Critique Anonymity Unfair

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hitwriter
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Critique Anonymity Unfair

Post by hitwriter » Thu Mar 15, 2007 8:26 am

While I can certainly respect some of the reasons TAXI allows their reviewers to remain anonymous it really does myself and other TAXI members no great service to do so.Let the reviewers id be known so the member can discern for themselves whether the opinion is one that should be respected.Did it come from a well known producer? A hit songwriter? An established publisher with a winning tracK record? Or did it come from an ex label A&R staffer with an accounting degree?As a professional songwriter with Country chart success (Daron Norwood - Bad Dog No Biscuit - Giant Records) and catalog signed with major publishers in Nashville I find some of the reviews I have received absoultely clueless.(Regarding the time from my chart success in 1995 til present, I took almost 8 years off from songwriting begining in 1997 from the music business to attend to other matters)Though I have had a fair share of forwards since joining, I will no longer leave the the critique check box checked, nor will I be posting any reviews on this forum for open debate.I have other sources for opinion on my work from professionals I know by name and respect. To receive opinions from nameless individuals offering no credintials has forced me to disregard and devalue their critique... especially when some of the songs in question have actually been on hold with major recording artists and or now currently being pitched with hit music publishers.This is business filled with rejection for several reasons. Hit songwriters have their work rejected daily! The song might not fit the artist, not right for the listing or pitch, etc.. They do however understand the craft and the song itself remains polished and professional.I joined TAXI looking for new opportunities to pitch my catalog, not as a novice writer seeking opinions on my skill sets.Should you reconsider your policy and allow the reviewer to reveal their name and resume, I would be happy to submit any of my published and self published work for their review to be made public.

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Re: Critique Anonymity Unfair

Post by davewalton » Thu Mar 15, 2007 8:37 am

Quote:While I can certainly respect some of the reasons TAXI allows their reviewers to remain anonymous There's only one reason... disgruntled Taxi members in the past have harrassed the reviewers at their work place as well as tracking down their home phone numbers and addresses. That's a reason I can respect.

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Re: Critique Anonymity Unfair

Post by hitwriter » Thu Mar 15, 2007 8:54 am

I can't imagine that being a very common practice if at all.There are music business executives in every market with unpublished numbers and their addresses are not public. Knowing their names and resume however is not a big secret.And while the majority do not accepted unsolicited material and deal only with respected contacts, crazy folks are just crazy folks.There are also laws to prevent and punish harressment.Anyway, I can still respect the policy and choose not approve of it for my own benefit. So I leave the ctriique box unchecked... my call.

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Re: Critique Anonymity Unfair

Post by Casey H » Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:02 am

Quote:While I can certainly respect some of the reasons TAXI allows their reviewers to remain anonymous it really does myself and other TAXI members no great service to do so.Let the reviewers id be known so the member can discern for themselves whether the opinion is one that should be respected.Did it come from a well known producer? A hit songwriter? An established publisher with a winning tracK record? Or did it come from an ex label A&R staffer with an accounting degree?As a professional songwriter with Country chart success (Daron Norwood - Bad Dog No Biscuit - Giant Records) and catalog signed with major publishers in Nashville I find some of the reviews I have received absoultely clueless.(Regarding the time from my chart success in 1995 til present, I took almost 8 years off from songwriting begining in 1997 from the music business to attend to other matters)Though I have had a fair share of forwards since joining, I will no longer leave the the critique check box checked, nor will I be posting any reviews on this forum for open debate.I have other sources for opinion on my work from professionals I know by name and respect. To receive opinions from nameless individuals offering no credintials has forced me to disregard and devalue their critique... especially when some of the songs in question have actually been on hold with major recording artists and or now currently being pitched with hit music publishers.This is business filled with rejection for several reasons. Hit songwriters have their work rejected daily! The song might not fit the artist, not right for the listing or pitch, etc.. They do however understand the craft and the song itself remains polished and professional.I joined TAXI looking for new opportunities to pitch my catalog, not as a novice writer seeking opinions on my skill sets.Should you reconsider your policy and allow the reviewer to reveal their name and resume, I would be happy to submit any of my published and self published work for their review to be made public.But then what would be the average life expectancy of a reviewer? Imagine their life insurance premium rates!! Casey

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Re: Critique Anonymity Unfair

Post by sgs4u » Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:50 am

Quote:I can't imagine that being a very common practice if at all. It only takes one unpredictable wave to seriously rock the boat. I agreed to not know screeners credentials when I signed up. steve

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Re: Critique Anonymity Unfair

Post by hitwriter » Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:05 am

True, but after receiving reviews that go against the track records of some of my material (holds with hit artists) I begain to question the validity of the reviewers credintials.How connected were they really to the Nashville country music scene?Why are they no longer in Nashville? What were their job descriptions?A rejection is OK, no problem... but a review that tries to tell me how to improve on a well crafted song?I have already stated that I will choose now to leave the box unchecked.Yes or No is enough.If you can't formulate the reviewers resume in reference to your own opinions and those in the industry you know and respect, then the review really serves no purpose.Just my own opinion... I posted it here as a curiosty with no malice or bitterness. Just to question the model being used.

