One year on
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- remmet
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Re: One year on
Great post, Rob. Though we all have our own separate and personal experiences with the many facets of Taxi, we also share in a community of kindred spirits. It's an extended family where we are all encouraged and provided with tools to grow and become the best we can be. It's been great watching your journey over the past year. Glad you are here!
Richard
Richard
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Re: One year on
Thank you Richard. I agree with your sentiments about this community and I appreciate your reply.
- mojobone
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Re: One year on
Great post, Rob! I won't disagree with your take on the screeners, cuz I haven't seen enough of their feedback to really form an expert opinion, (though I think it's natural for them to be better at some genres than others, same as us writers) but I'd suggest your experience is probably different than most, and I think that might be because your music is a bit ahead of the 'mainstream' curve; always a good place to be, as long as you give the mainstream a little time to catch up. I would suggest, though, that this might be a really bad time to stop submitting to Taxi, cuz we're starting to see some 'grand slam' advertising listings that could turn someone's 'monetary situation' around in a big hurry, and all it takes is one. It's a relationship business, as Laskow reminds us, and you can never have too many of those. 

- Cruciform
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Re: One year on
Cheers Mojo. You have a point and seeing as I just got a forward to the first advertising listing I tried for, it's very tempting.
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Re: One year on
Well you've had a hell of first year my man! I was still picking at my boogers at the end of my first year.
This was a good post. Just some thoughts on whether or not to renew. As you know, Taxi is just one of many tools out there to help you to get your music out to the world. As you also know, you are your biggest tool. (hee, hee
) I also, in the first couple of years, had much more success driving up deals on my own than through Taxi. I think I got one forward my first year, literally the week before my membership expired. I thought it was a conspiracy to get me to renew. It worked because I did.
Year two I found the forums and all these great people. That's when things started to turn a corner. I learned sooo much from these boards. You're right, Peer-to-peer is the best way to improve both musically and "especially" production wise. So my second year I was getting forwards, no deals. On my own, I was getting some deals. I almost didn't renew at the end of my second year also, for some of the same reasons you mention, but at that time I certainly didn't have more writing opportunities than I could keep up with. In fact, I didn't have any writing opportunities other than the a few places that I had an open door to submit to. Taxi's listings still seemed like the best opportunities, so I jumped back on.
The third year is when things started to happen. I started doing some collabs with people here on the boards. Got involved in some projects via the boards. Suddenly Taxi forwards started to become deals. A couple of those deals are now really great long term opportunities. Now it's hard to keep up with the writing. But it took me three years to get here, really four. And I'm still relatively nowhere. I feel like I'm just getting started really.
So you're on fire pace wise. And you've got real talent, so it's really just a matter of time and dedication in your case.
The thing about Taxi is you really never know when or how its going to come at you. Some of your forwards may not turn into anything for years, but somehow that seed took root and you wake up one day with a small tree in your backyard. They have great contacts and all we're really trying to do is to make contacts. Can't have too many of those.
As far as not getting forwarded. It's just going to happen. You went 3/3 on the recent composers listing. I went 1/6 on that guy. And every one of the five pieces that didn't make it through are already signed. It's just gonna happen. It doesn't even bother me anymore. (still stings at first) And it's really not important. What is important is that the potential opportunities keep you writing and keep you focused on getting better. There is no one opportunity that's gonna make or break you. It's all the opportunities in mass that move you forward.
Think about it, you and I both have music that is being sent directly to an ad agency. So say a major ad agency. What are the chances of pulling something like that off on your own?
All that being said. I also didn't renew when my membership expired this year. I was really too busy to keep up and wasn't even looking at Taxi listings. Then I caught up and started checking out the listings again. And the gambling itch came back and I signed up again last month. And already two forwards (contacts/opportunities) that I wouldn't have gotten on my own.
Not trying to tell you what to do and I'm not being paid by Taxi to recruit. But just wanted to throw out some thoughts. Remember, these boards are open to non members. So don't go run off and get famous and dissapear on us.

This was a good post. Just some thoughts on whether or not to renew. As you know, Taxi is just one of many tools out there to help you to get your music out to the world. As you also know, you are your biggest tool. (hee, hee

