2 Yann Tiersen inspired tunes - feedback?

[accordion2miles]

Hello folks!

Totally green Taxi newbie here! My name is Miles Hoyle & I'm an accordionist/multi-instrumentalist based in Norfolk, Virginia USA.

I just joined Taxi yesterday! But these two tunes I actually released around a bit earlier this year. I wrote these two original instrumental pieces entitled, "Of Cities Dreamt" & "Absolutely Charming" after being inspired by Yann Tiersen's work for the Amelie soundtrack (I've just been a fan of Tiersen's work & that soundtrack for a long time) & was going for something similar.

I can only cut demos at home (I have a basic two channel Focusrite audio interface & Ableton Live Lite edition for my software) -- so these final released versions you're hearing in the links were recorded with local audio engineer Rob Ulsh at Master Sound Studios in Virginia Beach (shout out to Rob! He's amazing!!) -- had a blast cutting these tunes there; I performed the accordion, piano, glockenspiel, & mandolin -- and was lucky enough to recruit local musicians Justin Stanley (violin) & Joshua Sierra-Delgado (cello) for the roles/instruments I couldn't play myself.

*The links to the tunes are...

for Of Cities Dreamt, check out this link: https://youtu.be/OUpmL2oKpZI

for Absolutely Charming, check out this link: https://youtu.be/WZu8gvfYN2M

I'll admit as totally newbie to ever attempting anything Sync related that I have no idea if they'll ever get used -- but I do hope to someday land these in the background of a film/TV show/podcast/something! If nothing else, I enjoyed doing it for the sake of making them and showcasing my performance/writing abilities on the tracks -- but any constructive criticism and/or advice in general on how these could have been better (rather it's writing, production, something lacking, how to market them, etc.) would be greatly aprreciated & I look forward to your replies!

Thank you for your time, consideration, & for listening!

-- Miles Hoyle
www.mileshoyle.com

[cosmicdolphin]

any constructive criticism and/or advice in general on how these could have been better (rather it's writing, production, something lacking, how to market them, etc.) would be greatly aprreciated & I look forward to your replies!

Hey MIles

Good to have you onboard. I don't have any constructive critisism on the actual music as they are good pieces, well performed and recorded mixed etc. and for me it reaches what the listings describe as broadcast quality. That's the good news !

Here's some other thoughts around your post from years in the trenches that might save you some time, money & heartache .

I do hope to someday land these in the background of a film/TV show/podcast/something! If nothing else

Not saying they won't ever land up in something eventually but " Write To The LIstings " is the No.1 tip learned from this forum. A lot of folks who join have pre-made tracks and try to shoehorn them into listings that they aren't suitable for - Square peg, round hole syndrome. Then they get bummed when it keeps getting returned. As much as I liked your tracks they sound like more of a niche genre for Sync so until a listing pops up that has Yann Tiersen or one of his contempories as a reference just think carefully before submitting. You can always ask on the forum first. They are also a little long for a typical cue which are typically 90-120s give or take. Also if you have released them into the world via various digital platforms then not all exclusive libraries allow this - generally if you keep your sync stuff for sync and don't release it elsewhere then you'll never have an issue.

I can only cut demos at home (I have a basic two channel Focusrite audio interface & Ableton Live Lite edition for my software) -- so these final released versions you're hearing in the links were recorded with local audio engineer Rob Ulsh at Master Sound Studios in Virginia Beach

Sounds like you have all you need in your home studio, to be frank there isn't enough money in instrumentals to pay other people to do stuff you can do yourself. Mixing and Mastering definitely comes under that umbrella so if it's not a skill you posess already you will need to learn otherwise you risk spend more on hiring other people than you make in return even assuming the music gets forwarded , signed by the libray and then selected to be placed in a TV show. A lot of hoops to jump though first. If you're lucky you might find a library that prefers to mix and master in house with a Professional but you still need to provide TV ready masters as most don't.

I performed the accordion, piano, glockenspiel, & mandolin -- and was lucky enough to recruit local musicians Justin Stanley (violin) & Joshua Sierra-Delgado (cello) for the roles/instruments I couldn't play myself.

Sounds like you can already do a lot, there are usually two ways it works if you have other musicians on the track. If you hire them , then you will need a 'Work For Hire ' document to show to the Music Library to prove they have no further claim to the music. Most libraries can't sign the track without it so be sure you deal with the paperwork at the time as it's often too late down the road. The other way is to give the others a split of the track which is usually even splits like 50-50 or 33% each for three musicians. If you're doing this you need to make sure those performers are members of a PRO ( as I hope you yourself are ) so you can submit their details to be assigned their share.

Hopefully that hasn't put you off, you need to write a lot of tracks to make any headway but they also need to be in the right style so don't necessarily rely on music made in the past and try your hand listings you think would suit you.

Mark

[accordion2miles]

Hi cosmicdolphin!