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Re: Critique Anonymity Unfair

Post by sgs4u » Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:17 am

As far as my own well-crafted songs go , other people's opinions(whatever their credentials are,) always give me reason to wonder how I could make a song/recording better. If you are sure that screeners' critiques don't help, you have attained a much higher level of confidence in your own material than I have. Cheers to you!And I hope to be where you are someday!steve

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Re: Critique Anonymity Unfair

Post by hummingbird » Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:26 am

Quote:While I can certainly respect some of the reasons TAXI allows their reviewers to remain anonymous it really does myself and other TAXI members no great service to do so.Let the reviewers id be known so the member can discern for themselves whether the opinion is one that should be respected.Did it come from a well known producer? A hit songwriter? An established publisher with a winning tracK record? Or did it come from an ex label A&R staffer with an accounting degree?As a professional songwriter with Country chart success (Daron Norwood - Bad Dog No Biscuit - Giant Records) and catalog signed with major publishers in Nashville I find some of the reviews I have received absoultely clueless.(Regarding the time from my chart success in 1995 til present, I took almost 8 years off from songwriting begining in 1997 from the music business to attend to other matters)Though I have had a fair share of forwards since joining, I will no longer leave the the critique check box checked, nor will I be posting any reviews on this forum for open debate.I have other sources for opinion on my work from professionals I know by name and respect. To receive opinions from nameless individuals offering no credintials has forced me to disregard and devalue their critique... especially when some of the songs in question have actually been on hold with major recording artists and or now currently being pitched with hit music publishers.This is business filled with rejection for several reasons. Hit songwriters have their work rejected daily! The song might not fit the artist, not right for the listing or pitch, etc.. They do however understand the craft and the song itself remains polished and professional.I joined TAXI looking for new opportunities to pitch my catalog, not as a novice writer seeking opinions on my skill sets.Should you reconsider your policy and allow the reviewer to reveal their name and resume, I would be happy to submit any of my published and self published work for their review to be made public.Having personally met Taxi screeners such as John Braheny, Pete & Pat Luboff, Michael Anderson, and others, I have nothing but respect for what they have to say. Any screener is constrained to review submissions according to the specific requirements of the listee -- meaning great songs that don't fit those requirements will be returned.Taxi also says "The comments and numerical scores on this sheet are meant as helpful, objective information and are not used to determine whether or not a tape should be forwarded. Each listing has unique criteria and submissions are considered with those in mind. This is just one person's opinion, albeit an informed one. There are many informed opinions on any given work. So, pro or con, don't let it change your life!"I personally value the critiques. But to each his own
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Re: Critique Anonymity Unfair

Post by jchitty » Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:17 am

Quote:True, but after receiving reviews that go against the track records of some of my material (holds with hit artists) I begain to question the validity of the reviewers credintials.How connected were they really to the Nashville country music scene?Why are they no longer in Nashville? What were their job descriptions?A rejection is OK, no problem... but a review that trys to tell me how to improve on a well crafted song?I have already stated that I will choose now to leave the box unchecked.Yes or No is enough.If you can't formulate the reviewers resume in reference to your own opinions and those in the industry you know and respect, then the review really serves no purpose.Just my own opinion... I posted it here as a curiosty with no malice or bitterness. Just to question the model being used.Hey, hitwriter. I can understand some of your feelings. I don't always agree with some of the critiques I receive. Some the reviews I've gotten make no sense, while others never have anything new to say....it seems they use recycled critiques or something. However, every once in a while, you'll get a good critique from someone who really cares, and those are the ones that are worth it. If you read the brochure though, they do name some of the people who critique your songs....they just don't let you know what their 'number' is.... there have been death threats against the screeners, so I can understand why they assign the numbers.I've been pitching since last September, and believe me, I know how hard it is when you believe you have a good song, and it doesn't get a foward. I am very confident about my songwriting abilities, but I've learned that just because you think a song is a sure fire hit, well, that doesn't make it a hit. Or just because you think you deserve a foward, that doesn't mean you will get one. Sometimes, it's hard to see our own flaws as writers....we can't step away and take an objective look at our songs. Now, there have been times I thought I was rejected for totally ridiculous reasons, but if nothing else, the rejection will make you a better writer. Even though their critiques will disappoint you, they will also challenge you. I won't name one of the names in the brochure, but I know for a fact that one of the critiquers wrote one of my all time favorite country songs, one of the best in my opinion. Of course, I don't know if he's ever screened one of my songs as I don't know his number. So TAXI's screeners have a lot of credits to their name and are well respected by the industry from what I understand.And like it or not, those folks are the 'gatekeepers.'

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Re: Critique Anonymity Unfair

Post by hitwriter » Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:26 am

Thanks fo the responses... Again I say it's not about the forwards... I've had my fair share.There is no bitterness, nor spite from rejection.Simply put, If I knew the name of the reviewer and their resume, I would be better able to discern whether to accept the critique or not.I do not honestly believe that every reviewer has the credintials that would warrant me rewriting a song or songs that have had solid professional interest.Thanks for the input.

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