I have some questions...about the Rally that is.

[denalihighway]

Hey guys,

Wow this Rally is coming up fast. Exciting stuff.

I have some questions! Please help me...I'm Irish.

The One on One Mentoring
Any advice for someone like me who’s just getting started and composing in multiple genres? (yeah I know...exactly what they don't wanna hear). I’m concerned about the fact that I don’t have a specialised area (yet…) will reduce the effectiveness of this mentoring and will also make choosing a mentor quite difficult!

Any advice out there for someone like me?

For the same reason, I’ll be finding choosing break-out sessions and events quite mind-boggling as there are so many areas of interest to me right now. But I guess its a good problem.

The Mentoring Luncheons
I don’t know - seems a bit chaotic to me. My instinct is telling me I wouldn’t get what I needed in the short sessions. But maybe I should just give it a shot? I don’t want anything to pass me by. I probably should. Even if its just for the 5% info nugget opportunity. I may have answered my own question.

What's been your experience and would you recommend going to one or two?

How much are the lunches?

CDs
OK so I’m planning on bringing CDs etc. Because at the moment I’m composing in different genres etc. my plan in relation to this is to have packs of 4 CDs. These packs will include:

CD1 - Instrumentals and Cues
CD2 - Film Soundtracks and Underscore
CD3 - Ballad Collaborations, Singer-Songwriter songs and other songs with vocals
CD4 - All tracks above
My business card

(all CDs front-loaded with what I think is the most high-impact stuff)

Depending on the person and the genres they work work, obviously I would give them the CD that’s suitable for them, or all if them if they want them.

Any comments on this?

Realistically, if you’re being sensible about giving CDs and not just scattering them around to everyone and annoying people etc, how many have you given away in the past? I’m trying to establish a decent number that won’t bring down a transatlantic airliner.

I had considered bringing memory sticks. They are expensive of course but also, is it worth it considering that someone who has my business card or CDs and is on a computer, can go to my website and listen to the tracks above? It seems to me that memory sticks might be redundant in this respect …?

My plan B
Don’t worry - I have a backup plan in case I don’t seem to be getting anywhere. I’m going to bring a stetson and pretend I’m Matt Van Der Beogh.

Thanks for replies folks. Very excited to meet you all.
Gar

[johnlewitt]

Gareth,

Here's a few random comments on what you've written that I thought everyone could find useful.

If you can, include your photo with everything you hand out. I had given Susan Koc my CD last year and she sought me out the next day (but only because she was able to match my face to the music). She get's so many CD's that it's hard to keep track of who is who and she said she was glad that she was able to make that connection.

One music guy commented on the fact that I had my soundcloud account listed on my card. He said he preferred that to CD's as he could see the visual wave form and knew if the tracks we're recorded properly!

The luncheon. The food isn't great, so beware. They are pretty hectic and it's the luck of the draw who sits at your table. They rotate every 10 minutes (?), so you never know who will sit down with you. I did one luncheon last year and didn't get much out of it. However that could have just been my bad luck. Paul Zollo, who wrote the book Songwriters and Songwriting, did sit down at my table so it was really cool to talk to him (he's interviewed so many people), but it didn't do anything to specifically help me with career and I could have gone to his class anyway!

John

[Casey H]

I usually recommend that first time attendees go to at least one mentor lunch. You have to eat anyway (though I admit this cost a lot more than fast food at Subway or Taco Bell) so you may as well make it productive time.

Michael mentioned on Taxi TV last night that a much greater percentage of mentors this year are from the film/TV realm. Assuming that's your target (I think it is), makes it even more attractive.

No guarantees as to what you'll take away from it but you've come all the way there so why not take advantage of everything Taxi has to offer?

PS I thought the food was OK but it was many years back when I did a mentor lunch.

Best
Casey

[denalihighway]

John - that is great info actually, thanks. Wouldn't have thought of the photo thing for sure and may not have had the soundcloud link.

I'm easy to please in the culinary department fortunately so I'll get through the food fine I'd say. The product of a good traditional mean n' two veg Irish upbringing. Irish cuisine has improved greatly in the last 15 years thankfully..

Casey thanks for that. I reckon trying out the luncheon is the way to go by the sound of things. Yeah you're right, film and TV would be my domain, in a perfect world. But I want to get my stuff in libraries too like everyone else. At this stage I'll take anything I can get. That includes food

The good folks at Taxi tell me that an email with Mentor and booking details etc is impending. Good stuff.

Cheers guys
Gar

[eeoo]

And don't stress out about not being able to be everywhere at once, there's way too much going on. When in doubt let it come to you.

[Russell Landwehr]

I ponied up for both mentor lunches two years ago... didn't notice the food... that wasn't the important part.
Wherever you are and whatever you are doing there will be something that will move you forward. That's just the way The Rally is.

Your CD list looks pretty well thought out. Good on ya.
One of the CD burning companies is usually there to burn CDs for you if you run low... (CD baby?)

Glad this topic came up... I put my photo on my business card, guess what's going on the CD's too! hehe.

Russell

[denalihighway]

I hear ya Russell - how much did the luncheon's cost last year? Yeah, food = sustenance.

Photo on business card. Cards ordered. Bing bang. Gonna put my mug on the CDs as well.

Thanks guys.

I know this has probably been discussed to death but as a newbie I always laugh at the Russell Landwehr Rally quote - no doubt Mrs. Landwehr loves the way it's plastered all over the Taxi site

Gar

[VanderBoegh]

Hey Gar, I'll bring an extra cowboy hat for you, haha. Actually, they're too hard to pack around on airplanes since they tend to get squished. Hmmm, guess you'll have to buy your own after all.

In regards to mentor lunches, I went to both last year. Food was pretty good (to me at least, but I'm also easy to please). Got some good stuff and had a good time. I don't think I'll do both this year though, but I'll definitely go to one of them. One of the coolest things was meeting a bunch of Taxi screeners who kind of took us through the screening process and shed a little more light on what happens behind the curtain. Good stuff to know.

As for CD's, it sounds like you've got it all figured out. Talk to anybody on these forums and you're bound to get a different answer from each person. Just do what you think will be best. Although, my advice is to not think too lofty in terms of quantity. 25 CD's is probably too many (I think last year I took about 20 and came home with 15 or so... but I did land a nice deal from one of the five I gave out).

I'm looking forward to meeting the Irishman!

~~Matt

[Russell Landwehr]

I hear ya Russell - how much did the luncheon's cost last year? Yeah, food = sustenance.

Photo on business card. Cards ordered. Bing bang. Gonna put my mug on the CDs as well.

Thanks guys.

I know this has probably been discussed to death but as a newbie I always laugh at the Russell Landwehr Rally quote - no doubt Mrs. Landwehr loves the way it's plastered all over the Taxi site

Gar

hehe, Mrs. Landwehr got a laugh out of it. Great sense of humor that one.

I'm surprised I haven't seen an email on the mentor lunch yet. (don't remember the price) It seems that the tickets for those would be up for sale by now. Unless one of those ticket scalper sites got them all and are holding them to drive up the price...

[denalihighway]

Thanks guys - great info on this thread.
Cheers
Gar