Re: Newbie-lyrics-libraires

devin · Post by **devin** » Tue Nov 11, 2008 3:06 am

Hey rivercitymusic! Nice to meet you That's a mighty big post you got there. Here's a "do it yourself" type of answer for you, as Taxi is only a resource for you to make your own stuff happen:Step 1: Lurk the forum. People much more successful than me are openly sharing how they do it in their own words...I couldn't paraphrase the tonnes of good advice well enough to do it justice. Specifically:- Read all the stuff you can in the "forwards" section to see what's considered good enough to send on to the requesting party.- Read the "deals" section to see how these forwards sometimes turn into contacts and contracts.- Check out the peer-to-peer section to see how members are helping each other get their songs in shape. Give your opinion too...that's a great way to test your own assumptions about what should be going on. I've made comments that were corrected by other people, and that's the only way I discoved things that I needed to work on.- There should soon be a "music business" section in the forum too. That will be a great spot to see how the mechanics of the industry is currently operating (it changes too!)Step 2: After all that, think about where you want to take your music. You'll need to accurately assess your willingness to learn and apply yourself to what's being asked for today. This is no small task.Step 3: Accept that we're always learning, and then apply yourself like mad. It's like any customer service business: the rule of making the sale is "find a need, and fill it". To do this, we need to know what the needs are (via Taxi listings), and then we need to get amazingly good at filling the needs with our songs.General concensus is it takes 3-5 years to get yourself current, connected, and productive. This assumes you're a decent musician and composer, and you're putting enough time in to improve. I did the musical hiatus thing too for 20 years. I've come back to it now, and after 12 months of 10+ hours a week, I'm halfway to where I need to be as a musician, composer, and engineer. I'm getting the occasional forward now.Sorry if my post sounds cheeky, but "self-directed" is absolutely the only way to go about it. You're the only person close enough to you to figure out what you need to do next.In the end, if music is something you are compelled to do anyway, then this is a great place to get current. There are other ways too, and Taxi isn't for everyone.But it is for me!This, obviously, is just my $0.02

devin · Post by **devin** » Tue Nov 11, 2008 3:32 am

Here's some more direct answers to your questions. Cheers!First, being a newbie, what can a person REALLY expect from TAXI. I've been around too long to believe there is a real goose out there laying golden eggs for us all. But i could be wrong.The opportunity to submit music that is in demand. Critiques on how to improve our tunes.Second, what's a music libary and are they actually a valuable source of residual income or are they just a place that music as garaged until someone wanders by and happens to see/hear it and then possibly contacts the songwriter.Both. Write really good songs to improve your chances of getting into the bigger libraries, and having your songs chosen.Third, I have melodies with every song i write; do they ever try to change your melodies or do they toss them and have others write melodies? Do you have any control over this?I would guess this almost never happens. If the song isn't perfect when they get it, they toss it and forget about us immediately. It's an "off the rack world" through the listings...if you get good enough to score something for them directly, then the interaction begins.Fourth, How often do you believe a song gets to a lable or artist in percentages.The great songs get there almost every time. The lousy songs don't make it past the screeners. My stuff gets forwarded 32% at present for film/TV. I've never had an artist pitch forwarded.Lastly, for now, here is the lyrics/melody to one of my regular old standard songs. Nothing special just a song. Judge my lyrics if you would.I'll need to come back to this one if I find some more time...it looks a little long for me to read through. (Just the way it is for me...got a 3 year old and a 5 year old myself!) Put a track together so we can hear your melody and idea for the complete song...or post it in the "lyric lovers" section of the forum.Can't hurt my feelings, I'm too old. I doubt either of us think that way about either statement We wouldn't be here if we didn't want to share what we think...so that means it matters to us if our message is getting through. Recognizing that aspect about myself was one of the first things I needed to do to improve. [/quote]

