Friday
Introduction
The rally started off on an emotional/inspirational note. First Diane Warren (unable to speak that day) fought through some flu-like ailment just to be physically present and had a friend read a written speech that was both welcoming and encouraging. Then John Braheny joined us via Skype, unable to physically attend due to his treatments and doctor's orders. He shared some funny stories like how Michael first approached him nearly 20yrs ago about the idea of creating Taxi and how John at first needed some convincing that it was a solid plan. (Needless to say it turned out to be a pretty good idea...lol).
Of course our hearts are with these two as they make their way back to good health. And although the opening feel was far from a celebratory pep rally, it was among the most inspiring ways to start off a convention like the Taxi Road Rally.
Panel- 5 Year Plan
Matt, John, Dave, Barry, and Dean are among those who continue to lead the way in terms of mentoring their peers. I love the idea of the 5 yr plan and how many of us are 6 or 7 yrs into the 5 yr plan...lol. I'd summarize this panel like this. Mentally get yourself focused and committed, and then live and act in a way that demonstrates that focus and commitment. Also be relentless in your efforts to develop your craft and network of people. Eventually you will see the progress. Side note- it was great to see Barry up there. Congrats on the music success and the weight loss bud. To quote Barry, the key is OPS- organize, prioritize, and schedule.
Class- Making Multiple Streams of Music Income- Debra Russell
The key here- know your niche. Your niche is not your genre. It's your target audience. For artists, it's a specific group or demographic of people, so for example if you make southern rock music for bikers, bikers are your niche. If you want to make money on your music, focus on your niche first. (As a composer for tv/film, my niche would be business to business and Debra's steps would still apply.) From there she reviewed several steps for marketing yourself (including offering different products for different market ranges and repackaging existing material for multiple uses) among other concepts. Great class. You can contact her through her site, artists-edge.com.
Then it was off to the mentor lunch.
Hats off to Jon Asher, Carl Byron, Micheal Puryear, Nancy Moran, and as he referred to me, "paesan" Frank Petrone... They answered lots of questions and gave lots of encouragement. And as Nancy said, don't forget to send "thank you" notes!
(The food was good too by the way, I had the chicken:)
Panel- Labels and Publishers A&R Panel
Always fun and informative. Love the listening panels. Tons of great member talent out there. Thanks to Bill Bentley, Ezekial Lewis, Michael Puryear, Robert Case, and Chip Hardy for their insight. (Keep in mind that if you did miss the Rally, Michael hosts a weekly Taxi TV show on Mondays via Ustream. The information there is incredible and you will see plenty of Rally guests on his show. So you still have access to live listening panels and expert insight from everything music and music business related. And if you miss the Taxi TV live broadcasts like I almost always do due to the day job, you can go back and watch them anytime afterwards. It's free whether you watch it live or on demand. Michael and his team are putting the tools and information out there for everyone. All we have to do is watch and learn.)
Class- Making Money from YouTube and the Micro Sync Revolution- Kevin Breuner
Really interesting class. Obviously not a get rich quick scheme but the idea of earning money on You Tube was new to me. Things can be a bit complicated in terms of who gets paid based on who owns the audio copyright vs video copyright, etc. (ie if you try to sync your music to someone else's video, I believe the video copyright usually trumps your audio copyright. Thus the video copyright owner has the stake in any money that is earned. I'm pretty sure I got that right.) So not to oversimplify, but if you create an original video yourself with your original music, and you register your music with a digital distribution company like CDBaby, you can "monitize" your media within your YouTube account settings. This places ads on your video which can generate money for you if users click on the ads. (ie, you do not earn money based on "plays" but rather based on ad clicks.) The digital distribution registration enables the data scan and online tracking of your music/audio.
Interesting stuff. Kevin stated that this specific business is quite new and evolving so if interested, stay on top of it and stay well informed...
