TAXI Whore

[wignelson]

Apr 19, 2009, 12:07pm, heinsite wrote:hey wigs--if i were you--heck i've BEEN you as far as taxi is concerned...i'd chalk your experience up to being naive. and i do NOT mean that as an insult.after nearly 400 submissions, and 4 forwards, (talk about naive, or maybe just stupid...) i chose to take a break. in my case naive=just plain dumb--or actually being "right" that for SONGWRITERS, taxi is a very hard nut to crack, and not where to put most of your eggs..... some friends on this forum (where i've learned much) suggested a coupla libraries. the same songs that were turned down by the screeners are now in 4 libraries that regular list with taxi. some have been turned down, but 3/4's are in. for a non-musician and still learning how to write, for me it is gratifying. and that's what the benefit of taxi is, IMHO--the connections you seek on your own. the co-write and co-production connections (very important for a non-musician who has very bonifide musical ideas= me, but limited production and musicianship skills=me....the point is this: i thought taxi was the end of all ends, the "answer", and what was a damn stupid and inexperienced thing to think. i have NEVER failed at anything i worked hard at and believed in in my life--and that's a fact. so i'm not proud nor happy about being a taxi failure (so far), but hell, i'm trying other things, i didn't start writing until i was 51, and have never been on stage. but i still believe in what i'm writing, and my self-imposed sabbatical from being a member was just for what i've accomplished--forcing myself to get out of the taxi comfort zone, and try more venues. and i'm spending more time writing and finding the right producers. and hell, i've turned down the cut-rate offers to renew, 'cuz i will join again for FULL price--just as another venue, when i have more songs to pitch. and if they get sold somewhere else first, that's fine too. still working, and not giving up, all the best,warren so what i'm saying is--and it sounds damn simple, but isn't--you need to find your niche, because i can hear some of your songs being placed in film and in libraries--but try some of them directly--all they will say is Yes, or No...all the best,warrenYeah, Warren, I'm like you. I won't give up. Ever. Heck, joining TAXI wasn't even my idea. I was begged to join by a sound man who is constantly touring and wanted my music to be heard. Well, we're not holding out breath anymore. One time I chopped up a classical piece and submitted it in three parts to a listing looking for some corporate background music. He thought it was too dynamic for the listing, too interesting I think were his words. That's fine. It was my fault for submitting to the wrong listing, but the screener also said, this is so good I'd really like to hear the whole thing. Well, how can I find out who this guy is? He never followed up and contacted me. If he thought it was so good and he was a screener of contemporary classical, then he was probably a screener who would screen more dynamic works as well. Get my drift? He forgot about me after the two minutes he gave my submission and could care less whether or not I make a connection to a library. He didn't lie, he wasn't dishonest, he did his job, he found a way to reject the music legitimately, but he didn't give a damn either. Even after he stated that he DID give a damn.I know I could get some forwards through TAXI, but I don't think they would be in my best interest. At this point I feel I would get some "mercy placings" in some library or other so I would renew my membership. I don't think that's in the cards.I would LOVE to submit directly to some librarys or publishers, but I have no contacts. That was what TAXI was supposed to do for me.Some day I will meet someone who will give me a chance. But that's what it takes. Even within TAXI, you have to know someone.Good luck with your music, Wig

[cameron]

