Listener Fatigue

This from a email from Sarah Belle Reid, a musician/influencer/teacher:

This week I want to jump straight into our reader-submitted topic, because it’s something that I truly think every single person reading this has experienced at some point in time. 

This question comes in from Alexander K., who wrote:

In the morning I’ll work on my music, tweak something, and improve a section of a song. It sounds great to me and I am happy that I moved the needle a bit. However, in the evening I listen to that change again and it sounds terrible. What is going on??

First of all, I have definitely experienced this many times.

I have come back to projects the next day or week and thought to myself, “What was I thinking!?”

And at the same time, I have also come back to projects that I was convinced were terrible, and found myself listening to them thinking, “This is actually pretty good!”

So, what gives?

I think it all comes down to the fact that our ability to listen and hear our music clearly changes throughout the day, based on dozens of factors: how much sleep we got the night before, how hungry we are, how stressful our day was, and so on.

When our ears get tired, they begin to compress contrast, smooth out frequency differences, and over-normalize whatever you have been listening to. By the time evening rolls around, you are hearing a version of the music that is filtered through fatigue. Add in normal factors like stress, hunger, or simply being mentally done for the day, and it is very easy to suddenly feel like your work sounds awful.

Similarly, the mental state / perspective we bring into our creative sessions throughout the day can play a big role in how we perceive things sounding. 

I’m personally much more creative and open to exploring in the morning than I am at night. I also have some students who do their best work at 4am. It’s helpful to find your ideal rhythm and to be mindful of what times of day work best for you.

Here’s my biggest piece of advice: do not make big creative decisions when you are tired. Do not throw anything away at night.

Instead, take a break, step away, and give yourself a fresh listen the next morning. Nine times out of ten, the thing that sounded “terrible” at night will sound totally fine, or at the very least easier to fix, once your ears have rested.

Something that can really help with this is keeping a small notebook (or a notes app) specifically for “first impressions.” 

When you work on music in the morning, jot down a sentence or two about what you liked, why it matters, and how it supports the creative vision for your piece. This forces you to listen more deeply in the moment, and it gives future-you a reminder of what you were thinking so you don’t end up wondering “why did I do this?” later on.

Over time, this practice becomes a way of strengthening your ears and your artistic confidence. 

The swings between “I love this” and “I hate this” are normal. Instead of throwing things out, try getting curious. Ask yourself what specifically you are hearing that feels off, or what has changed in your perception. If you cannot identify any real issues and it is more of a feeling, it might simply be time for a walk in the woods and a good night of sleep. 🌳

Most importantly, keep going! Keep creating, keep experimenting. You’ve got this.