A little bummed about my Van Halen cover ...

[PeterD]

Y140408VH

UNIQUE COVERS (in ALL genres) of well-known VAN HALEN SONGS are needed by a busy Music Library for a number of Film and TV placements. Give them interesting Van Halen Covers of recognizable hits such as "Hot For Teacher," "Jump," "Dance The Night Away," "Runnin' With The Devil," etc. They're not looking for sound-a-likes for this pitch. Male vocals only, please. Do you have a bluegrass version of "Jump?" Or mabye a Classical version of "Runnin' With The Devil?" You DO? We're impressed! Please send it in!!! Broadcast Quality is needed (great sounding home recordings are fine). This Music Library offers an EXCLUSIVE Deal, so please be sure your material is NOT already signed to any other Libraries or Catalogs. This will be a 50/50 split on the Master Recording only, as the original writer or publisher will still own the Publishing. You must own or control 100% of your Master recording to submit for this pitch. Please submit one to three Covers online or per CD. All submissions will be screened on a Yes/No basis - No full critiques. Submissions must be received no later than Tuesday, April 8, 2014. TAXI #Y140408VH

My Submission (the one that many people seemed to have liked): https://soundcloud.com/moanakeiki/aint- ... -love-jazz

The critique from #374: "Nice take on this tune, but the string element sounds more MIDI than organic. Also the "chimes" convey a more dated feel than current. I suggest pulling back on the string element (volume/velocity) to convey a more natural sounding aesthetic. "

My defense: No where in the listing did it ask for organic, current-sounding covers. Can we be a little MORE specific next time!?!?!
When they ask for a Bluegrass version of Jump, or a Classical version of Runin', it doesn't exactly put me in contemp-indie-current mode. Had they spelled that out clearly, I probably wouldn't have even made the effort (since most of the time I can't get that kind of sound).

[PeterD]

Still trying to figure this one out ...

[Casey H]

Hi Peter
Great arrangement!

It might be that the screener is not saying that your arrangement needs to be more current sounding but that the sounds you use in your production need to be more current so to sound more realistic.

Not my area of expertise. But if, for example, the strings are too obviously "midi" as they say, it can be a show-stopper.

Best,
Casey

[PeterD]

Quite possibly, Casey.

In the past, the listings usually spell that sort of detail out clearly. Had they done so, I probably wouldn't have rolled the dice, as my sounds are mostly pre-2005

Thanks for the listen!!

[HectorRContreras]

Ah dear Peter,

I so do not like it when you have a Return. You are such a good Musician. And it is difficult to understand the "whys", I know. A bit complicated the "whys" are at times, I must admit.

What I know also very well, is how much we loved your Song on that day, and we were many !
http://forums.taxi.com/topic127527-30.html

[Russell Landwehr]

Chimes??

Guess you should have made a "current" blue-grass version with the latest instruments made from old sour mash stills.

[Casey H]

Quite possibly, Casey.

In the past, the listings usually spell that sort of detail out clearly. Had they done so, I probably wouldn't have rolled the dice, as my sounds are mostly pre-2005

Thanks for the listen!!

Hey Peter
Having current sounds to work with is not one of those things that's usually spelled out. It's a basic requirement to be in this business. If all you have are outdated, pre-2005 sounds, you will have problems with lots of opportunities whether or not through Taxi.

If you combine up to date sounds with your composition skills, you'd be a force to reckon with!

Casey

[jdstamper]

Peter,

This is a great concept and performance. It's a shame it didn't go through. It's amazing to hear an old hit in a brand new way, transformed and sounding like a hit by itself. I get the feeling you could do a whole album of interesting covers. I bet there will be another listing somewhere down the road, something like ... "creative covers of songs from the 70's" ... and you'll be there.

Jim

[Casey H]

Just to expand on what I was saying...

If you are making an authentic retro piece, your sounds can be dated **IF** they sound like they were realistic for that era. A great example of that would be 80's music with those synthy keyboard or drum machine sounds.

When it comes to something like strings, it's different. Back in the old days, they used live strings. Today they can use very realistic sounding samples. I don't think there was ever a period where there were MIDI sounding strings. So if you add strings to a piece from any era, they need to sound pretty real.

HTH
Casey

[singer1]

uhh, You did say screener # 374, right? Nuff said.... grain of salt, grain of salt.... D.B.M.


... the only race we're in, is the human race.... D.B.M.


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