What was the best part of Rally 2014 for you?

[Casey H]

So... What was the best part of the rally for you in 2014?

Best thing you learned?

Best takeaway?

Best experience(s)?

Best class or panel?

Best new (professional or peer) relationship? (No actual library/publisher/sup names please)

Most fun?

Casey

[admin]

Knowing I am just 5 days away from a day off.

Thanks for coming everybody, hope you had a great time, learned a lot, made a bunch of new friends, and got home safely. Thanks for starting this thread Casey.

And yes folks, we know the audio guys had some issues on Sunday, so let's not belabor that, please. I'm really proud of my staff for doing a great job, and I was really happy with our panelists this year. And how about the Music Supervisor Listening Panel?!! Tracy IS one of the nicest people I've met in a very long time, and I was amazed by how many pieces of music got picked up on that panel.

Came home sick today. I must have shaken one too many hands. Thanks again for coming y'all!
Michael

[bobporri]

So... What was the best part of the rally for you in 2014?

Best thing you learned?

Best takeaway?

Best experience(s)?

Best class or panel?

Best new (professional or peer) relationship? (No actual library/publisher/sup names please)

Most fun?

Casey

Best thing learned and the takeaway was through the one on one mentoring session. I had a very dry year as far as forwards in 2014. In the mentoring session I played an example of 3 different types of songs I'd been working on and without hesitation I was told which one I would have the easiest time finding forwards for. I was also made to feel it was of a good quality also. This was particularly interesting because Casey had pointed this "path" out as a good focus to several of us a day earlier. Now, I'm not giving up on all the other genres I enjoy writing in, and in fact, other takeaways from the Rally will move me in other interesting directions, but the one on one advice with a mentor I really enjoyed gave a great starting focus going into the post Rally period. (I didn't get a "click" with the previous mentoring session in 2013. It was a completely different and refreshing experience this year!)

Best experience was meeting people from this forum. If you had a beer, talked however briefly it might have been, laughed or played with me, loaned me a guitar!, you made my weekend. Thanks!

I enjoyed a lot of classes, but I think the most entertaining and the one I learned the most from was Ronan's Recording Techniques Class Sunday morning in the Auditorium. I went to buy a book from him after the class and he didn't have change. He gave me the book and said, come back and pay for it if I get a chance. If not, "just enjoy it". I went back with the right amount a few minutes later.

3 or 4 very nice peer relationships were struck. I'm hoping they will be close and lasting and perhaps lead to some collaborations. Next year I'm hoping to have more material to have a better chance at striking other types of relationships.

The most fun I guess is when you're trying to leave the bar at the end of the last Rally night and someone twists your arm to have one more beer. Then you stay another hour and end up having the best laughs of the weekend.

Casey, thanks for posting these questions. Looking forward to following along.

Bob P.

[cassmcentee]

Casey, thank you for being who you are!
I appreciate your welcoming spirit...

I had four very special moments...

1. Introducing my young singing friend to Matt H. (because she Raps in Japanese and he just might need to record it)
2. Lifting the spirits of a new member who left a listening panel in emotional distress
3. Watching fun happen while handing my guitar around
4. Having Dan Luedke's song "Weathered By The Storm" (Swampy Instrumental) played at the panel and getting 4+ thumbs up!!! (we collaborated)

That's just the start!!!

[AdrianaLycette]

Thanks Michael & staff for your hard work!! My first Rally was AMAZING! It's really difficult to just pick a few favorite things. I was told it would be life-changing and it certainly proved true.

Best thing you learned? - Ahhh so many things! Some favorites were getting some advice about mixing, learning more about what makes an artist stand out in a positive way, and remembering to be patient with myself and just enjoy the journey itself.

Best takeaway? - New relationships with great people!

Best experience(s)? - Getting to spend time with people I've collaborated with in person for the first time!

Best class or panel? - James Kocian's session on Friday, the class on audition singing w/Jason Brawner, & class with Rob Chiarelli & Ron Harris.

