An idea... (maybe a challenge?)

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ginstl
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Re: An idea... (maybe a challenge?)

Post by ginstl » Tue Jan 01, 2008 4:45 pm

I like your sensibilities Steve! I hope someone else won't become suspicious of me for saying so.Greg.

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Re: An idea... (maybe a challenge?)

Post by matto » Tue Jan 01, 2008 5:00 pm

Quote:Interesting... No one has followed up on what I suggested in the post that created this thread (Read up). If I knew it would become like this, I would have never started it. I just thought some folks would have some songs reviewed by members here and compare to what feedback they were getting from reviewers. That is all... Nothing more, nothing less... I am disappointed that it has gone this direction. Anyone interested in sticking to the music and the feedback? CaseyCasey, I'm sorry for my part in hijacking your thread, but I think it's an interesting discussion that should continue...As far as your original suggestion, I agree with squids.In addition I'm personally not really interested in spending more time proving that I know what I'm talking about or that Taxi screeners do. I'd rather spend my time giving feedback on people's music to hopefully help them land more forwards (and ultimately deals), or helping someone better understand a critique so they can perhaps learn more from it.If this makes sense.

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Re: An idea... (maybe a challenge?)

Post by matto » Tue Jan 01, 2008 5:22 pm

Quote:Did they stop writing good music, did they not invest wisely, did they become arrogant and turn people off, did they not progress in learning about new styles of music... did they stop growing as artists/creators? Were they not willing to follow the trends and invest time & energy in becoming better than ever? Or did the industry slam a door in their face? People are complex creatures and often shoot themselves in the foot. I think this is an excellent point. Using people who were successful and aren't anymore as proof that the music industry is all about luck is a gross oversimplification. Vikki points out just a few of the many possible reasons besides bad luck why somebody may have sunken into the "where are they now" category. You'd really have to have an intimate knowledge of a person's life to be able to say if, among the many possible reasons, it really was "bad luck" that brought them down.That's not to say it never is, but I wouldn't say that even the major record label field is "mostly about luck", generally speaking. I would say that in that particular field there are more "factors outside a person's control", than in some others.

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Re: An idea... (maybe a challenge?)

Post by Casey H » Tue Jan 01, 2008 5:40 pm

Quote:Quote:Interesting... No one has followed up on what I suggested in the post that created this thread (Read up). If I knew it would become like this, I would have never started it. I just thought some folks would have some songs reviewed by members here and compare to what feedback they were getting from reviewers. That is all... Nothing more, nothing less... I am disappointed that it has gone this direction. Anyone interested in sticking to the music and the feedback? CaseyCasey, I'm sorry for my part in hijacking your thread, but I think it's an interesting discussion that should continue...As far as your original suggestion, I agree with squids.In addition I'm personally not really interested in spending more time proving that I know what I'm talking about or that Taxi screeners do. I'd rather spend my time giving feedback on people's music to hopefully help them land more forwards (and ultimately deals), or helping someone better understand a critique so they can perhaps learn more from it.If this makes sense.MattoNo worries. If you or anyone doesn't like the idea of a thread then, as with any other, you wouldn't participate. People like yourself, who spend so much time already helping others could clearly see this as one more energy drain and not worth it.As far as taking the thread another direction, it's up to everyone out there to take it where they want to or take it nowhere at all. It goes where it goes. So, no apologies really needed by you or anyone else who posted. I think my disappointment was that it was becoming another typical message board war (we can read that anywhere!) with things getting a bit personal. So, please everyone... continue the discussion if you want to without feeling like you've hijacked a plane. I think less personal jabbing and the more about the subject (whatever it becomes), the better- but it's not up to me.I'm going to go to other threads and give people my feedback on their songs. The time would be better spent. If the original idea didn't work for most folks here, that's OK... Sometimes you try things... All the best,Casey

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Re: An idea... (maybe a challenge?)

Post by matto » Tue Jan 01, 2008 5:52 pm

Quote:I think that is something that has happened to music library writers as well. You go through dry spells, stretches of time when you can't come up with the ideas that people used to go ape over. Or even God forbid, writer's block.I think that's entirely possible, but when you already have a catalog of several hundred songs that have been placed in a large number of royalty generating situations (and continue to be placed), it tends to be easier to weather a dry spell.If instead you depend on a handful of hit songs, or a few major movies or perhaps a couple of tv series you scored for your entire income, you'll be more "vulnerable" because you are less diversified.Unless they are bonafide "classics".I also think the more "visible" a person is, the more they tend to be subject to the fickle nature of "trends" and "hotlists" (or worse..."notlists" ) and the like.Artists are the most visible, followed probably by producers nowadays, then (hit)songwriters and top film composers. And so on...library composers are WAY down the list, hovering right around the invisibility mark .IMHO, the higher you are on that list, the harder it is to stay "at the top".Another point is that if you have to write 500 quality tracks to make a living (as a music library composer) and you have succeeded doing this, chances are you're fairly prolific, fairly versatile and adapt fairly easily to new styles and trends. Qualities which atrtists, producers and hit writers do not necessarily possess.

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Re: An idea... (maybe a challenge?)