Apr 19, 2009, 1:20pm, wignelson wrote:[quote author=hurowitz board=peer thread=13154 post=132674 time=1240106895]Listen to the song by Dylan, All Along The Watchtower. Tell me how long it takes to get to the chorus. In fact, if you can find a chorus, let me know. I've been thinking that it sucks because it has no chorus.In my book, which I'm sure you haven't read (although it's free to anyone who asks for it) I state. As soon as you discover some kind of rule, break it.Wig I mostly agree with you Wig. I think the "rules" should mostly be viewed as a guide for the inexperienced to help them identify points that help make a good song. It also gives a way for people (like Taxi screeners) to quantify their subjective likes or dislikes of a song. Nevertheless, the rules mostly evolved to what they are for real reasons-- songs over 4 minutes long are long-shots for radio play, for example-- so it never hurts to hold your own songs up to the scrutiny of the rules FOR THE MARKET YOU'RE AFTER to see how you're doing. This is a creative business, but if you're doing it commercially, it's still a business. Even if you're doing it simply for arts sake, there are lots of subtle things you can do that might draw in or lose a listener, and knowing some of these things might help make a song more interesting, don't you think? If you're lucky and get a publisher interested enough to listen to your song, you'll probably get no more than a verse and a chorus before the CD gets shut off. You have that long to get their attention. When you're Bob Dylan in the mid-60s and already have your multi-record deal, you can do whatever the hell you want. Wig, I've written several "outside the box" songs for nobody's enjoyment but my own. It's frustrating, because I think some of them are decent songs, but I have nowhere to pitch them. So they sit in the shelf. Maybe someday I'll get a big hit and people will want to hear some of the more obscure things I've written, but if I expect to wait for the market to come to me I could be waiting a long time. I prefer to try to write songs that might have some potential at commercial success in my lifetime, but that's just my choice.Cam

[toddt]

Apr 19, 2009, 1:36pm, wignelson wrote:Some day I will meet someone who will give me a chance. But that's what it takes. Even within TAXI, you have to know someone.Steve Soucy has told me that I should stop recording my demos because they suck. He then went on to say that he enjoys 25 to 30 forwards a year. I have the PM to prove it. Have you ever heard his music. Naturally, you wouldn't be surprised to learn that he knows someone. THE someone. I don't, so this is a dead end.Hi Wig,I'm a relatively new person here, but I think that comment is, to use Hummingbird's turn of phrase, bullshit.You've clearly created and done a lot, and haven't had the success you have desired as yet, and obviously not through Taxi - and my heart goes out to you.But accusing the Taxi model of nepotism without offering any evidence smacks of bitterness, and it demeans you. (Although not having heard it myself, I don't think the quality of Steve Soucy's work is evidence btw) But you don't have to accuse Taxi of nepotism, unless you have good proof - and if you have it, please don't hold back because we'd all love to know!FWIW I've listened to your stuff and probably never commented, but I have found it "stylistic". You definitely have a Wig sound with a clear personality and it's accomplished, with artistic merit IMO - but I don't believe it's "commercial" because it's never given me goosebumps or made me think "F**k. That is just A-MAZING" or had me singing it the next day and the day after.Best of luck with everything though, and I've enjoyed your work.tt--- For context, I'm not a Taxi whore, being in my first year here ---

[wignelson]

Apr 19, 2009, 2:55pm, toddt wrote:Apr 19, 2009, 1:36pm, wignelson wrote:Some day I will meet someone who will give me a chance. But that's what it takes. Even within TAXI, you have to know someone.Steve Soucy has told me that I should stop recording my demos because they suck. He then went on to say that he enjoys 25 to 30 forwards a year. I have the PM to prove it. Have you ever heard his music. Naturally, you wouldn't be surprised to learn that he knows someone. THE someone. I don't, so this is a dead end.Hi Wig,I'm a relatively new person here, but I think that comment is, to use Hummingbird's turn of phrase, bullshit.You've clearly created and done a lot, and haven't had the success you have desired as yet, and obviously not through Taxi - and my heart goes out to you.But accusing the Taxi model of nepotism without offering any evidence smacks of bitterness, and it demeans you. (Although not having heard it myself, I don't think the quality of Steve Soucy's work is evidence btw) But you don't have to accuse Taxi of nepotism, unless you have good proof - and if you have it, please don't hold back because we'd all love to know!FWIW I've listened to your stuff and probably never commented, but I have found it "stylistic". You definitely have a Wig sound with a clear personality and it's accomplished, with artistic merit IMO - but I don't believe it's "commercial" because it's never given me goosebumps or made me think "F**k. That is just A-MAZING" or had me singing it the next day and the day after.Best of luck with everything though, and I've enjoyed your work.tt--- For context, I'm not a Taxi whore, being in my first year here ---Well, if you haven't been wow'd by my music, I might have to cry myself to sleep. Although, I might also wonder how much of my music you have heard. I'd give you a link to five dozen songs on Soundclick, but you will always find a way to say that it falls short of your expectations. Sorry, but I feel like you lose, not me.As far as sticking in your head. That's the comment that I mostly hear from my listeners. The songs I posted here in the last few months are not what I'm talking about. People go through stages or "periods" of their music.If you haven't found anything worth while that I have posted lately, rejoice. Now you don't have to waste any time listening to it anymore.Wig Wig

