YAY! my 1st submission...Damn! 1st rejection, too

[gschmitt]

i guess i expected it, but it still stings a bit. since the listing was for 'non-TAXI review', could you guys give a listen and let me know what you think? i was trying to work with negative space in the recording, so it's just acoustic guitar and vocals.anyway, the tune's "ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS" it's the second tune in the profile. it reviews really well in different songwriter forums, even the more critical ones, but those guys aren't TAXI people, so i guess they're using a very different set of criteria. anyway, i'd love your input (even one response to this would be more than the last tune i put up in here! lol...talk about rejection )thanx for your ears; i really do trust them. luck,g

[hummingbird]

Hey - can you post the listing as well? You can find it by going into your review page on broadjam & clicking on the listing number. It's important we see that so we can assess the song within the framework of the listing.cheersHummin'bird

[gschmitt]

sure thing. here it is:(and thank you for your tending to my wounded little ego! lol) Christmas TAXI # Y061120XM --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Original CHRISTMAS SONGS with unique arrangements and lyrical content are needed by the President of a Music Mgmt. Co. to represent for film/TV/video game/commercial placement. He's NOT seeking traditional-type Christmas songs - rather, he wants left-of-center songs that stand out from traditional holiday tracks. Think 'Blue Christmas' [Elvis] and 'Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk This Christmas' [the Ramones]. Lyrically, he wants songs are NOT of the personal relationship/love variety - instead, think more anger, indecision, and questioning story lines. Musically, he needs songs in the following styles: Alternative, Americana, Blues, and Folk. Good examples of each are the Raveonettes, Steve Earle, Etta James, and Sufjan Stevens. No instrumentals and no Public Domain songs. The company's owner will come in to screen your submissions. They offer a very artist-friendly non-exclusive licensing deal. Broadcast quality needed [excellent home recordings are OK]. Please submit one to three songs online or per CD, include lyrics. All submissions will be screened on a YES/NO BASIS ONLY - NO CRITIQUES FROM TAXI. For ground submissions, please enclose a S.A.S.E. if you would like a response. Submissions must be received no later than Nov. 20, 2006. TAXI # Y061120XM

[matto]

Quote:i guess i expected it, but it still stings a bit. since the listing was for 'non-TAXI review', could you guys give a listen and let me know what you think? i was trying to work with negative space in the recording, so it's just acoustic guitar and vocals.it reviews really well in different songwriter forums, even the more critical ones, but those guys aren't TAXI people, so i guess they're using a very different set of criteria. anyway, i'd love your input (even one response to this would be more than the last tune i put up in here! lol...talk about rejection )thanx for your ears; i really do trust them. luck,gHi G,this song is beautifully sung and performed, and really heartfelt. I also really like the opening lines of the lyric, very cool. It's a good thing Vikki asked you to post the listing text cause in there are a few clues why this song wasn't "forwarded" (the reason I put this in quotation marks is that the actual owner of the company screened this listing, not a Taxi "middleman", so at least the person with the final say got to hear your submission).The first thing that stuck out to me when comparing your song to the listing text is that the listing specifically says "Lyrically, he wants songs are NOT of the personal relationship/love variety - instead, think more anger, indecision, and questioning story lines." While your song has a questioning mood to it it is still clearly a relationship song which is precisely what this company was NOT looking for. So right there it would take a miracle to get forwarded, regardless of how good the song might be.I also noted a fair amount of hiss in your mp3. This could just be the mp3, and not in your original recording, but since this listing is looking for "broadcast quality" it's a bit of a problem.So don't be too discouraged about this rejection, it's not a reflection on the quality of your song, it's just that the song didn't fit well within the parameters set by the listing company.Targeting your music accurately is one of the most important factors in getting songs forwarded via Taxi (or placed by any other means, for that matter), so there could be a valuable lesson in this rejection.Just to say it once again, I love your voice, you sing really well and your voice has great commercial appeal IMHO.Good luck to you!matto

[gschmitt]

thanx, man. you've really helped me here. i guess i'm so green as to how to read a listing, it sets up all these expectations that can't be fulfilled - coupled with the excitement of joining TAXI and hearing all those success stories! my concern now is how to get a good recording, since that hiss is prevalent and (although i wish it was) it's not the compression for the mp3 - it's ambient. i don't have a room, so i get that often. in my full band stuff that i record, it's not such a big deal since there's a lot more going on than just acoustic guitar and vox like on this tune....or is it? i don't even know! lol. anyway, thank you.g

[matto]

Quote:my concern now is how to get a good recording, since that hiss is prevalent and (although i wish it was) it's not the compression for the mp3 - it's ambient. i don't have a room, so i get that often. in my full band stuff that i record, it's not such a big deal since there's a lot more going on than just acoustic guitar and vox like on this tune....or is it? i don't even know! lol.It didn't bother me on the full band song I listened to. It will naturally be more obvious on really sparse stuff. Maybe you should post in the "Technology, Recording and Production" section for advice on how to improve your bg noise problem...this is a rather common issue for us "bedroom recordists", so I bet you'd get some decent tips...be sure to list your recording setup so people might be able to point out some potential weak links in your recording chain.Best of luck to you!

[andreh]

Hey G-Great song, great performances. I agree with Matto that the noise issue needs to be tamed, but don't overcompensate for it; a little hiss can add life and character to a sparse track like this (listen to any Elliot Smith song as evidence). The problem is when it comes in and out abruptly and calls attention to itself, so some manual fades or a gentle noise reduction process should do the trick.I also felt like there were some "uncomfortable silences" in the song that could be filled with a delicate percussion instrument or some gentle muted strums or other filler. You're obviously leaving space in the song on purpose, but there's a little too much in one or two spot IMHO.Awesome job though...I'm sure you'll be getting forwards in the future when your songs are better suited to the listings.Andre