A/C or Smooth Jazz W/Vocals

[wignelson]

As usual, I haven't a clue. Any direction would be helpful with this piece. Anything short of "throw it out." It is of a spiritual nature, but I won't make that C/C mistake again.I tried to make the lyrics universal enough that it might get by the screener.I'm a little gun shy at the moment. I just got a return that said the music was too good. The screener said he (or she) would like to hear the whole piece and that the listener gets too wrapped up in it. Whatever?I would leave TAXI in a heartbeat if I could get a refund.Here is the long intro version of this song. It would never get past a screener for that reason. http://www.songramp.com/mod/mps/viewtra ... =67529“All There Is”By Wig Nelson c. 2008Having you is all there is that promises tomorrowTo deal with all the sorrow there’s comfort in your heartAnd loving you is all I need to know a bit of heavenThe light that I’ve been given is brighter than the starsSo much brighter than the brightest star. Here is the short intro version that I hope will get past him (or her).http://www.taximusic.com/song.php?song_ ... tream=true

[rld]

Quote:I would leave TAXI in a heartbeat if I could get a refund.I don't know anyone who has taken them up on it, but TAXI says they will give a refund if you are unsatisfied after your first year.

[sgs4u]

Wig, I want to help you. I want for you to feel really good about your music, your Taxi experience, as well as your participation in this forum. Please allow me to pretend I'm all knowing for a minute here, and try not to write off my explanation because I sound freakishly egotistical. I sometimes do this thing. I look at a problem I'm having with music, or getting my music thru Taxi screeners and I describe it to myself (and others) in the most exaggerated terms possible, so that I can make the problem HUGE, and Taxi's fault. Matto, Casey, Vikki & anyone that's been around for a while knows I do this thing, but they don't always tell me when I'm doing it. Sometimes they even tell me maybe Taxi isn't a good fit for me, and they're being honest. My reaction to hearing that always is, JUST WATCH ME, I'LL SHOW YOU. I'm the kind of guy that usually needs to try to bash head first thru a concrete wall instead of realizing I could hurdle over it, with a little bit of help, or a new tool to propel my dumb ass. But my bull in a china shop approach is an essential part of my learning path. It's not that I don't need them to tell me what I'm doing wrong. The truth is that I might not listen to them, because I think I'm really good and all that bullshit. They also know how frustrating is to try and teach me stuff because I have this tendency to deflect good advice. I'm a really awesome musician, I've been writing songs for 20 years, I've only ever played in bands for a living. But I have avoided incredibly important lessons, that this forum, screeners and my friends have offered me. It's easy to do this, by allowing myself to become freakishly wrapped up in why I don't have more success, instead of paying attention to the obvious sign posts along my journey.Don't do this thing I do, Wig. Don't waste your time believing that you haven't got a clue, or that you'd get a refund if you could. If you're in your first year, you can easily get a refund. Just pay more attention to the knowledge that's available. Your song is very interesting. It could easily be a soft-rock or a smooth jazz/vocals piece, if you fix up a few things. I haven't seen tons of listings for stuff in this style, so that might factor in your decision to stay or go. Unfortunately, I don't think this song will get forwarded to anything the way it sounds right now. Lemme talk about the red flags. Quote:I tried to make the lyrics universal enough that it might get by the screener.I'm a little gun shy at the moment. I just got a return that said the music was too good. The screener said he (or she) would like to hear the whole piece and that the listener gets too wrapped up in it. Whatever? It has been my experience that universal lyrics, that are bland, won't get thru screeners. Universal situations, yes, but not bland descriptions of them. Lyrics like yours, have been done a lot of times. Writing about the stars equalling a piece of heaven, and esoteric stuff like that, has been done a lot. I would expect screeners are not particularly fond of forwarding lyrics content that has been overused. A simple rhyme like "heart, and stars," might disqualify your song from being forwarded. Dig deeper for unique rhymes and especially phrases, that say what you want to say, differently than any other song you've heard before. Your lyric mentions a sadness, and then some kind of caring for someone or something, to help you get over. If you are talking about losing something human, and loving a God, then I would suggest get more literal, if you want screeners to forward this. If you don't care about it being forwarded, then you're writing songs for yourself (or your fans), and what screeners (or I) think doesn't matter.You