Casey H · Post by **Casey H** » Tue Nov 11, 2008 3:34 am

Nov 9, 2008, 8:16am, rivercitymusic wrote:I'm new to Taxi, joined a week ago, am an ASCAP Member, write childrens books, a Harlequin Novel and CW music. I began like most old farts like me (I'm 57) with a garage band in the 60's/70's and just grew up loving music.Then life took hold, got married, 3 kids, a divorce, i got the kids to raise and music took 4th place in my life while a ran my company until i retired in 2004. Now I'm back at it. It's been fun.My work is copyrighted and all the titles are registered.I have some quetions that you folks can most likely shed light on.First, being a newbie, what can a person REALLY expect from TAXI. I've been around too long to believe there is a real goose out there laying golden eggs for us all. But i could be wrong.Second, what's a music libary and are they actually a valuable source of residual income or are they just a place that music as garaged until someone wanders by and happens to see/hear it and then possibly contacts the songwriter.Third, I have melodies with every song i write; do they ever try to change your melodies or do they toss them and have others write melodies? Do you have any control over this?Fourth, How often do you believe a song gets to a lable or artist in percentages.Lastly, for now, here is the lyrics/melody to one of my regular old standard songs. Nothing special just a song. Judge my lyrics if you would.Can't hurt my feelings, I'm too old. Just don't want to waste time if that's what i'm doing. I don't know how i'm gonna get notices on this so here is my email stephenhaley@att.net if anyone needs it.ThanksDoc HaleyMommas Blue Plate SpecialBy Stephen A. “Doc” HaleyRiver City Music PublishingRegistered Titles/Copyrighted( intro, signature lick to start and end song. 15 seconds)Verse 1EI wake every morning and head off to workWith a smile on my face and an old flannel shirtAYou would too if you if you were in my placeEI got a sweet little momma with an angels face BShe’s got the best lovin a man could ever dream AAnd sets a nice table if you know what I mean.EMommas blue plate special, mmmmmmmm(chorus)AMommas blue plate special served sunny side upEI can have it over easy, she says it ain’t no fussASome times it’s a buffet with her special sauceBGood golly miss molly, don’t matter what it costs.AMommas blue plate specialEMommas blue plate specialAMommas blue plate special B EFrom the finest lovin oven in townVerse 2EWhen I get home it don’t take but a minuteShe wraps herself around me, and we’re back in it.AWe fit together like a hand and gloveEHave mercy miss percy thank God for her loveBAin’t no guessing what’s for dinner tonightAI got the menu memorized and it all looks right. EMommas blue plate special, mmmmmmmmmmmm(chorus)AMommas blue plate special served sunny side upEI can have it over easy, she says it ain’t no fussASome times it’s a buffet with her special sauceBGood golly miss molly, don’t matter what it costs.AMommas blue plate specialEMommas blue plate specialAMommas blue plate special B EFrom the finest lovin oven in townSong break here …… 20 seconds continuance of the introVerse 3EI never worry about my baby, and she knows I’m being trueWe both got an interest in what the other might do.AWe keep it honest, and we both knowEWe’re invested in each other from head to toe.BIt’s the best kept secret in the whole dam placeAMommas blue plate special always wins first place.EMommas blue plate special, Mommas blue plate specialMmmmmmmmm,mmmmmmmmm,mmmmmm(chorus)AMommas blue plate special served sunny side upEI can have it over easy, she says it ain’t no fussASome times it’s a buffet with her special sauceBGood golly miss molly, don’t matter what it costs.AMommas blue plate specialEMommas blue plate specialAMommas blue plate special B EFrom the finest lovin oven in town(Song fades from here with intro and repeat chorus to fade)Hey SteveIt would take a lot of typing to answer all your questions though many are here on the forum if you search around. I'll drop you a PM and we can exchange phone numbers... I'll answer as much as I can on the phone. A lot of folks on forums like this helped me early on...Just a note regarding posting lyrics or sending them to a publisher. Leave the chords out... It's best to have an un-cluttered view of just the words...Regards,Casey

rivercitymusic · Post by **rivercitymusic** » Tue Nov 11, 2008 5:41 am

Well thanks for the info and relpy's. I am sorry to clutter up the site, i had seen other songs posted and just figured it was ok or at least not outta line.I have a voice for print and a face for radio so my demos are real basic and you'll never see me on stage unless i'm setting it up for someone eles!lolMost of what i write gets played by local groups in northern NM and southern CO and we just sit around and play tunes for fun so this "business" is a wonder what if for me. I'm already retired and just enjoy the music.Thanks again. I got a feeling that my writing is going to be limited to being picked up by a lable or artist or it won't go anywhere since libraries really deal with you real composers and not lyrics/melodies as much. But i'll keep reading and learning here and see what happens and wish you all success in your work.Stephen

rivercitymusic · Post by **rivercitymusic** » Tue Nov 11, 2008 5:42 am

My tele is in Tx, 972 871 8696 if anyone wants to call and i have no idea what a PM is.stephen

Casey H · Post by **Casey H** » Tue Nov 11, 2008 5:56 am

I'll call you today... I wrote down your phone number so you can delete it if you don't want to keep it up there on a public forum...A PM is a private message. If you click on someone's name it will take you to a screen with an option to "send private message".Talk later, Casey

rivercitymusic · Post by **rivercitymusic** » Tue Nov 11, 2008 10:37 am

Thanks for the info. I ain't hiding from anyone except the government's long arm of taxation!lolLooking to hear from you.Stephen

devin · Post by **devin** » Wed Nov 12, 2008 3:58 am

...and to read your Personal Messages (PM's), scroll to the very top of this thread. You'll see an orange bit of text where it says "hey, rivercitymusic, you have ?? messages". Click on that, and you'll see the PMs from forum users.It's a bit easier for some folks to leave messages that way, especially our good friends in the UK, Australia, Korea...who are sleeping while we're reading (Actually...I lied...most of the forum users are up all night making music! )