Best new (professional or peer) relationship? (No actual library/publisher/sup names please) - Spending time with a screener that knew my music already and some producers!

Most fun? Hanging out at the open mics, re-writing one of my songs with a new friend, and being able to listen to the music of really talented people!

[Russell Landwehr]

The best part for me was meeting and hanging out in person with SO MANY folks I know from here in the Forums. I actually felt like I belonged this year.
Michael Jones introduced me to soooo many members and VIP! I swear that dude knows EVERYONE!

Russell Landwehr

[Russell Landwehr]

Whoops! there was more on Casey's list....

lesseee...

The Reality TV panel was totally awesome, I learned more in that WAY too short amount of time than the rest of the Rally combined. I really hope ML can get that TAXI TV episode with an Editor like I requested... and if so... I want a heads-up cause I'm collecting a LIST of questions that I'd like to mail him.

I also got a big kick out of sitting next to Gavin (TheElement) when his CD got "requested" by a Music Supe on Saturday, then sitting next to Michael (CoolHouse) on Sunday when a Library CEO picked up his Trap CD after a VERY well known PRODUCER busts a move to it. (next year I'll be auctioning off those seats next to me during the listening panels...)

I also TOTALLY enjoyed being a stage hand during the Open Mic in the Theatre Saturday Night. It's sooo cool to actually be a part of making things happen. (shout out to that row of folks heckling me... hehe... love you guys! I think their initials were Robert Hamilton and Matt Vander Boegh)

[VanderBoegh]

So many highlights this year, it's hard to pick answers to any of your questions. I suppose from the business end of things, my highlight was getting a contract offer on hip-hop stuff from my one-on-one mentor. I had my session first thing on Friday morning, so this really kicked off the Rally on a high note!

From a personal standpoint, it was really cool to meet all of the people that I've been conversing with here on the forums for the past few years, and finding that many of them were like brothers. Instant bond and rapport right out of the gate. People like Robert Hamilton, Russell Landwehr, Pete D'Angelo, Owen Chaim, Andy Gabrys, Steven Guiles, Scott Free, Pedro Costa, Mike Jones, Crawdaddy, Gareth Ebbs, Gavin Knowles, and more (I know I'm forgetting tons of people here). It was also cool to meet - however briefly - people like Wenda, Casey, Kayle, and Dean, who I've looked up to and respected for quite a while.

And of course, really cool to hang again with the great friends I met last year and have had a great friendship with ever since: Chuck Henry, John Fulford, Patty Boss, Frank Rogala, Doug & Pat Allen, and Rick Sullivan.

People say that the Road Rally becomes a "reunion" for those that attend many times. As this was my third, I'm finding this to be the wonderful truth. Last year before the Rally, I knew absolutely nobody. Now it's like I was bumping into friends all over the place. So cool.

Oh, and it was a real pleasure to finally meet the main man, Michael Laskow, in person. Thanks Michael, for everything.

~~Matt

[deankripp]

Hard to pick a "best" part for me....

I always learn a tremendous amount of music and music business tips from everyone at the Rally, exchanging ideas, listening to accounts of recording and writing techniques, discovering new gear ideas and better ways to use what I already have... Both panels and members are astonishingly generous and unselfish in sharing information.

But I think the very best part of the Rally for me is quite simply "the people." From Michael Laskow (and staff) at the very top to the brand newest member - and everyone else in between - this is truly a unique and inspiring community.

I've known of many churches who haven't come close to the warmth, inclusive and giving nature of what happens here year after year. For me it is like a family reunion in the most positive way. It's so cool to hang with everyone again (although I never feel like I have enough time with all y'all) and this year, like every other year, I met so many great new people who I hope will become lifelong friends in the years to come.

Can't wait til the November 2015. I love you guys!

dean krippaehne

[PeterD]

GREAT questions!!

Let me work on this and get back when I have something easier to type with ...
Until then,