could easily find a lyric writing partner to bump up the quality of your songs. I like to start by looking at Bob Dylan song titles lately. Whatever works to push you out of thinking your lyrics are good enough, because this one isn't yet. find yourself an awesome song that you believe has a killer lyric, and really analyze why you like it. That can help a lot. Now the production/recording of your song definitely needs work. Here are some quick suggestions, and these are meant to help you realize you HAVE A CLUE, and that there are a few simple things you can change, to get yourself moving in the direction you want to go in. You need to listen to some music that sounds like the stuff in the same style you sing in. I have this one guy's music, his name is Jose González. His song just happened to start playing right after yours did, in my iTunes folder. His stuff is producer in a style that your songs might suit very well. He uses a lot more Nylon string guitar, and I'll get to that in a moment. I even heard some seagull samples in one tune, sounded cool. In "All There Is," your drums are not suited to this style of song at all. The programming is too complicated, not relaxing and the sounds, are too compressed and no "real" enough sounding for your style. If your drums were hand drums, like congas, or djembes, stuff like that, they would sound more relaxing, like the sound of your singing, and what your lyric is about. If you want to use cymbals, use swells, not crashes. A simple hi-hat patter on beats 2 & 4, would be much better than a programmer pretending to play hi-hats. It's about the combination of sounds, and whether they create the right atmosphere. Your acoustic playing performance is really great, but I would try to make the sound be a little softer. It's too bright, and not relaxing. The flute playing is great. If you listen to the sound of the attack on flute notes, there is no smack of strings. The note just starts with the sound of wind. You can EQ your acoustic to have less attack in the character of the sound. Your rhythm playing track is quite good also, but I'd suggest acquiring a nylon string instead of using the same guitar for both lead and rhythm tracks. Don't know if you played both of those but they're pretty darn good playing, and really support the song. The keyboard playing and string stuff, is a but too synthetic sounding to match up with the earthiness of the flute, guitars & vocals. I'd suggest using your flute for the fill instrument, and use a keyboard pad, but not much in the way of fills, from that keyboard sound, unless you can get it to create the same level of earthiness that the flute, guitar & voice have. Your voice sounds very pleasant, and I enjoyed the singing. I think it's a bit too loud for the band, but that's a very quick & easy fix. I'd turn the voice down 25% and then listen to the vibe (after you re-do the drums) And the short version of your song, sounds a little abrupt in the intro and the ending, like it's been chopped up without too much regard for the emotional effect on the listener. So to wrap up - Get better lyrics, delete your drum track and start over with hand drum sounds(w less fills), soften the acoustics, deaden the keyboard part to atmosphere instead of counter-melodies. I don't know why a screener would tell you your music was too good. That's not a great thing to have said to you, but I don't have the context it was delivered with. Posting the entire critique is much better than showing us just part of it. Thanks for posting your song. I realize my suggestions are long-winded. You could post your review on this thread as well, if you want us to understand more about those strange screener comments. I sincerely hope you realize that I/we want you to enjoy this process, and that there are tons of people who can help you here, and even more information if you have the right state of mind to let it in. Steve Oct 3, 2008, 7:40am, wignelson wrote:As usual, I haven't a clue. Any direction would be helpful with this piece. Anything short of "throw it out." It is of a spiritual nature, but I won't make that C/C mistake again.I tried to make the lyrics universal enough that it might get by the screener.I'm a little gun shy at the moment. I just got a return that said the music was too good. The screener said he (or she) would like to hear the whole piece and that the listener gets too wrapped up in it. Whatever?I would leave TAXI in a heartbeat if I could get a refund.Here is the long intro version of this song. It would never get past a screener for that reason. http://www.songramp.com/mod/mps/viewtra ... =67529“All There Is”By Wig Nelson c. 2008Having you is all there is that promises tomorrowTo deal with all the sorrow there’s comfort in your heartAnd loving you is all I need to know a bit of heavenThe light that I’ve been given is brighter than the starsSo much brighter than the brightest star. Here is the short intro version that I hope will get past him (or her).http://www.taximusic.com/song.php?song_ ... tream=true