Thanks so much for your feedback & taking the time to check out the tracks! Some of this I expected & some of this was a surprise to me....

I have read previously in advice columns/been told by some folks I've met to explore the ads for the music being sought out first and then try to write to what's being asked for and then create something that will hopefully be what someone is looking for. Going forward, I just might do something like that.

It's kind of a long story -- but to attempt to be brief about it lol... since accordion is my primary instrument -- my hope was to try to be sorta dual-purpose with these two tunes (i.e. keep accordion mostly in the front seat, showcase my performance & writing abilities, & to also have some debut release instrumental tracks to put onto my website -- especially since the music on my website prior to these was from different bands/projects I've been in where accordion sometimes plays a vital role/other times a supportive role -- but either way, always with someone's vocals over top of it also) -- so I do realize it'll be a very long (if ever) wait to hope someone wants something very french/very european/tiersen-esque to ever pop up in the requests (but boy am I ready if that lucky day ever comes! lol) so this part doesn't surprise (as when it comes to playing accordion; I do always somewhat struggle with how to make myself "fit" into things.... except for Oktoberfest lol)

*You definitely mentioned some eye-openers I really appreciate that you've shared with me:

- the typical cue of 90-120 second/1.5 minutes to 2 minutes & that things in general need to be shorter. That makes sense, and I wonder if I probably researched that as a newbie once before but it didn't occur to me at the time I went through with this because I actually some of it way earlier and I'm sure at least at the time of writing it that didn't have a clue!-- so I definitely need to make sure I also limit myself to some shorter (and genre-wise more marketable) tunes.

- I do appreciate the advice that not all libraries will accept it once you've put it out on various streaming platforms (I think I got so caught up in writing it, recording it, & then releasing it) -- and though I have read about exclusive versus non-exclusive some in my research it's of course all new to me and something I haven't experienced, so that really helps me for next time knowing that I should kinda' keep it on the down-low while I try to "shop it around" so that I can't have an issue in that department. Afterall, it would be a bummer someone finally wants it and then has to reject it based on that it's already on Spotify, iTunes, etc.

- It's actually a relief that what I'm using to make tunes with at home already (just a two channel interface & Ableton Live Lite edition) isn't all as bad as I thought it was! lol cuz I thoguht that was gonna' sound laughable (I have previewed quite a bit what some folks on here are creating -- though I cut demos with them, yeah I'm not an audio engineer so I do need to learn how to properly mix stuff (I am winging it at home with my demos/twiddling knobs until I go "eh sounds good to me" lol) & I have no clue how to master (like at all!) -- I didn't realize folks on here are also mixing/mastering themselves too -- but I can see how that would help save money and be highly beneficial (just hope that over time I can manage to dive into that also!)

Thank you so much for checking out the tunes, your constructive feedback, & advice -- I really appreciate it! : )

-- Miles

[AlanHall]

- the typical cue of 90-120 second/1.5 minutes to 2 minutes & that things in general need to be shorter. That makes sense, and I wonder if I probably researched that as a newbie once before but it didn't occur to me at the time I went through with this because I actually some of it way earlier and I'm sure at least at the time of writing it that didn't have a clue!-- so I definitely need to make sure I also limit myself to some shorter (and genre-wise more marketable) tunes.

Miles,
Welcome!
Two very knowledgeable folks have already stepped up to offer help. I respect them as true experts and, as such, you are off to a great start! My only advice is to research (on these forums and elsewhere) what typical 90-to-120-sec cue and 2-4-min instrumental forms look like. For example, the 30-sec intro to 'Of Cities Dreamt' is a no-no simply because an editor will play the first 10 seconds of the track to get a feel for the mood; the intro is not like the rest of the track at all and will give the editor the wrong impression. Stuff like that.

have you subscribed to the listing emails? Once you do, you'll get an email once every couple days with about 3 listings of what Taxi's clients are looking for. You don't have to be a paying member of the Taxi service in order to get the listings, and the listings - which include links to 'reference' tracks - are super helpful in guiding your research and efforts in cue and instrumental composition.
Alan

[davidagates]

They're lovely tracks, nice production and good performances.

Re: not having an actual "studio", I doubt many of us do. I use Ableton, and only recently upgraded to a Focurite Clarett+, I had forwards with the 2i2.

My advice, get a room (if you can), treat it so you can hear your mixes property, engross yourself in the world of actual recording (if you're using real instruments stuff like mic placement is key) and then just stick as rigidly as you can to the briefs.

You've certainly got the chops, you can drop any submissions you've recorded prior to uploading them in peer section where I for one have had huge amounts of help.

In regards to production and mastering you just have to throw yourself into it, I only really started recording 3 or 4 years ago properly, and although that sounds like a long time I've come on leaps and bounds. The Produce Like a Pro guys are a good shout to learn your way with that end of things, Warren Huat does great videos on production in general.

