Song not submitted

[dannnny]

Hello all you,I have been a member of taxi for almost 5 years now. I have never had a song submitted and have put in quite a few songs that I thought of course were good enough but the continuing response I keep getting from reviewers is that my music is too old sounding.This gets to be very discouraging after so long a time and is the reason I havent submitted a song called "The Crawdad Stomp"for review. Well before I did I decided to put the song on songvault first. It went to number one in one week!!! You can check now it really is number one now in their beggining chart country showcase radio. Is this song still to old sounding for taxi.I'm not trying to cause trouble just asking a question!!!The song is on my site here on taxi but just click "songvault" and hear it on their chart. Its not hard to find!!! Thanks Ole Dan Chapman

[squidlips]

Hi Dan,Tried to use taxi.com/danchapman as a link but no go. Can you post a link to it? I'd love to hear it.

[dannnny]

Hello Squidlips,I just tried to make a link directly to my site here. Havent figured it out yet. If you go to songvault then you will find it on the third chart down or its country showcase radio chart. Again its number one!!!!!!!!!! Still feels good though!!!! BESIDES IF YOU GO THERE YOU CAN VOTE FOR THE SONG!! Its been a long long long time. I dont know what it really means but I dont think its bad!!!

[matto]

Hey Dan,if your submissions are always returned with the comment that they are too "old sounding", you can do one of two things: update your style by listening to and emulating the stuff that's currently hitting big, or wait for opportunities where they are looking for "old fashioned sounding" material. While these are rather rare, they do occasionally come around, usually for film/tv projects.Obviously most of Taxi's clients will be looking for stuff with contemporary hit potential, so if you can adapt your writing to fit that markety you'll have a lot more opps to choose from.As far as those charts on songvault, broadjam, soundclick etc...obviously it's nice to have a "hit" there because it means there are a bunch of people who like your song enough to vote for it. However, the only charts that have any bearing on the REAL music industry are those based on sales or radio airplay. It's one thing for somebody to click their mouse a few times to vote for a song...and an entirely different thing for them to part with their hard earned cash and BUY a song.BTW, if you'd like for people to listen to your music and give you feedback, make it as easy on them as possible by providing a direct, clickable link to your song...there are posts in the "general hangout" section that tell you how.Most of us are to busy to go search for your songs just so we can do you a favor... Best of luck,matto

[dannnny]

Thanks Matto,I guess since songvault was recommede by cd baby I thought it would really mean something to have the number one song but I'm real glad you set me straight on that. I feel much better now. Thanks agaim Dan Chapman

[squidlips]

Hi Dan,I use CD Baby too. Derek's pretty clear on the backdoor CD Baby sites that radio play doesn't equal CD or unit sales. Still, it feels good to know that people like your music.

[bigdrisk]

Here's one link that will get you to Dan's song if anyone wants to give it a spin:http://www.songvault.fm/search.htm?sear ... 20stompDan, I listened to most of the song. It's a fun little piece, but if I were Taxi I wouldn't know what to do with that style of music either. Is there even a Billboard chart that reflects that kind of older country sound? I write some country stuff, but mainly for mainstream country artists and I can't think of any that would do a song like The Crawdad Stomp.I'm 50 years old and have been writing professionally since 1981 and it has been my MAIN source of income for many years. The way I'm able to keep up with music styles is by listening, analyzing, and trying to do a good job of allowing what I'm hearing to help me give birth to fresh songs. But I'm able to do that because I can dig deep into the analyzing part and, if I wanted to, recreate most of the things I hear (you know . . . figure out the chords, what instruments are driving the sound, etc.). But if, for instance, you can't take the latest Rascal Flatts CD and dissect it in that way, then I think Matto's advice about waiting for opportunities with "old fashioned sounding" material is probably right. OR you could concentrate on the lyric writing part of things and let someone else do the music. While writing great lyrics is very hard to master, at least it's a possibility, whereas dissecting music so that you can "imitate" styles may seem even more impossible.I don't know how old you are, but for people "past their prime" such as myself, it doesn't work to just keep writing what comes out "naturally". You have to keep listening and adapting. And a songwriter that doesn't find that to be very much fun or inspiring may not really be cut out for "commercial" songwriting and its demands over the long haul. But there's nothing wrong with continuing to write for your own pleasure as well as the enjoyment of others in places such as songvault.Nice "dig" though, on the response to Matto. That's the way to not let him rain on your parade.

[dannnny]

Hello bigdrisk,I really appreciate your going to the trouble of finding my song and listening to it. I know there is a way I can set up things here so you didn't have to do that but us old folks need more time to figure it out. Your advice is really appreciated especially comming from a pro songwriter. You went into great detail. I have spent some time trying to do what your saying and I think you can hear some more modern thoughts in the song but I'm not there yet. I guess my biggest problem is I really dont like modern country!!!! You have to admit that when you heard the older country if the song had anything going for it you remembered the song. Now when I listen to most of the the now country I have trouble remembering anything about the song after I heard it.(I know maybe my memory is gone). There are exceptions like Josh Turners "The Long Black Train"but most the time the songs are dribble for a lack of a better way to describe it. I'm trying to write songs that you remember. You have to admit you remember "The Crawdad Stomp" whether you liked it or not. I dont think I'm alone in my thinking. Merle Haggard said modern country has lost its soul! I also know we aren't going to change anything thats the way it is!!!. I'm not gonna tell you how old I am but if your past your prime I'm in big trouble!!! A long while back I told myself I wanted to write a song that was recorded by a big name before they try to cover me up. . Little did I know how hard that would be. Just one then I will go away quitely into the sunset. I could go on but the one thing I want to tell you is you answered my very first question and I wont submit that song. Again thank you for the help. Maybe we could talk again. Dan C Ps: This is the first time I had a song number one on anything so maybe I got excited way to soon.

[bigdrisk]

All you have to do to put a link in one of your posts is to simply go to the site/page where your song can be clicked on (and played), and then copy the address from the address bar of your browser, then paste it into your post. It won't appear as a working link until you post your message.

[dannnny]

Thanks for the tip. I'm putting this link on to see if I did it right. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu ... =103760899