[bmete]

Hi Wig,Boy I would like that problem...." my music is too good" I'm sure I'll never hear that.(LOL).Liked your tune, my 2cents- ( please note I am terrible at genres). I'd say A/C, the flute & guitar do sway it towards Cool Jazz, but I think it leans more on the A/C side of the fence. ( Nice voice BTW). The drums and bass also to me keep it on the A/C side. RLD - I actually have meet someone who got a refund.-I joined TAXI July 2007- at the time I was very unsure about what TAXI was , how it worked, etc. etc. made a few submissions . -- About a month after joining I was at the Ocean City Maryland SUN Festival - there was a booth with two ladies in it selling their CD's. She played all of these wild flutes- alto- bass & contra bass flutes- her partner was the piano player. Anyway, we were listening and bought some CD's, we were chatting talking about music, and I said I just joined TAXI. She said she was a member, submitted for a flute thing got forwarded etc. After her year was up, they decided that TAXI wasn't for them and their style of Piano & Flute music. So she wrote a letter saying she was not renewing her membership that TAXI wasn't for them. She never asked for a refund.... a couple of weeks later she said she got a refund check in the mail from TAXI.From that moment that I heard that story I knew that TAXI was a stand up organization......Bob

[kurtkreimier]

Hello Wig.I can hear the frustration in your post and I can relate. However, I think you really just need to focus on which listings you are submitting to. I have listened and posted comments on several of your tracks and I have to say that I have enjoyed each and every track that I have heard. That said, I do not hear A/C or Smooth Jazz here. In terms of the vocals I think they are generally well done. To me they were definitely more new age and folk in their style and sound. But they are very sparse and I listened to both the short and long versions. I personally prefer the instrumental music I have heard from you. But that is just my own bias as an instrumentalist and instrumental composer. I don't write lyrics so I won't comment on them. I did think the drums sounded a little too fake and that there was too much reverb overall. But I still liked the song very much. But again, I do not think it fit in terms of being A/C or Smooth Jazz w/Vocals.I don't know how long you have been a member of Taxi but I do remember that when I first joined (2004) I was submitting things that were not really what the listing was asking for. I was thinking things like "this song has some elements of what they want" or "it might be a fit." It took me 6 months to get my first forward. I went on like that through my first two years of membership while I slowly began to be more selective in which listings I would submit to. Now there are some months where I might submit to 1 or 2 listings and some months where I don't submit to any listings. Whatever the case, I try to make sure I am submitting to only those listings that I have a very good chance of providing what the listing is asking for. If I have any real doubts I won't submit. Taking this approach has really improved my percentage of forwards. By the way, the song that was my first forward 4 years ago recently got picked up by a library so you never know what might happen.Wig, I am taking the time to write this simply because I like your music and I can hear the talent in what you are doing. I personally think it would be a mistake to throw in the towel at this point. But you have to do what you think is best for you. In terms of your style of music I would be concentrating more on new age, world, folk and perhaps even singer/songwriter and maybe even alternative. But again I have also had difficulty in this area and I am hoping some of the other members of this forum will also provide you some direction along these lines. The other thing that I think you are doing right is taking the time to post your songs and get comments from the other forum members, as well as taking the time to listen and comment on other members work. It has just been in the last year that I have started taking advantage of this forum and it has been a huge learning experience for me. In closing I will just say again that I think you need to start being more selective in your submissions. Best of Luck.Kurt

[wignelson]

Steve, Thanks for the time you put in to try to help me out. Like you, I am somewhat of a hard head, but I do listen to advice that others are kind enough to offer. I realize that the drums are really crappy in this song and perhaps hand drums would be a better fit.I don't own EZ drummer, but perhaps it would be a good addition to my studio.I have not been forwarded yet, and I'm beginning to think that I may never be. That's not to say that I don't believe in what I'm doing. I write because I can't help it. Writing for a specific listing is a totally different mindset than I have at the moment.I've been writing for 30 years and during that time I have been told that one of the things I have going for me is that I don't sound exactly like anyone else.That may work against me at TAXI, but I'm willing to stick it out for at least the first year.I am very grateful to the people here at the TAXI forum. I have been given good advice from many people such as yourself.I do feel good about my music and my experience here at the TAXI forum. I have yet to feel good about the organization.Here's one reason:I submitted to a listing calling for uplifting corporate instrumentals.They asked for 30 sec. 60 sec. etc. so I edited the piece and submitted two different pieces of the same composition.That's two submissions, right? $10.00 not just $5.00.Well, the screener listened to both and noted by the title that they were parts of the same composition. Good for him. (or her)Before submitting, I posted in peer to peer and got some advice to go ahead. Nowhere in the listing did it say that the music needed to be uninteresting and just bland background music.Just what the hell does uplifting mean unless your music has some movement and evokes some emotion?You know the listing I'm talking about. Well, here is the screener's comment.To me, both pieces, part of the same composition, sound more like, "Dramatic Instrumentals," than, "Uplifting, Hybrid Background/Corporate Instrumentals."Overall CommentsLouis, I'd like to hear the whole piece. It's wonderful work, but it's not what this listing is calling for. They want, "fairly simple" arrangements, that are more "one dimensional and are unobtrusive, by nature. In other words they want simple "Background" music for Corporate and Video applications. These pieces make you listen to them, which is great, but the opposite of what they want here.Keep the fine work coming.So, when all is said and done, I will probably redo the song, because I think it is a good one. I will get a real drummer to do the drums. But I don't think I will be submitting it anytime soon, because I don't think it sounds like anyone else.Music to me is about sharing what I do. Not about making money although I wouldn't turn it down. I can write to sound like anyone I want, and if I get poor enough, I might do just that.I was (and still am) hoping that TAXI would provide the connection to some publisher who might like to represent my work.As my wife says, my experience with TAXI is just an experiment. A gamble, if you will. I don't expect much success here, but I'm willing to be pleasantly surprised.Thanks for your time and effort to steer me in the right direction. I assure you that I take every word to heart and know that you are trying to help.WigThanks bmete for your kind words and encouragement. I, too, am terrible at genres. I feel like I write music that doesn't fit into any of them. But I might submit this to A/C once I get t better drum track.WigThanks for your input and advice, Kurt. This is a learning experience for me, as well. I still don't know where to place a lot of what I do and perhaps I don't know how to read the English language. I submitted a song for what I thought was film/tv and the screener said that I don't understand the meaning of techno music. It was probably my fault for pushing the wrong button, but I never would have submitted an acoustic guitar and flute piece to a techno listing. Oh, well, I just thought I'd waste another $5.00 apparently.None of this is as important to me than the work. I'm very lucky to be able to do what I do and I feel sorry for people who can't. I thank God for the gifts He has given me, and this song is just a small token of that acknowledgment. Thanks again for your support, Wig