Also, good choice of DAW. Ableton is amazing.

Best of luck!

[accordion2miles]

HI Telefunkin!

Thank you for your input as well -- what your telling me makes a lot of sense to me -- I can see how having access to your own track in the DAW and the ability to "re-cut" multiple alternate versions (a shorter 30 second version/or a version of just the accordion, a version of just the piano, etc. whatever the project calls for) would be ideal to not have to rely on anyone else and just pull it up and make a alternate saved version, etc. on the fly at ease.

Luckily, until I learn to do so myself I think I do have a local person or two I can reach out with to collaborate (should it be needed) on the mixing/mastering end -- though ultimately, yes I would like to learn to do so myself of course (for all the great reasons folks have pointed out -- plus in general, who wouldn't want to have a highly useful skill like mixing/mastering!? lol I know I would!!)

Thanks for the idea of maybe hopefully it being for travel-related TV (I actually didn't think of that; but of course I'd love it/jump at that chance if it ever came up!) -- I do admit I knowingly did do something a bit hmmm I guess "backwards" -- as I just wrote it for the sake of writing it/didn't write it based on a request (going forward I think I will try to write/record/create something based on what someone is looking for specifically rather than just making it and hoping to find a home for it later) + I really just wanted to have a first couple of debut solo instrumental tracks to sorta put on my website/to showcase what I can do in general (lol I just wanted to do it in general for the first time around; for the fun/opportunity/etc. to create it and so on)-- whereas going forward, when it comes to hoping to land something I would do follow this advice of writing to a request rather than trying to find a home in hindsight. Because I can easily see why that makes more sense (lol plus now I think I got doing it for the thrill/alternate purpose of having a piece of work to show people, etc.) is out of myself (well... mostly lol)

Thanks again & I appreciate your help/advice also!

[accordion2miles]

Hi AlanHall!

Thank you for your response -- going forward, I'll be sure to try to keep the track more consistent & watch out for this no-no moment liek the intro. on "Of Cities Dreamt"!

Also yes, I am subscribed to the listings & watching them closely so that next time when someone requests something I like the idea of trying to write/create for I'll try to step to that challenge (and also on the highly less likely side... maybe hopefully finally see an ad/request someday where one of these just so happens to be what someone is looking for... albeit I realize that is incredibly rare/probably a needle in a haystack situation; if nothing else, this first time around I was glad to do this simply to have something to display on my website/make an official instrumental debut kind of release-- but going forward, I do intend on taking the advice of folks on here/including yours/and trying my hand at writing for a specific ad/request instead of this previous approach I did)

[accordion2miles]

Hi davidadgates!

Thanks so much for the kind words! Also, yeah I love the Focusrite -- it's been super handy/helpful in tracking ideas/getting stuff done -- just curious, why did you change/upgrade to the Clarett+??

I hope to get a room for recording eventually (phew! That'd be fantastic!). Right now when I make demos at home I record with my Roland FR3X accordion -- however when I record the final product I prefer to mic an actual accordion (even though the electric one is easier to record/you can just plug in direct like a guitar) -- I do need to invest in some additional mics (I believe in the studio we used 2 or 3 KSM137 condensor mics -- one on each side of the accordion and one just planted in room to capture an ambiance) -- I really want to learn/find out more about plugins that will work in ABleton Live Lite that I can use the midi on my accordion for -- it'd be great to make better quality demos with more realistic sounding plugins for sure (but I'm kind of new to that; and I like to feel sure I want to buy one/seek out decent free ones when I can/etc.) -- but a lot of that is kinda new to me (like plugins) but I have loved the times I used my accordion as a midi -- it was really neat/fun to get to use it in that way too!

Actually, talking about this reminds me that I have a homemade demo of an alternate style of the waltz I cut "Absolutely Charming" in an alternate reggae/ska style with totally different instrumentation (guitar, bass, drums, horns -- instead of accordion, glockenspiel, piano, strings, etc.) -- hopefully down the line that might be something I could cut in a way that would be marketable to a request (as I've already seen more reggae requests than anything accordion related lol) -- maybe I could send you this demo for your thoughts on that/maybe there is a way I can share that on here? (for example, the timing of the demo is decent/but the horns in particular are phew soooo fake -- it's hard to find good fake horns!?! isn't it!?) Ultimately, I have been to go back and re-cut this ska/reggae version of the song (I originally basically had a plan to cut multiple styles where that main melodic phrase would be prominent in all the alternate versions -- to show how I can reinterpret an idea in different styles/genres/ways -- lol plus it'd just be fun to do!)

Ok great -- thanks for those references for mixing/mastering -- I'll have to check out those videos/references! I'm definitely really enjoying all the info./feedback/ways to plan better ahead for next time/etc. that folks are opening my eyes to here.

Thanks again!!

-- Miles Hoyle