Year two I found the forums and all these great people. That's when things started to turn a corner. I learned sooo much from these boards. You're right, Peer-to-peer is the best way to improve both musically and "especially" production wise. So my second year I was getting forwards, no deals. On my own, I was getting some deals. I almost didn't renew at the end of my second year also, for some of the same reasons you mention, but at that time I certainly didn't have more writing opportunities than I could keep up with. In fact, I didn't have any writing opportunities other than the a few places that I had an open door to submit to. Taxi's listings still seemed like the best opportunities, so I jumped back on.
The third year is when things started to happen. I started doing some collabs with people here on the boards. Got involved in some projects via the boards. Suddenly Taxi forwards started to become deals. A couple of those deals are now really great long term opportunities. Now it's hard to keep up with the writing. But it took me three years to get here, really four. And I'm still relatively nowhere. I feel like I'm just getting started really.
So you're on fire pace wise. And you've got real talent, so it's really just a matter of time and dedication in your case.
The thing about Taxi is you really never know when or how its going to come at you. Some of your forwards may not turn into anything for years, but somehow that seed took root and you wake up one day with a small tree in your backyard. They have great contacts and all we're really trying to do is to make contacts. Can't have too many of those.
As far as not getting forwarded. It's just going to happen. You went 3/3 on the recent composers listing. I went 1/6 on that guy. And every one of the five pieces that didn't make it through are already signed. It's just gonna happen. It doesn't even bother me anymore. (still stings at first) And it's really not important. What is important is that the potential opportunities keep you writing and keep you focused on getting better. There is no one opportunity that's gonna make or break you. It's all the opportunities in mass that move you forward.
Think about it, you and I both have music that is being sent directly to an ad agency. So say a major ad agency. What are the chances of pulling something like that off on your own?
All that being said. I also didn't renew when my membership expired this year. I was really too busy to keep up and wasn't even looking at Taxi listings. Then I caught up and started checking out the listings again. And the gambling itch came back and I signed up again last month. And already two forwards (contacts/opportunities) that I wouldn't have gotten on my own.
Not trying to tell you what to do and I'm not being paid by Taxi to recruit. But just wanted to throw out some thoughts. Remember, these boards are open to non members. So don't go run off and get famous and dissapear on us.
- llama
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Re: One year on
Hi Rob. This is a great post. I'm gonna print this out and refer to it in moments of despondency. I love your positive attitude. It just shines through. As Bryan said above you are doing well for your first year. I'm in my forth Taxi year and this year was the year where I found I had more work then time and no tracks laying around waiting for homes. My first year was really a year in the wilderness.....not knowing anything but thinking I did. You have a lot of things on your side. The most obvious being a talented composer and a great attitude. You're set up to do great things IMHO.... Best of luck to ya. and thanks for taking the time to write this post..I think a lot of people will value this.
Derek.
Derek.
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Re: One year on
Thanks Bryan, more good points to think about. I really appreciate your compliments, as one of the orchestral guys I've been looking to for advice, it means a lot.
Thank you too, Derek. I'm glad my ramblings have been received well. Being a "print-off" is a particularly positive response.
I'd love to interact in more depth with your replies but I'm heading off for the weekend. Have fun, all.
Thank you too, Derek. I'm glad my ramblings have been received well. Being a "print-off" is a particularly positive response.

I'd love to interact in more depth with your replies but I'm heading off for the weekend. Have fun, all.
- thokus
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Re: One year on
Hey rob.. You do do great work with your music .. its always so professinal .. My year is up too. maybe I'll post a rehash of my successes too.. Its great hearing from you on my entries .I really apreciate it .. Keep making the tunes and have fun..
Tom
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- peeyo
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Re: One year on
Hey Rob,
I will chime in with the rest and agree whole-heartidly that this is a great post. Especially for a guy like me who's also just completed my first year with Taxi. You are much further along than I am, but I can see where your time would be cut short by writing opportunities and your need/availability to write for Taxi listings is just not realistic anymore. I have a hard enough time just writing for Taxi listings and keeping up with my live gigs! But I think you are on the right track of what Taxi is supposed to do for us in the first place. It's supposed to be a "vehicle" (pun intended) for us to get to a paying writing gig or whatever our individual ambition is and not just to submit to every listing available. We're all human and have only so many hours in the day, and if we land a gig that we are satisfied with as writers, then that's where our focus should be.........and still find some time to squeeze in a submission to one of these killer AD opportunities now and then. Taxi to me is like college. You put your time in submitting to listings, getting feedback from screeners and peer to peer. Polishing your chops, learning what you're good at, perfecting your skills, then you graduate and land a killer writing job or two...or three. The thing is, you can always come back to Taxi if you feel like you are spinning your wheels and need to rejuvenate.
Anyway, that was me rambling. Many congrats to you. It sounds like you are right where you want to be.
Paul
I will chime in with the rest and agree whole-heartidly that this is a great post. Especially for a guy like me who's also just completed my first year with Taxi. You are much further along than I am, but I can see where your time would be cut short by writing opportunities and your need/availability to write for Taxi listings is just not realistic anymore. I have a hard enough time just writing for Taxi listings and keeping up with my live gigs! But I think you are on the right track of what Taxi is supposed to do for us in the first place. It's supposed to be a "vehicle" (pun intended) for us to get to a paying writing gig or whatever our individual ambition is and not just to submit to every listing available. We're all human and have only so many hours in the day, and if we land a gig that we are satisfied with as writers, then that's where our focus should be.........and still find some time to squeeze in a submission to one of these killer AD opportunities now and then. Taxi to me is like college. You put your time in submitting to listings, getting feedback from screeners and peer to peer. Polishing your chops, learning what you're good at, perfecting your skills, then you graduate and land a killer writing job or two...or three. The thing is, you can always come back to Taxi if you feel like you are spinning your wheels and need to rejuvenate.

Anyway, that was me rambling. Many congrats to you. It sounds like you are right where you want to be.
Paul
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