Saturday
Class- Audio Mastering for Film TV- Chas Ferry
Another great class. Chas taught the class with a focus on both the natural "use your ears" way in addition to a pretty technical approach as well. He utilized "pink noise" tracks plus various professional tracks as reference material for establishing the proper levels for your songs. And for tv/film, modern recordings demand loudness and clarity. He also mastered some tracks live in the class. Very cool...
Panel- Music Library Listening and Q&A Panel- Bob Mair, Dave Trotter, Chas Ferry, Ryan Gaines, and Jerome Spence
Again, thanks to the panel for their invaluable insight. On a personal note, I was pretty psyched because my orchestral rock instrumental Immortal was picked as the second song. It's a movie trailer style track and despite a need for mastering the audio and some tweaks to the orchestration, Chas's comments and feedback were overall positive. Side note- I wrote the song with a pause between the 2nd and 3rd sections just before the "epic" part hits, and Michael said that psyched him out. Lol. Michael was also impressed with his staff member for pronouncing various members' names so well. I know my name ain't easy, so yes I was pretty impressed by him too...lol.
This experience was definitely a highlight for me...
Interview- Writing Songs for Advertising Radio and Records- Tim Myers
Tim just seems like a down to earth all around good guy. And I like to believe that good things happen to good people. Tim set himself up with a 9-5 Mon-Fri work schedule in his home studio where he does very well for himself. Talk about a dream job...lol. And based on his talent and demeanor he earned it. I didn't realize how many commercials featured his music as the playlist just kept going. Impressive. Here are his main take-aways: Think of the Beatles and the simplicity of their messages in their lyrics. Write and make music you love, while crafting lyrics and melodies that are both universal and well constructed. Finally, whatever you write for, write from the heart and be thankful for everyone and everything good in your life.
Interview- Film Trailer and Video Game Music with Jack Wall and Julia Trainor
I gotta say that I would take music success in any form and luckily this past year I have started to have some. But man, for me, getting my music in a movie trailer or video game would be unreal. I'm not there yet but I think that if I keep working at it, I'll get there one day. Needless to say this panel got me amped...lol. Lots of examples of what works well and it's encouraging that with meticulous skill, there is room for success with fully electronic productions. Jack and Julia did a great job on this interview.
Sunday
Class- Crafting Music for Film TV and Advertizing in 2013- Dave Trotter
Dave is not only experienced and a great teacher, but he's quite the comedian. He has a very discriminating ear and can/will find imperfections in a track if there are any. So that inspires me to push harder and keep getting better. Main tips here, master the use of articulations when composing with midi. If you can't visualize a person playing the instrument live, then it's not good enough. So learn how the real instruments are played and emulate them with the articulations. Also to learn what music works for TV, watch new shows (no reruns) put a blanket over the TV, grab a pen/pad and take notes about what you hear and when you hear it. (The idea is to focus on the music without getting distracted by the story.)
Again great class.
Class- Live Feedback Master Class with Michael Lloyd
Finally, Michael Lloyd hosted his own listening/feedback session.
Much like the ballroom sessions, but much more intimate. Michael set up shop in the theatre room and as usual was spot on with his feedback. Unfortunately my wife and I had to cut out a little early to catch our flight but that class seemed to be a great way to conclude the weekend.
Again my wife and I had a blast at the Rally. It was cool hanging out with some Taxi friends over the weekend and swapping CDs with Robbie again...lol
Finally, Mr. Laskow, we had a quick hello over the weekend and honestly I can't thank you and your team enough for all you guys do. Two years ago after my first Rally, I told you that I was happy to extend my membership. And you thanked me for "allowing Taxi to make my dreams come true." Since then, I've learned to submit to listings more appropriately, have signed music to 2 libraries, and earned my first few ASCAP checks (which have covered my membership fees). So, I'm a work in progress, I have set some more goals, and I will keep pushing. As mentally rewarding as my few humble successes have been, I must say that I'm just having fun with this whole process. After all it is a marathon, right Chuck?
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