Is it time to give up on TAXI

[DesireInspires]

Good stuff! Work hard to get your music out there.

Are you a Taxi member, DesireInspires? If not, I don't think you shouldn't comment here. JMHO.

I am a Taxi member. Mind your business, sir.

@AlCompose, don’t give up on yourself.

[shoodBworkin]

" . . . I don't think you shouldn't . . . "

Is that taxispeak for "I think you should"?

[Casey H]

Good stuff! Work hard to get your music out there.

Are you a Taxi member, DesireInspires? If not, I don't think you should comment here. JMHO.

I am a Taxi member. Mind your business, sir.

@AlCompose, don’t give up on yourself.

My apologies, DI. I thought you said you were no longer a member. My bad. This thread is about whether someone should renew Taxi, not about getting music out there in general.

[DesireInspires]

Are you a Taxi member, DesireInspires? If not, I don't think you should comment here. JMHO.

I am a Taxi member. Mind your business, sir.

@AlCompose, don’t give up on yourself.

My apologies, DI. I thought you said you were no longer a member. My bad. This thread is about whether someone should renew Taxi, not about getting music out there in general.

No problem.

It is hard to give advice on whether someone should stay with Taxi or leave. I left and came back. It is a personal decision that people have to make based on what skills they have and what they want to achieve.

Nonetheless, I think Taxi is a great company and provides opportunities for those who want to make a living from their music skills.

[AlCompose]

Hi Al,

I'm guessing you are going for library listings, and aren't wondering why Lady Gaga hasn't phoned you...
I just had a quick listen to your music. Your production skill are definitely right up there. Congrats! That's the years of hard work already behind you.
One thing I noticed with all of your tracks I listened to is, while they sounds cool, they didn't really make me feel anything. It kinda sounds like your trying to get the genre right, rather than focus on the emotion.
Radio songs are supposed to sound cool, compelling, and many other things. Production music is only supposed to do one thing; convey an action or an emotion (driving, chase, sadness, ecstatic). I'd try and focus on that.

KR,
Steve

Hi Steve, Thanks for the reply... Yeah I know what you're saying, I'll keep that in mind.. some of the tracks on Soundcloud are tracks that were not written as cues, you might have listened to some of those.. but as I say I will take on board any critique and help to get me further.. And thanks for the praise on my production Cheers Al

[AlCompose]

Good stuff! Work hard to get your music out there.

Cheers! will do

[AlCompose]

Then my vote would be to just keep at it. $199/year renewal such a small price for the opportunities, not to mention the road rally.

Good luck!
Casey

Thanks Casey!

[deankripp]

Hi Al,

I went to SC to listen to your music and I must say, it is all really well done.

One of the reasons that "may" be contributing to your cue career moving more slowly than you would like is that there is already A LOT of signed music out there is the genres you are producing - AND numerous composers trying to create in those genres. One suggestion I might make is to ask yourself this question: "What makes this tune (any track of yours) - just a little bit different or unique from what everyone else is producing in your genre?" It may be something as simple as adding one -uncommon to the genre - instrument that helps set you apart.... (Of course there is a fine line because if you go too far out of the box you'll lose the genre's vibe) Anyway, that was my overall thought per your music from a 20,000 foot view. Your stuff is cool and well done.... Now, what makes it unique enough to cut through the clutter of other cues in your genre...

While publishers and libraries always want new stuff in genres they already have stockpiled - we composers must bring something just a little unique to the table to get them to bite.

A couple things of yours really shined to me in areas you have produced "less" of. I thought "Believing" and "Celtic Dream" were killer and ready to go. I could hear them in dozens of movies. They had just a little something unique or special to my ears. AND they took me STRAIGHT to a movie scene I could visualize.

I also thought "To walk on red soil" (if you took out the "boing" drone) could be used in any documentary and "Me & Mary Jane" had me from the get go... As someone said above, if you have the ability to use "real" instruments in those more acoustic genres - all the better. Publishers and Music Sups can (will) be picky about that...

Anyway, I'm babbling. Keep in mind that everything I said here is just my (one person's) highly subjective two cents

Again - you are in the hunt - good stuff


deano k

[cardell]

One thing I noticed with all of your tracks I listened to is, while they sounds cool, they didn't really make me feel anything. It kinda sounds like your trying to get the genre right, rather than focus on the emotion.

I'm glad you said this first Steve! That's the first thing I noticed too.
Our musical timing/phrasing is part of our own musical signature. If our music is too quantized, that level of expression is diminished (or even lost).

I've had tracks forwarded & music signed to a bunch of libraries. Wanna know what helped me make that break through...
collaboration with the wonderful members here.

Stuart

[AlCompose]

Hi Al,

I went to SC to listen to your music and I must say, it is all really well done.

One of the reasons that "may" be contributing to your cue career moving more slowly than you would like is that there is already A LOT of signed music out there is the genres you are producing - AND numerous composers trying to create in those genres. One suggestion I might make is to ask yourself this question: "What makes this tune (any track of yours) - just a little bit different or unique from what everyone else is producing in your genre?" It may be something as simple as adding one -uncommon to the genre - instrument that helps set you apart.... (Of course there is a fine line because if you go too far out of the box you'll lose the genre's vibe) Anyway, that was my overall thought per your music from a 20,000 foot view. Your stuff is cool and well done.... Now, what makes it unique enough to cut through the clutter of other cues in your genre...

While publishers and libraries always want new stuff in genres they already have stockpiled - we composers must bring something just a little unique to the table to get them to bite.

A couple things of yours really shined to me in areas you have produced "less" of. I thought "Believing" and "Celtic Dream" were killer and ready to go. I could hear them in dozens of movies. They had just a little something unique or special to my ears. AND they took me STRAIGHT to a movie scene I could visualize.

I also thought "To walk on red soil" (if you took out the "boing" drone) could be used in any documentary and "Me & Mary Jane" had me from the get go... As someone said above, if you have the ability to use "real" instruments in those more acoustic genres - all the better. Publishers and Music Sups can (will) be picky about that...

Anyway, I'm babbling. Keep in mind that everything I said here is just my (one person's) highly subjective two cents

Again - you are in the hunt - good stuff


deano k

Hi Dean, thanks so much for the very positive feedback... and thanks for taken the time to have a listen... You are so right when you say how much music is out there and composers, it's a tough game to get a break in... and getting the formula right i suppose is the first part... I do like that track (Walk the red soil) it was written for a taxi listing and they had requested Jew's harp and didgeridoo, but now you mention it, yeah I must go back and have another look at that track

Thanks again Dean.. Al