34 out of 34 returned so far !

[hoknes]

Well I knew this was going to be tough. The comments I get back are usually not too bad - but i'm just not quite close enough. Though I admit i entered many songs that i had recordeed that sometimes weren't quite the right song for the genre etc but I thought perhaps the screeners would see past that and recognize a song has potential and not worry about the instrumentation etc of my demos.So I suppose that is not the case? So then is it true that I should be thinking a singer with an acoustic guitar might be a safer bet to go even on the rock and pop stuff? Keeps it generic and open for the screeners to "imagine". Any thoughts on this? What about quality of recordings? Mine could be a bit better but I know they arent terrible - if we are just pitchings songs and not official recordings can't they see past that also ??

[hummingbird]

That's a tough question to answer, but I think the answer is that quality counts. I think it would be far far better to do a 'simple' but very clean demo, with an excellent singer and an excellent guitar player, who are playing and singing in the style of the listing, than produce something that doesn't sound like the real thing.If all other things are good - if you are getting high marks for lyrics, and high marks for melody, contrast & structure, and you are 'on target for the listing' but you are declined for production reasons, then you know what you need to work on.If you aren't targetting effectively, or if these other things need work, then that's another reason to do simple demos & get feedback without spending time/money on fancier demos.I know it can seem disheartening, but remember, I was exactly in your place a couple of years ago, and I have since learned to produce well enough to get forwards -- even for film/tv. You just have to keep listening and keep being open, and trust that you will 'get' what you need to know.As for the question, "can't the screeners see past an imperfect demo"... well, maybe they can't. And the reason they can't is that the bar IS that high. If your demo doesn't sound professional - that is, clean, excellent performances, well-mixed - then how can they pass it along to the listing party? But if I can learn to get over that bar, so can you.

[heinsite]

hey hoknes--forget about the screeners imagining ANYTHING--aint goin' to happen. it has to be MORE than good, hell, maybe even more than great. i'm 1 for about 200-300 by now. quality has got to be damned good, though they'll tell you "it's the song." BULL. not the case, in my opinion. from my experience, the screener's job is to not see past anything--that's just what i thought when i joined. still trying though. don't give up! just don't give up your day job (unless you're retired...). sour grapes here after 4 years....but still playing the game, working my ass off, etc.the best,warren

[heinsite]

ps:LISTEN to vicky, she's now getting lots of forwards, and has from what i've heard/gathered earned it all. she's submitted to many different genres, and it just depends on what you're looking for, a radio "hit," or a steady income from whatever genre you can find. she's a real musician, so in my opinion she's got it all going for her. in my case, i'm trying to reach the vast masses--and what i'm finding is that it is very very very very very very tough to do so--regardless of what you believe about yourself. but that's the key, belief in ourself. if you don't have that, quit now, save your money, and try something else. really. taxi has yet to have the same beliefs in me as i have, but hell, new screeners come and go--i HOPE...but the problem really is the industry today is in it for the quick buck, and QUALITY songs that will live on, well, i'd be surprised to hear today's music on a "classic" station in 30 years from now, but hell, might be wrong.heinsite out

[hummingbird]

you might want to read my reply on this thread... 4 years of Taxi membership (2004-2008), an average of 100 submissions a year, got my first forward in February 2007.http://taxi.proboards27.com/index.cgi?a ... page=1I've always been a slow learner. But it takes as long as it takes, and my membership in Taxi, and this forum, have been a big part of my education.

[squids]

Sometimes learning at a slower pace is the wisest thing to do. You're remaking yourself. It should take time. We get confused by all the speed our culture tries to attain in everything they do. They forget how long it takes to really grow a human being. Growing a successful musician takes even longer.

[davekershaw]

May 13, 2008, 11:30pm, hummingbird wrote:As for the question, "can't the screeners see past an imperfect demo"... well, maybe they can't. And the reason they can't is that the bar IS that high. If your demo doesn't sound professional - that is, clean, excellent performances, well-mixed - then how can they pass it along to the listing party? But if I can learn to get over that bar, so can you.I only joined last November, but soon saw how high the bar was set. I realised that my music was going to have to be spot on, and it just wasn't. I submitted quite a few tracks in my first days with Taxi, but then concluded they just weren't going to get forwarded as they were. It would be better to hang on until I had improved my production skills before submitting further.The initial submissions however weren't a waste of time and money, as I got some valuable feedback from the critiques, and with the help of this forum I am gradually improving.One statement that really made me understand the process was: "you're not selling a song, you're selling a recording". So the quality of that recording seems paramount.To be honest, I would much rather be able to record demos, in the hope that someone would see the potential of my songs, and then have them do the full business themselves. That way, I could have spent the last few months writing more songs and recording much faster. As it is, I've spent that much time learning production, any new songs have been put on hold.Anyway, I'm in for the long haul. Watch out for that first forward!btw, here's an interesting article:http://www.musesmuse.com/00000788.html

[silvercord]

Hi Hoknes~along with Vikky and Squid's post i think i have felt what you feel now...but maybe without so muchpressure...i had never known about taxi 'till just this last year...in the time since, i have been learning stuff i think i would neverhave brought myself to...its like im learning through everyone else's trials and errors, andsucesses...i have no qualms in saying this is a very wise investment.there has to be a point where the momentum changes in oneslearning and productuion...i think this is a point where many people break free from the things that hold us back. maybe weare both right at the threshold of being able to spin some gold~in this realm, its just the start! for both of us!p.s. Dave thanks for that article you posted a link for

[horacejesse]

Quote:Sometimes learning at a slower pace is the wisest thing to do. You're remaking yourself. It should take time. We get confused by all the speed our culture tries to attain in everything they do. They forget how long it takes to really grow a human being. Growing a successful musician takes even longer.That is wisdom.

[billg]

Hey Hoknes, I can speak from a little bit of experience here. I've done the "demo" thing with a paying gig to do it from a major label for a while, but that was a looooong time ago. Things have changed a lot & regardless of what anyone tells you, etch this in your brain . . . THE QUALITY OF YOUR DEMO MATTERS A LOT. These days you can hear a lot of mediocre songs on the radio but they all sound fantastic, incredible production. What you don't hear are great songs with so-so production. We could probably all come up with a list of fabulous songs with "not-so-hot" production but it would be all songs before 1980 or thereabouts. This leaks right over into "demo land." Heck, I've even heard claims that there's no such thing as "demo quality" anymore. I don't know about that, but you have to get your demos sounding good by the "industry standard" of the day. Like it or not, that's just the way it is.