Feedback is Fuel

I was playing too loud again. A telecaster through a hot tube amp. And yet I didn’t notice there was a problem until a collaborator I trust said something. He was sitting 10 feet away from me with a facial expression that suggested a mixture of kindness and uncomfortable disorientation. Where I was standing — within 2 feet of the speaker — the tone was on point. But from where my partner was sitting it was too much. My volume made it harder for him to listen to me.

Sometimes being too loud actually prohibits others from hearing what you have to say. The signal becomes the noise.

The key is to create an atmosphere where feedback and advice flow freely among players — and to pay attention. When we have the courage to step outside of our biased self-perceptions we immediately gain the power to improve the collective output of the group.

Be grateful for each person who cares enough to tell you how to be a better collaborator.