Baffled Once again!!

[onelight24]

Returned on this listing:

CONTEMPORARY WORLD INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSERS- of all styles and regions - needed by a Music Producer who has a new music library with Major distribution and already has several TAXI composers under his roof. He's looking for tracks that have a current sound with solid arrangements and performances that are authentic to their region! This producer is currently the provider of music for a huge daytime television talk show but wants to make clear that the songs he signs to the library will focus on the other projects he is involved in and will not compete with the Composers working on the talk show. He is open to both domestic and international writers. This is an exclusive deal and you keep 100% of the writer's share. All submissions need to be Broadcast Quality. Please submit two to three instrumentals online or per CD. All submissions will be screened on a YES/NO BASIS - NO CRITIQUES FROM TAXI - and must be received no later than Wednesday, August 25, 2010. TAXI #Y100825WO


My submissions to the listing: 'Neopolitan Flavors', 'Dancing in Naples', & 'Argenite's French Chocolate'.

http://www.taxi.com/vincentpace

So here I am, once again, writing of my concerns, as I am totally baffled by this return! I certainly understand that there is a system in place here at Taxi world, which is meant to be fair, honorable, & looking for the best, as 'the bar' may be high!
( This is the rhetoric I usually read of, here on the forum)

However, it seems to me that the choosing of material maybe like a lottery, just the luck of the draw! I am not, by any means suggesting that those who actually did receive a forward(s) were not deserving, & not very talented composers that worked hard at their submissions, simply, I believe, I did too! Also, it is becoming increasingly apparent to me that a system which asks for money, and claims to give each paying member an equal opportunity to any given listing, then claims to critique the submission by a simple check mark ( 'Recording' in these cases), is really just creating an illusion! The illusion of a possibility, a potential, which really does not exist!

I for one expect a little more when I purchase a service, than just a check mark. Every time I submit a track to any given listing, I understand that, I then enter into a business transaction, and with every transaction, there is accountability expected, which I am not experiencing here as a fully paid member of the Taxi services! This disturbs me! I surely understand that choice reins supreme in all that we do, yet as I continue to assess my Taxi ride, as it were, I am not entirely content at the moment with the money spent!

As everything in life, this is definitely a learning experience, yet I remain dumfounded as to why these tracks have been returned!
I have also found that the questioning of the Taxi decision, i.e. sending an email to the Head-screener & asking for a proper explanation, as I have done on numerous occasions, is a futile exercise. I am not suggesting that the responses from the Head screener, were not intelligible responses, instead they simply feel more like, 'I got your back', sort of rhetoric! As you may have guessed, not my back, yet the back of the screener in question!

I have read here on the forum that the Taxi system really does work! Unfortunately for me, it has not so far, yet I continue to pay my way through for the possibility of seeing that truth!

If you are so moved to give your assessment as to why you believe these tracks were returned, then please do so!

I share here with you my authentic experience to date! I do understand that others here have had a completely diverse experience with their respective Taxi ride, & I pray for your continued success!

Thanks for your time!


Cheers,
Vincent!

[mazz]

Vincent,

I'll take a listen a little later and give my assessment, but in the meantime I wanted to mention that the checkboxes are there because the Y/N listings used to have no boxes other than Forward or Return and TAXI got a lot of feedback that the Y or N wasn't sufficient. So TAXI put it to a vote and folks voted to have mini-critiques attached to Y/N listings. I was in the minority that voted to leave the Y/N listings as just that, and I lost, of course, and since they were initiated, it seems to me they have raised more questions than they answer. Unfortunately a box that says "Recording" doesn't really convey much information but it opens the door to members' responses similar to yours. Believe me, you are not the first to raise these issues. I would prefer to have a simple Yes or No, because then the onus is on me if I choose to submit or not because I know up front there will be no feedback. I prefer no feedback to minimal or confusing feedback, but I was out voted at the time. In this case, I respectfully disagree with the TAXI policy, but that's democracy, right!?

Returns sting, no doubt, whether they have checkboxes or not, all I can say is try not to take it personally. Without the TAXI service, you'd have to seek out these opportunities on your own instead of spending your time writing for them and I can guarantee that you'd get anything from "we can't use this" to dead silence from a lot of your cold calls. Until you have established relationships, feedback is very rare, and even then it's sometimes not as forthcoming as we would like.

It's not personal, it's business.

Hang in there! Go back and listen to your past stuff and tell me that you haven't improved as a writer since you joined! I've heard it myself! That's not to diminish what you're feeling, just trying to help you get some perspective.

Peace,

Mazz

[davewalton]

I'll just speak to "Argentine's French Chocolate".

First, the composition is lovely (at least I think so).

