The importance of feedback

I am very passionate about my music. In the last few years, I've spent a few thousand hours on my synthesiser , initially learning to play some simple tunes, and later, on composing. I don't think I am really a great keyboardist, meaning I am not really a performer. I now view my ability to play the keyboard as a skill that's very useful for composing music- that's all. My fingering is good enough to play (or atleast to learn to play) my compositions.

But I am far more serious about my composing music. I often spend hours trying to compose twenty second pieces in a song, while the rest of the song happens in a relatively short time. Since I have no deadlines to finish a song, I can allow a song to evolve over months. I share my music with pretty much anyone who'd care to listen to it.

I find it very hard to get any specific feedback on my music. I did get feedback from a few people and I am very grateful to them. To be sure, let me clarify that when I ask for feedback, I am not hunting for compliments. If someone makes a long specific list of things they didn't like about my music (and if he/she were a serious listener), I would love to have a look at it. I have learnt that people who haven't been trained in music, and who are 'just' passionate listeners are often more discerning than many instrumentalists/ singers.

At the same time, I don't like to get pushy about my music. I know that people are caught up in their daily routine. Thirty minutes of instrumental music can seem wierd if you haven't heard instrumental music before. So, I simply wouldn't blame anyone if they didn't take the time out to listen to my music, and let me know what they think of it.

It's just that when you spend a few thousand hours in isolation doing something, and are excited about showing that to world, you wish they'd take a little time out to have a look at it.