I'm back!

[cameron]

I'd actually let my Taxi membership lapse for a week as I was frustrated at some of my Taxi returns. It probably didn't help that I got a Taxi return the same week that four publishers and two record company reps asked for copies of the very same song that Taxi returned. I'd started to write posts and/or letters to ML about this, but I decided there was nothing I could say that wouldn't come off as sour grapes. Instead I had just decided to go away quietly and let my future success (or lack thereof) do the talking for me.

Then, this morning, I got two e-mails. One was a last chance e-mail to renew with Taxi at the discounted rate. The other was a country forward, along with some very nice comments from Screener #322 about the two other songs I submitted.

Flattery will get you everywhere in my case, so screener #322 just earned ML another $199. I still feel that I have a much higher success rate when I pitch my songs to Nashville directly, and I hope Michael will investigate why this is. I know some of my writer friends who are ex Taxi members feel the same way.

My big ego aside, the main reason I decided to renew my Taxi membership is because Michael has recently hired someone who I know as a well-respected former record company exec in Nashville. He has done pro critiques for me in the past, and I know him to be realistic (not a nit-picker) and in-tune with the Nashville market. Frankly, I'm hoping that some of his expertise will rub off on the L.A. based screeners. It doesn't hurt that he is friends with a lot of people in town and will be pushing Taxi artists.

I know Michael is committed to helping Taxi members succeed, especially in Nashville, and even if Taxi and I had parted ways I would feel that way. It really came down to Taxi not being a great value for me. I think I've spent about $250 with Taxi per forward, none of which ever came to anything more than a nice certificate to hang on my refrigerator (can't blame Taxi for that).

In any event, the recent Taxi hiring(s) in Nashville (I believe two new people were brought on board) are encouraging to me, so let's see what improvements Taxi will make in the Nashville arena in the next year.

I'll try to do my part and write the best songs I can, which hopefully will get a bit easier as I gain experience.

So... let my third Taxi year begin!

Cam

[glender]

Glad you're sticking around. You're a big asset to the "Country" song writing community. I wasn't exactly sure what it was going to be like when I joined Taxi, but seeing the commitment from folks like you and Bucyboy has been a great reality check. I'll be relieved when one of you guys gets a song climbing the charts.

Thank for the inside info on new screeners too The only thing left to do now is write the best song ever written.

It's almost too easy

[cameron]

The only thing left to do now is write the best song ever written.

Thanks Glen. The Taxi forum community is the best, and I'd still put in some time here even if I were not a Taxi member.

Even if we did manage to write the world's best song Glen, I'm convinced only some of the "pros" would recognize it as such. Even the Beatles had to claw their way forward after being told by Decca records that they had "no future in show business".

Cam