Separate from the composition itself is the performance and the sounds. To my ears, what really holds it back from a performance standpoint is the rhythm. Your rhythmic timing is very loose, especially the percussion which (to be honest) almost seems kind of random. Personally I think that including the percussion holds the track back and brings it down. The track without the percussion would be a better track IMHO. If I were to guess I guess that you have various sounds like tambourine and such and you're "playing" them by tapping the keyboard (or a percussion pad), building a few layers of percussion in that way. I could be wrong but it sounds like that where you're not really hitting the rhythm like what would be found on a good percussion loop or from a percussion player.

The other thing is the "string/violin" sounds. They are quite simply below the threshold that needs to be met in terms of realism. The sound is very synth like, dry and not full or rich. That isn't a comment on your playing or musicianship, just a comment on the patch you're using so just put that one away and don't pull it out anymore. . Honestly, running those same notes through a $195 EWQL Silver Orchestra virtual instrument would make all the difference in the world (using the right articulations and a little reverb). Running those notes through the EWQL "Gypsy" program... well, it would be a whole 'nother ball game.

In that track, I believe that the composition, the accordian, the guitars, all of those are very well done (although timing is loose) and that by themselves would have been excellent candidates for a forward for this kind of ethnic music. I feel that the loose percussion and the synthy-violin kept this from making it.

FWIW,

Dave

[Cruciform]

Vince,

I listened to these tracks when they were posted in peer review and thought they were well done but I'm not very experienced in cultures of world music.

However, I share your concerns. I've been on the production music journey for 6 months. It would be delusional to expect great things in that time especially with so much to learn. The large majority of my returns are fine: performance, production or off-target. No worries, I want that feedback to be able to improve. But some returns make absolutely no sense. If the screeners aren't willing to take a risk now and then, what are we paying for? We are taking a risk every time we submit and it's not as though I submit to record label listings or "hit song" listings. I'm having way more success on my own chasing up new contacts and I would say with 99% probability (based on my return history) that if any of these contacts had been Taxi listings, I would not have been forwarded.

I accept 100% that Taxi works for some people. At this stage I don't know if I will be in that group. The value in Taxi for me so far is really the forum community which is extremely constructive and positive but even that has a definite limit with respect to Taxi listings because one can take onboard all the advice, target the listing well and still not be forwarded, and receive conflicting feedback from multiple screeners.

Am I frustrated, upset or venting? No. Just relating my experience so far. I don't expect Taxi to change for me - I'm not that arrogant. Music is a business and the decision to use (continue using) Taxi is a business decision and shouldn't be made emotionally or with short-sight. My current perspective is that just one good contact made through Taxi should be worth the cost of using them. But there is a cost-benefit ratio and that at some point could mean Taxi is no longer viable to a member.

Probably doesn't really help you Vince but I'm sharing out of empathy. You're not alone.

[mazz]

Vinnie,

Overall I'd agree with Dave that the rhythm on all three pieces is probably bit too loose. The tambourine seems to be the culprit with the drums in "Dancing in Naples" being the issue on that one.

What I'm hearing is that the arrangements are a bit cluttered. I would love to hear these pieces with simply accordion, rhythm and lead guitar, I think they would work much better with that instrumentation. They would sound more authentic and would be stronger. In "Neopolitan Flavors" the tubas make the rhythm drag a bit which takes some of the upbeat flavor out of the piece, unfortunately. Believe me, I know all too well about adding too many spices to the dish of the arrangement, it's just too tempting. But in this case, the naturalness of the accordion and the guitars clash with the not so naturalness of the other instruments you've added.

These are cool pieces and deserve some re-work and simplification in the arrangement department. Right now they are, in my opinion, not read for prime time.

Keep on keeping on, Vincent, the bar is high and you have it in your sights.

Cheers!

Mazz

[crs7string]

Vincent,

World music has become one of my specialties and I'll plan on listening to your tracks tomorrow to offer some feedback.

If you are at the point where you are frustrated with your progress with TAXI, you are probably right on schedule. As you already know, you can continue to persist or explore other ways to get your music to market.

I view a TAXI forward as a referral to a library vs. the cold call approach of researching and submitting directly to libraries.

A referral usually is better. In TAXI's case the music that the library does receive is pre-screened. Hence, there IMO an increased possibility of a deal and a relationship.

Over time I have signed many TAXI forwards to libraries other than the one to which I was forwarded. I had the confidence that the tracks were good because they were forwarded.

Another interesting phenomenon that develops over time is that one becomes so busy with the relationships created by TAXI forwards and deals that one becomes frustrated with TAXI because you don't have time to pursue new opportunities that come every two weeks!!!!

Chuck

[rnrmachine]

Hey Vincent,

I FEEL your pain dude, but going by the listing they are apparently looking for a composer, someone who can write & perform authentic compositions. Going by the things that Dave and John (Mazz) mentioned you are not quite at this level.. YET... and it's not talent you are missing. Just knowledge perhaps. Other then oddly timed tambourines etc... You did and excellent job at faking it imho, but fakes are just that, they will sound real for a lot of people, but are obvious once they start to get handed around in the realm that authenticates such things. Simple things are dead giveaways. Just like the wrong mark on the bottom of a vase... using marching style snare rolls in a Italian themed song just shows lack of knowledge. Not lack of talent. To me that sounded wonderful until the snares, you would have done better just to have left that out... "Dancing in Naples" I am referring to.

