelines for Song Circle Participation
By Paul Iwancio and Jane Wellington-Beatty
On giving criticism:
- Ask questions about something before you comment on the work. For example,"I have a question about this phrase here, what were you looking for in this image...".
- Listen to the writer's response before you offer suggestions.
- Do offer suggestions instead of just saying "it doesn't work".
- NEVER slam or destroy a song. Every song is a risk and should be treated with respect.
- Find something positive to say either in the lyric, music or the performance of the song. Everyone is at a different place and needs to be supported. If people don't feel comfortable or supported enough to share their work, they will stop coming.
- If you like, you can WRITE comments and/or changes on the distributed lyric/score sheets. However if you choose to do this, please write your NAME alongside your comments so the author can followup with you if they desire. Written comments are also useful when we run out of time for a critique.