cross section

[littleem]

I had to laugh at the latest email from Taxi! What a cross-section,look at the photo it said. Well, I did. There were no non-whites, one woman, no one under thirty, very few under forty and most had a 1970s taste for facial hair. All of them look like their personal Paradise would be a CSNY reunion gig! If taxi want to give the idea that they are not jst a west coast, laid back time warp sort of an organisation perhaps the photos could be thought through a little more!

[cardell]

If taxi want to give the idea that they are not jst a west coast, laid back time warp sort of an organisation perhaps the photos could be thought through a little more!

That's a photo of successful members...not Taxi employees (i.e. that's not the organization).

Also, these are people that are successful because of their music...nothing to do with their appearance (that's one of the beautiful things about Taxi). I suspect the "...cross section!" comment had to do with the diversity of their music.

Perhaps your comment should have been thought through a little more.

Stuart

[littleem]

Stuart,

I know they are members, but a cross section of what exactly do they represent? Surely even from Australia you can detect a touch of homogenity among them.
I don't mean any harm, I am sure they are gifted, but to put up a photo of what could be an extended family and then claim that it represents diversity is a mite strange.

[admin]

I had to laugh at the latest email from Taxi! What a cross-section,look at the photo it said. Well, I did. There were no non-whites, one woman, no one under thirty, very few under forty and most had a 1970s taste for facial hair. All of them look like their personal Paradise would be a CSNY reunion gig! If taxi want to give the idea that they are not jst a west coast, laid back time warp sort of an organisation perhaps the photos could be thought through a little more!

A point well taken, and it's my fault for editing out one paragraph that gave more detail. What I meant was the cross section of their backgrounds. One just walked away from being a pulpit minister to become a full-time musician, another is a sales trainer/motivational speaker, another is a young woman who is really just getting started but making great headway because she is SO focused, another teaches blind kids Braille music and is also a masseuse, a couple are full-time musicians, and so on. One of my proofers suggested the paragraph that explained all that was too long, so I took it out.

Poor choice on my part because it didn't dawn on me that readers wouldn't know the backgrounds of each individual like I do.

And there's a reason our most successful members tend not to be twenty-something hipsters. The younger folks tend to go for record deals and don't pitch to Film/TV opps as frequently. Therefore, the deals they get are harder to get, with higher bars, and with lower probability of making actual money. Our older members seem to have moved past that phase of their lives and focus their attention on Film/TV music because they know there is a systematic way to build a catalog over time that will continue to pay them for years into the future.

I hope that clarifies, and do you think I should mail this explanation out to my list?

Michael

[Casey H]

I understood what it meant from the get-go, that there was a cross-section of people's styles and backgrounds. Clearly there are age differences even though, as ML said, successful film/TV folks tend to be a litte older than musicstar wannabe's.

I think sometimes people are way too sensitive. Personally ML, I wouldn't send out a follow-up email about it because that would simply draw attention as if there really was something to apologize for. Lighten up folks... JMHO, that's all...

Casey

[cardell]

I think sometimes people are way too sensitive. Personally ML, I wouldn't send out a follow-up email about it because that would simply draw attention as if there really was something to apologize for. Lighten up folks... JMHO, that's all...

+1

Stuart

[mojobone]

I would have bet that the OP is American; we're pretty quick to hold that particular prism to our good eye, and with good reason, imo. (it so happens, I know some folks that are still fightin' the Civil War, though t'weren't nothing civil about it, and in some states, it's still taught as "The War Of Northern Aggression") My opinion also, that no additional email need be sent; if you get emails/letters, refer 'em to this thread, K?

[ottlukk]

which one is the massuese, and what's her phone #?
Ott

[Kolstad]

I can understand the point that a picture like that may not appeal to all when it comes to broad marketing of Taxi, and Michael's comment adresses that, I think. I'm sure it's not representative of everything Taxi is about. But I'm one of those people Michael so precisely describes who "have moved past that phase of their lives and focus their attention on Film/TV music because they know there is a systematic way to build a catalog over time that will continue to pay them for years into the future.".. so the picture actually gives me confidence in that Taxi is ALSO for me, and makes me think that even I can show up at a Taxi convention without moving in with Ole Henriksen's spa at West Sunset Blvd for a week

For me it's not about stardom a la Gaga, but simple moves towards making something of a lifetime hobby. I don't envy you young guys going for a record deal, in fact I have a lot of respect for the courage you show. I made a different choice back when I was a kid, because I didn't believe in myself. Back then I thought it was my choice to make, but at 40 I've wisened up. I can't choose not to make music, because music chose me..

[rnrmachine]

I got it the way it was meant too, but it's still funny the way litteem put it. Certainly isn't a "We are the World" photo op is it?!! ROFL

Nothing shocking to me though that the cross stream of successful members, preacher, factory worker, whatever the case may be, are mostly mature men who took the time to learn their craft well. There is a good reason why you aren't seeing a bunch of young kids from all walks of life in that photo... too many kids to want things handed to them and don't want to have to work for it. They get frustrated too easily. It takes years to truly understand music, engineering, production, etc... and become a professional. Sure there are exceptions, many stars got famous at a younger age. But they weren't doing it all themselves either. Also, who writes their music most of the time.?. Who is playing in the back ground most of the time.?. /points to the older people... Every once in a while there are children mature beyond their age, but that is the exception, not the rule.

Again, No surprise to me that photo consists of who it does... but the fact is that these men/woman, from different walks of life, do have many things in common... starting with music obviously. LOL So that does help when it comes time to sit around a table and get to know one another... and help with connections. Birds of a feather do flock together. It's not a saying for no reason.

Rob