Forwards - subtitle - time for a change?

[gburgess]

For those of us who have attended a Rally and have had an opportunity to talk to Michael one-on-one, or even taken part in a Q& A he has moderated, you know (as the leader of TAXI) he’s a man of passion (advancing the mission of TAXI), as well as a man who likes to have a good laugh, and even poke fun at our industry. My guess is that the passionate and lighthearted fellow we have seen in person is the same guy you see in the office. And the guy you see in the office sets a passionate, yet lighthearted tone amid his co-workers. Thus, I’m certain when putting together this forum, they wanted a professional environment, that is lighthearted in nature.I’m guessing the use of the term “brag” is more “tongue in cheek,” than a full blown exhortation to get on your soapbox and begin singing (pun intended) the praises of your accomplishment.Fact is, getting a forward is a wonderful step in the maturation process of the songwriter/composer, but it’s only a step. It’s a means to an end, no the end. A pro like Michael and the sort of people who work for him realize this. So I encourage you not to take something that was most likely intended to be a joke and allow it to become a turn off.Prior to getting my first forwards, I came to this section to listen to examples of what a song worthy of a forward sounded like. I may never have gotten a forward if it were not for folks taking the time to share their forwards with us.Don’t let some lightheartedness use of the English language (on the part of TAXI) keep you from helping others advance by withholding your forwards. Don’t let fear of being perceived as a braggart rob you of the honor of helping others grow and develop as songwriters and composers by listening to your forwards. If you fear tooting your own horn, but would like to help others simply place the listing information and a link to your music without comments. Getting forwards is really neat. Signing contracts is special. Helping others progress in our craft is the best. Keep those forwards coming!

[hummingbird]

Jul 10, 2008, 4:40pm, gburgess wrote:For those of us who have attended a Rally and have had an opportunity to talk to Michael one-on-one, or even taken part in a Q& A he has moderated, you know (as the leader of TAXI) he’s a man of passion (advancing the mission of TAXI), as well as a man who likes to have a good laugh, and even poke fun at our industry. My guess is that the passionate and lighthearted fellow we have seen in person is the same guy you see in the office. And the guy you see in the office sets a passionate, yet lighthearted tone amid his co-workers. Thus, I’m certain when putting together this forum, they wanted a professional environment, that is lighthearted in nature.I’m guessing the use of the term “brag” is more “tongue in cheek,” than a full blown exhortation to get on your soapbox and begin singing (pun intended) the praises of your accomplishment.Fact is, getting a forward is a wonderful step in the maturation process of the songwriter/composer, but it’s only a step. It’s a means to an end, no the end. A pro like Michael and the sort of people who work for him realize this. So I encourage you not to take something that was most likely intended to be a joke and allow it to become a turn off.Prior to getting my first forwards, I came to this section to listen to examples of what a song worthy of a forward sounded like. I may never have gotten a forward if it were not for folks taking the time to share their forwards with us.Don’t let some lightheartedness use of the English language (on the part of TAXI) keep you from helping others advance by withholding your forwards. Don’t let fear of being perceived as a braggart rob you of the honor of helping others grow and develop as songwriters and composers by listening to your forwards. If you fear tooting your own horn, but would like to help others simply place the listing information and a link to your music without comments. Getting forwards is really neat. Signing contracts is special. Helping others progress in our craft is the best. Keep those forwards coming!excellent post

[mojobone]

I always understood the subtitle to be tongue-in-cheek; to me, it's a matter of usage, as well. Most engineers have two reels that they keep updated, the "brag reel" and "the blackmail reel". (For the young 'uns amongst us, music used to be stored on reels of analog magnetic tape) My brag reel contains only the cream of the best stuff I've ever recorded; I use it to demonstrate my skills to prospective clients. The blackmail reel? Mostly, it's insurance, but sometimes I'll pull it out and have a good laugh at all the "bloopers". (Did no one else notice the extra apology in Steve's post about the land of extra apologies? Man, these Canadians are a sneaky, yet polite, bunch.)