The art of giving good feedback

Providing good feedback to the musicians who serve your church is essential. It helps nurture their God-given gifts and ensures that their service is a blessing and not a burden to the church.

This is not an easy task, nor is it only the responsibility of leaders. With the help of the Proverbs, here are three (conveniently alliterative) principles to help all of us in the church to get this right.

A false witness will perish, but a careful listener will testify successfully (Prov. 21:28).

1. Good feedback is truthful

This might feel excessively obvious, but in a subjective medium like music, it is very easy for both player and listener to come away with very different ideas of what happened. Make use of audio recordings of your services, whether it’s a livestream or just on someone’s phone, even if there is a ‘cringe factor’ of hearing yourself sing or play. Carefully listening back to a service after the fact can be a valuable resource to fuel feedback conversations.

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (Prov.12:18).

2. Good feedback requires time

Rushing to share your red-hot critique straight after a service is to live dangerously. In the heat of moment, it is so easy to zero in on the one thing that really bugged you to the exclusion of all else. As the Proverb says, these are reckless words with all the painful consequences of a poorly wielded sword. Good feedback is balanced and considered, covering the positives just as deeply as the negatives, and that takes time! Its measuring stick is God’s word and not personal preference. Did we help the church sing sincerely to the Lord? Did our singing teach, admonish, and encourage?

Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses (Prov. 27:6).

3. Good feedback requires trust

In our fallen world, we so often respond to criticism with suspicion or defensiveness, especially in music, where the technical and the personal intertwine.

Instead, we must clothe our feedback in the gospel. We are to be a community, not bound up with our own self-worth but with the worship of Jesus. So, before offering feedback, ask yourself: Do you know your musicians well? Do they know you well? Can they trust you to take the time to give truthful feedback, motivated to see them grow in love for Jesus? I pray this is increasingly true of all our churches.