Learning to handle criticism and feedback
We all have a voice that's telling us we're not good enough. It's time to examine that voice and change it for the better with some tips on how to handle criticism and feedback in your life.
##Introduction to an article about a band
The introduction to an article about the band The Killers could be as follows:
The Killers are an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada. They are most famous for their 2004 single "Mr. Brightside" which reached number two in the UK Singles Chart, was certified platinum by the RIAA and won "Best Rock Song" at the 2006 MTV Music Awards.
The following paragraph should provide some background info on the band, and a bit about the history of the band.
The Killers are an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada. They are most famous for their 2004 single "Mr. Brightside" which reached number two in the UK Singles Chart, was certified platinum by the RIAA and won "Best Rock Song" at the 2006 MTV Music Awards. The band includes lead vocalist and keyboardist Brandon Flowers, drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr., bassist Mark Stoermer and guitarist Dave Keuning. The Killers have sold over 12 million albums worldwide.
##Body paragraph with a sentence or two defining the topic
In the body of the article it's important to introduce each paragraph with a strong opening sentence about the topic. This helps the reader know what is being discussed in the upcoming paragraph. A good example of this might be like this:
After working on some lyrics with Brandon Flowers, Dave Keuning and Ronnie Vannucci Jr., The Killers came to the conclusion that any song that had a title starting with "Mr." needed to include a song called "Mr. Brightside.
Or you can start your paragraph with a short sentence about the topic of that paragraph:
The Killers have sold over 12 million albums worldwide. The majority of these sales come from the band's homeland of the United States but they also enjoy a large fan base in Europe.
##Body Paragraph with Introduction to Topic and Detail or Factoid about Band
The body paragraphs should provide some detail about the topic. It might be as simple as a factoid about the band, or a little detail of an interesting event, or something that helps put a different slant on the topic. For instance:
In August 2012 Keuning revealed via Twitter that he had been fired from The Killers for undisclosed reasons.
The following sentence should provide a little more detail about the topic.
Keuning joined The Killers in 2002 after a number of years playing with other successful Las Vegas bands.
##Body Paragraph about how the Band Handles Criticism and Feedback
In this paragraph you should try to answer the question "How does the band handle criticism and feedback." This could be as simple as "The band generally rise above criticism, preferring to concentrate on their own music." Or something a bit more specific, such as:
The Killers are particularly good at ignoring critics. The main reason for this is that the band members are of the opinion that anyone who thinks they can determine the merits of their music without listening to them first is someone who doesn't deserve to be listened to. This attitude has seen them become somewhat irritating to some sections of the media, particularly those Americans who have said negative things about the band.
##Body Paragraph with a Short Background Info
In this paragraph about feedback and criticism you can give a little background info on how the group was formed, or some information about their singing or song writing style.
The opinions of critics were not always favourable however. In a Rolling Stone review of the band's first album, Flowers was described as having "a voice that resembles an amoebic organism feasting on burning petroleum."<ref name="Web: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/the_killers_i_tunnels_1203">Web: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/the_killers_i_tunnels_1203</ref>
##Body Paragraph with General Story about How Band Gets Feedback, Criticism and Advice
In the final body paragraph you can try to give a general story of how the band reacts to criticism or advice. This could be as simple as "The band have never been short of advice but as both Flowers and Keuning have said, 'we're not in this business for our health'" However, you could also elaborate on a story that has been told many times in different forms (such as the "growing up" story that is often used). For instance, some have said that the story about a child who is playing with a ball which rolls into the street and nearly hits a dog. The child runs after the ball and is at the last second able to prevent it from hitting the dog.
Now, I know it's not exactly like that but you get the idea. A good example of this might be:
As children they were encouraged to play guitar in their local area by their parents, who of course paid for lessons from time to time. At one stage Flowers was even able to afford his own gear including pedals and other bits and pieces.
##Body Paragraph about Good Advice
It's important to know what the band has received good advice on. What has worked for other artists? What have made things easier for them in their life? A great way to introduce that is to say something about how people have said "This advice works really well." You can make your story personal by using the band members names or their parents names. For instance:
Keuning and Vannucci used to hear this advice all the time, especially from former members of U2 and Oasis – which was really helpful as they had no clue who these bands were.
Conclusion
The last paragraph should be the conclusion to the main body of your article. This is where you give your opinion about the topic and its relevance to the world or other people (this is known as an editorial). You can also try to answer the question here: "'could this information be of use to anyone else?'". For instance:
Of course all musicians need some form of criticism and feedback, whether they like it or not. If you take away anything from this article it should be that The Killers have certainly got that.