MORE TRUTH ABOUT TAXI

[bgcole]

bc here, poking my head out of the Gray Havens for a moment To Michael, all the TAXI Staff, and all those wondering if TAXI is legit:I don’t have a lot of time to hang out on boards these days, but I thought it important to share something with the aspiring songwriters who haven’t joined TAXI, yet read these boards everyday, and wonder if TAXI is legit. (Not to mention ML called and got me fired up! The man is a motivator.) A while back, I received a critique on a song I submitted for a high bar country listing. The screener liked the song and mentioned that it was very close. Because the screener thought this particular song (titled Lost In Arkansas) had commercial potential, I shot Sebastian an email asking if the screener could give me some more specific feedback -- what would she suggest to put it over the top. Fast forward: Yesterday that screener gave me a call and we discussed "Lost In Arkansas" at length. She was very polite, professional, insightful, and most of all, helpful. The woman has killer songwriting/fixing chops! She encouraged me to go on speakerphone so I could pull out my guitar to go over specific parts. She sang the chorus back to me, the way she "heard" it in her mind. (This is invaluable feedback – I seldom get this kind of feedback in Nashville.) In fact we sang it back and forth to each other, (using my own lyric changes) tweaking until it was right and tight. We also fixed some nits in the second verse. She gave me some important insights into what kind of demo it takes to get a TAXI country genre forward from her. There are exceptions, but as a rule, the demo had better be excellent on all levels for a TAXI screener to forward it to high bar country listings. If you’re submitting a simple guitar/vocal arrangement, then the guitar had better be in tune, recorded with a decent mic and same for the vocals. As a longtime songwriter focused on the contemporary country/pop crossover market, it has sometimes been a bumpy TAXI ride for me. Having been a professional musician all my life, music has paid off the farm, kept gas in the cars and put my kids through college. I have had a great career, (am still in the midst of it) but have never had a top country artist put one of my songs on his million selling CD. I joined TAXI assuming it would get handled for me -- quickly. Wrong. Right off the bat I had issues with screener unfamiliarity with my colloquial dialect as pertains to country lyrics. Eventually I realized that if a national artist is going to cut a song, everyone has to understand the lyric imagery, not just the local farmers.I must mention, “song form” in country music is much more important than most song writers realize. And it’s here that TAXI screeners really shine. THESE PEOPLE KNOW SONG FORM. They know what good commercial song form is, and they endeavor to point that out to us in their critiques. The chorus MUST justify the verse; there must be a lift (with energy/contrast) from the verse to the chorus; the bridge must connect all lyric events/imagery; the melody must be unique yet singable, and similar phrasing from verse to verse. No, you don’t have to attend to all these song form conventions if you’re putting out your own CD, but I cannot overstate how important they are if you plan on someone else risking their career on your song. These days I have songs in the keeper tank with a variety of Nashville producers -- many never got a TAXI forward. But, most of them benefited from TAXI screeners expertise. After gleaning common denominator insights from critiques, I was able to rewrite, polish and pitch them with (almost smug) confidence, knowing they’d been refined in the TAXI crucible.As for getting your songs pitched to Film and TV producers, TAXI has no peer. When my bruised muse needs a lift, I submit songs to the film/tv listings; forwards aren't guaranteed there either, but this environment is more accepting of my artsy-fartsy compositions. In fact I have decided that for 2008 I'm going to anti up for TAXI Dispatch and get into the Guerrilla writing theater. My penchant for spontaneous bursts of creativity should make it a fun endeavor. Bottom line, in an on-line environment filled with rip-off deals (anyone else get all the song contest spams?) TAXI is the preeminent vehicle for serious songwriters who desire to polish their craft, and have their work calibrated against the best songwriters out there. Can’t say I’ll always agree with the critiques, but I’d rather have my ego tweaked with the truth, than have disingenuous sunshine blown up my kilt! Here's to a string of TAXI generated Country hits in 2008! Now back to "muse" haven.best,bcNote: In response to phone calls and emails from friends I've made here in the cyber-Shire, (the ol' harridan Took notwithstanding;-), I simply had to free up more time for writing. So, in a Bilboian mood, I deleted all of my internet forum accounts, including the 300 or so posts I made here since first logging in, Feb 2004, so I could finish writing my book.

[edteja]

Great post! Very cool on your gentle follow up. There is a lesson in that too.

[jchitty]

Really good post, BC. As a country songwriter, I'm always lookin' for information like this.

[ragani]

What a powerful post, bc. I'm so glad you poked your head into the forum, and I'm already feeling I'm going to miss your presence here. I'm grateful for what you wrote (you are clearly adept with communication and language), and after reading what you wrote, I feela new appreciation for the power of crafting a song, with precision and a clearly structured format. Who hasn't heard that a million times at the Rallys? But the way you stated it somehow really hit home a little differently. So thanks for that.I hope you stop in once in a while. I, for one, will absolutely relish the experience and blunt honesty behind the well-written posts that you may offer. Raags

[geo]

Thanks for the insight, great post.... GeoP.S. Taxi has been very good abiut responding to my more "gentle inquires" as well.

[tedsingingfox]

Thank you for that post, BC. You said it all. TAXI is the music school I never got to attend, the fraternity I never pledged, and the most genuine, caring, loving nun with a ruler in her hand I'll ever know. Lord, I hope somebody sounds the alarm next time you post anything like this. I'd hate to miss it.Ted

[hummingbird]

OOOHHHHHH I wanna read that book!!!! You know I'm working on an album inspired by Tolkien's writing And great post, too. There's been some wonderful posts this week, very inspiring to read them all, especially yours. Hope the writing goes well,warmlyHummin'bird

[ciskokidd]

Great Post BC!!It was very kind of you to take time from climbing Mt. Doom to spread some good advice down on the Shire!Bravo!Cisco

[ragani]

Quote:OOOHHHHHH I wanna read that book!!!!Me too. I'm all ears when you post the title and release date.That was quite the "Bilboian" move-- no wonder you didn't sound like a newbie. Too bad the old posts were deleted, though I do understand the need for space from friends and contacts. I realize it's happening again for you (through this great post of yours), though I hope you may find a way to come and go as you please in a smooth and easy fashion. Raags