[cameron]

Apr 19, 2009, 3:23pm, wignelson wrote:[quote author=toddt board=peer thread=13154 post=132774 time=1240181754]If you haven't found anything worth while that I have posted lately, rejoice. Now you don't have to waste any time listening to it anymore.Wig Well I may not rejoin Taxi when my membership runs out either, but I hope I'm a bit more gracious about it.

[wignelson]

Sorry if I sound ungracious to you, Cam. I was responding to a guy who says he's listened to my "stuff" and dismissed it as uninteresting.I seriously doubt that he has heard more than a few of my tunes.When someone says that to you, remember to be gracious. All I said was, rejoice, now you don't have to bother with it anymore.Wig [/quote]

[cameron]

Apr 20, 2009, 5:58am, wignelson wrote:Sorry if I sound ungracious to you, Cam. I was responding to a guy who says he's listened to my "stuff" and dismissed it as uninteresting.I seriously doubt that he has heard more than a few of my tunes.When someone says that to you, remember to be gracious. All I said was, rejoice, now you don't have to bother with it anymore.Wig [/quote]Not to worry Wig. I should have just kept my mouth shut. You're a talented guy and you'll find your niche if you haven't already. I wish you the best of success.Cam

[wignelson]

Apr 20, 2009, 7:12am, billg wrote:Hey Wig, I think that once a person understands that nothing in this biz really makes any sense things get to be easier to swallow. I've had forwards from Taxi that I couldn't place anywhere on my own. I've had returns that I've signed to what I believe may be the same company for which I was returned. I have a few songs that are making me some decent dough that were not only Taxi returns but the only place I could park them was in an online "catalog" that accepts everybody and anybody! Nobody wanted them but yet there making a little money!It's always great WHEN you know someone but you've got to make the connection somehow. I'm signed to a couple of companies that will contact me now for specific projects they think I'm "right" for but I had to make these connections by just going out on a limb and submitting to them cold. . . more than once too! and these are good companies, good reputations and plenty of good placements.Taxi has listing parties that I could ever get "in" with on my own & I know that. And even though I may not re-new I'm giving it my best shot until my membership runs out.I guess my point is that you really can't count on anything in this crazy f-ing business and you have to do everything you can if you want to make any money or get any recognition at all. Buy some music marketing books, use google, do some research. Send your music out to anyone who will listen. If someone takes it great! If not try to find out if there's something you can do to make your music acceptable to them, and remember that maybe this whole crazy trip might just really be about the journey ( I don't know if I actually believe that but it helps to repeat it sometimes!)That's good advice, Bill,I just hate the biz side of the biz. The more I biz, the less creative I feel. I wish there were a way to get an agent who would take like half the proceeds from my work. That would be fine with me. It's never been about the money for me. It's about the exposure. Putting a smile on some faces. I'd like to know more about the online catalog you mentioned. Unless, of course, they want money for you to park your songs there. But even then, I might consider it.Any direction you can steer my way will be greatly appreciated.I submitted a song for $20.00 on Broadjam for an indie film. I've never heard a word back from them and don't really expect to. There isn't a way to actually talk to a human there that I have found, so I guess I'll just chalk that up to another lesson.Heck, I give my music away to anyone who wants it. I have to draw the line at paying someone to take it. Thanks for responding. Good luck with your tunes. You're a really talented guy and deserve some good exposure for all your hard work.Wig

[wignelson]

This is a new mix of the song. Same link as the top. Piano and guitar were added. Hope you can enjoy it and get over the title.http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplaye ... 32&q=hiWig

[wignelson]

Apr 28, 2009, 9:05pm, reasondemon wrote:hi Wig,I'm not too familiar with this genre but here's what I picked up when listening to this new mix:I like the Chords U used at the Chorus parts... and I especially like the Instrumental Break very much...U have a very unusual style man.-KelThanks very much, Kel.Glad you liked the song.Wig