I thought "Neapolitan Flavors" sounded great too, but I heard the things that Dave mentioned. The "wrong feeling" of the things. I liked "Argenite's French Chocolate" but... is that supposed to change instruments like that? I do not know... it just didn't seem quite right swapping like that. In most of the authentic music I have heard throughout the world, there is usually one fundamental instrument (if not a combination of instruments) from that region that makes the music obviously from that local. Just like anyone hearing Bag Pipes thinks of Scotland. Style counts too but proper use of instruments would be paramount imho. If you are going to submit to such a listing you really need to know the details of the local music you are submitting.

You did a wonderful job, the main sounds and feelings were what they were supposed to be, but my guess it's like Dave and Mazz said... overkill showed you for a "non authentic composer". Wrong mark on the bottom of the vase...

Good Luck in all you do.. you apparently don't need it though. What you apparently need is to refine your world music just a TINY bit more. I thoroughly believe you will find success! It's up to you though.

Rob

[mazz]

Another interesting phenomenon that develops over time is that one becomes so busy with the relationships created by TAXI forwards and deals that one becomes frustrated with TAXI because you don't have time to pursue new opportunities that come every two weeks!!!!

Chuck

Chuck, did you mean to say "less frustrated with TAXI" because you're so busy? Or frustrated because you don't have time to pursue it?

Mazz

[crs7string]

Another interesting phenomenon that develops over time is that one becomes so busy with the relationships created by TAXI forwards and deals that one becomes frustrated with TAXI because you don't have time to pursue new opportunities that come every two weeks!!!!

Chuck

Chuck, did you mean to say "less frustrated with TAXI" because you're so busy? Or frustrated because you don't have time to pursue it?

Mazz

Mazz,

I guess I made that point about as clear as mud.

When a new member is trying to figure out how to negotiate the world of forwards and returns there seems to be a lot of frustration with TAXI expressed as "Why aren't you forwarding my music, it's all great and certainly better than what was posted on the Forum as forwarded" This phase is the phase of the greatest frustration and where people quit TAXI and publicly
bash TAXI for the rest of their life.

I think in the next phase it doesn't matter if you are forwarded or not for a single listing because you've gained the knowledge and experience to know some submissions will be forwarded and some will not. If dealt with properly, there isn't much frustration in this phase.

The phase I was referring to is where you are busy with the relationships you've established thru TAXI that when the listings come in, you identify the opportunities that are a fit, and then never get to any of them because of other commitments and opportunities already in place. That is a minor source of frustration for me because I do want to expand my relationships.


Chuck

[crs7string]

Vincent,

I had a listen to your tracks and have a few thoughts.

Overall everything seems crowded and heavy. I think in general your are adding too much too soon.

When I do an ethnic track I try to picture my ensemble on stage or in the case of these "cafe" type tracks, possibly in the piazza in Sorrento.

The first question I ask is: who is in the ensemble? The second question, what is there roll in the ensemble ? (melody, accompaniment, added color)

A very big question is: when are they playing and when are they laying back to support the ensemble OR laying out completely?

When I listen to your tracks I feel everyone wants to be playing at all times. And, in particular on Argenites French Chocolate, moving together rhythmically. (it is similar to a drum playing every beat of the measure on every drum. In 3/4 time, a drummer will play the downbeat on the bass drum, the hi hat on 2 and 3 and snare on three. The part breathes!!)

On this track the bass IMO should be simply stating the root of the chord with a light plucked sound on the downbeat. The guitar plays two and three (and not on one) This now breathes a little more.

I would leave the percussion out of this track completely. I think the guitar and bass can carry the basic feel just fine. Let the other instruments logically have their entrances to build the track and add color. You have both the violin and accordian commenting during the guitar solo. If I were the guitar player in a live performance and they did this I would give them a dirty look to suggest they lay out , this is my solo spot , damn it. (this thought is also coming from the perspective of visualizing the ensemble performing) When the violin enters at :48 you now have a nice duet building out of the guitar solo and a nice variation in color.


Regarding Neopolitan Flavors, I think there are similar issues. I would leave out the percussion and the tuba completely. Both parts are dragging the track down. This too should be delicate.

I think the music you've written for these tracks works. I think you now need to think like an audience member and watch your ensemble perform. "I see the violinist in the shadows, I wonder if she can play and when will she start playing." You are not holding back any surprises, everybody's in the pool at once.

HTH,

I have signed deals on Italian and French tracks. (as well as Japanese, Chinese, India and Brazilian music) This is the approach I take on every track.


Chuck