Post by slowdance » Tue Jan 01, 2008 6:35 pm

doen't all this time of.....commenting,helping,educating,questioning,answering,provoking,listening....take away from writing music!..............Taxi is a ticket for less than 1% of us(if your looking to get rich and retire)......you get the Recording Mag every month............same ads by Taxi............Matt, some blonde(sorry I forgot your name)...the duo that wrote the Rose for the gray haired guy.......yes magic happens.......but you need to get real........those are your odds.....12000 members of Taxi and you and your music against all others............learn from the pepole on this forum.............so much information....................and its free......................free for the asking...and that is what is amazing about this forum.........just my thoughts

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Re: An idea... (maybe a challenge?)

Post by jude3 » Wed Jan 02, 2008 5:46 am

Quote:Quote:I think that is something that has happened to music library writers as well. You go through dry spells, stretches of time when you can't come up with the ideas that people used to go ape over. Or even God forbid, writer's block.I think that's entirely possible, but when you already have a catalog of several hundred songs that have been placed in a large number of royalty generating situations (and continue to be placed), it tends to be easier to weather a dry spell.If instead you depend on a handful of hit songs, or a few major movies or perhaps a couple of tv series you scored for your entire income, you'll be more "vulnerable" because you are less diversified.Unless they are bonafide "classics".I also think the more "visible" a person is, the more they tend to be subject to the fickle nature of "trends" and "hotlists" (or worse..."notlists" ) and the like.Artists are the most visible, followed probably by producers nowadays, then (hit)songwriters and top film composers. And so on...library composers are WAY down the list, hovering right around the invisibility mark .IMHO, the higher you are on that list, the harder it is to stay "at the top".Another point is that if you have to write 500 quality tracks to make a living (as a music library composer) and you have succeeded doing this, chances are you're fairly prolific, fairly versatile and adapt fairly easily to new styles and trends. Qualities which atrtists, producers and hit writers do not necessarily possess.I totlally disagree.record writers and producers not only hae to be diverse they have to predict and andticapate trends.Also you are speaking from your advantage pointYou don't think that there are thousands composers out there as good as you that don't have your status after as much time in the business?Your are blessed matto. Blessed is a better word than luck i suppose. Not to say you don't desrve to be blessed. Do anyody accuse me of that please.

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Re: An idea... (maybe a challenge?)

Post by aubreyz » Wed Jan 02, 2008 7:14 am

Quote:record writers and producers not only hae to be diverse they have to predict and andticapate trends.Jude, the problem here is that the topic is apples and you keep bringing up oranges.What Matt has accomplished is very very different from an artist or film composer. Is he just luckier or more blessed than your average bear? Hardly. He has had a plan, goals, worked both hard and smart -- and I will say that in over twenty years in this biz I've never known anyone who is any more professional in their actions.Are there any composers out there who are as talented as Matt who have not succeeded? Sure, but I will guarantee you they haven't done the same thing, with the same regularity, consistency and professionalism as someone like Matt.Quote:But it won't take but a little shuffling around is his circle to send him back to the drawing board.I've been high up in this business. I know.I'm not a beginner to this.So you are telling me a guy who has several hundred tracks in his catalog, expanding it all the time, is suddenly going to have to "go back to the drawing board."Once again, we are talking apples and oranges here. The placement game has very little to do with the mystical trend predicting and quirkiness of the music business in general. It's a numbers game. He who has the numbers wins. Name someone else who has several hundred active tracks, in quality libraries who isn't doing well. Someone else posted about 12,000 Taxi members and only 1 Matt. Oh yeah... that lucky guy who's been working his butt off for a decade doing this.Given the same talent, the same hard work, the same consistency and plan -- there would would be many more "Matt" stories. ( Actually there are more successes than you hear about because many aren't as gracious as Matt to share info.) You don't have to mystically predict trends to give producers and musical supervisors what they specifically ask for.So why haven't I succeeded like Matt? Well the first reason, lack of knowledge. I didn't realize how lucrative the placement game was until a couple of years ago, nor exactly how to tap into it. The second reason, I'm not doing what it takes yet -- producing a wide range of diverse material and getting it out there. I joined Taxi to brush up on my production chops, writing and as an artist -- the placement thing for me is later.Most people use Taxi like the lottery, buying a few tickets hoping to land it big. Matt has used it like the stock market... making investments, moving on, making investments, moving on. That's the trend that matters. Granted, if there is a major change in copyright law or royalty collection practices, the trend might change... but I'm as worried about that as I am that a meteor is going to fall out of the sky and destroy my studio. There are several following that trend right now. Given time and consistency, I predict there are several new "Matts" on the horizon -- and part of the reason for that is Matt's willingness to provide step by step "how to" info.So the choice is up to each of us. Which trend do you want to be a part of? We can follow the conspiracy theorist's trend who spend time and energy complaining about the unfairness of the world and the "business", or we can follow the trends of success and do something positive. I choose the latter because I'm not nearly as "high up" in this business as I intend to be.Aub

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Re: An idea... (maybe a challenge?)

Post by ginstl » Wed Jan 02, 2008 7:14 am

Jude, how does anyone know that what you say about your industry experience & personal connections you have made are true statements?Your annonimity is probably not serving your argument well.Greg.

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