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Many of the popular music critics I spoke with talked about music criticism as a
consumed type of media or art form that is to some extent independent of the object it
scrutinizes. Criticism may be dedicated to the discussion of art, but it too can be considered by
its makers to be an artistic expression.
Mick said that he wants to tell artists’ stories “in a way that carries the vibe of their music
and extends the art that they’re creating. I’m latching onto the vibe. It’s a creative act for me.”
Just as painters may be inspired by literature, or composers may be inspired by paintings, the art
of music inspires the critic, as an artist, to create the art of criticism. Some of the critics
described the production of output in artistic rather than vocational terms. For example, rather
than describing his work as a journalistic endeavor, Buddy explained that writing about rock for
him is a literary undertaking. Buddy and Chuck construed the creation of music criticism as
coming from the heart, an origin readily associated with an artist’s expression.
The critic’s role as an artist is perhaps most apparent when critics talk about editors
making changes to their creative expressions. Richard declared “I don’t like being edited. I fight
for every word, make them justify every change.” Even though minor changes are unlikely to
upset the content of criticism, they may, at least to the creator, disturb the more artistic elements
of criticism. Like Richard, Pete reported battling over seemingly minor changes. Editors, he
complained, do not seem to value the rhythm of a piece the way that he does. Roger talked of
occasions when he was not pleased with his final product, re-wrote it and had to go up the chain
of command convincing editors to run the new piece.
As dealings with editors demonstrate, popular music critics, like all artists, are not
working autonomously. In Becker’s (1982) exposition of art worlds, critics are posited as playing
a supporting role to the artist, yet the art world concept is also applicable when the critic is
Convention