Ask not what Taxi can do for you. The question should be, “Is your music ready to be heard by ‘top movers and shakers’ in the music industry?” If your answer is a resounding ‘YES’ than you should become a member. In the thirty five years that I have been in the music business I have never meet music professionals more genuinely committed to helping songwriters than at Taxi.I don’t wish to bore you with ancient history but I want to tell you that I have been around the block in the music business. I’m a artist/songwriter/producer/publisher with over a dozen albums in my artist catalogue as well as many other artists albums I have produced. I was running my vinyl records around to Mom and Pop stores decades before there were digital downloads. I toured in the back of ganga smoke filled vans across the USA touring with numerous reggae bands in the '70's. In 1983 as a member of BLUE RIDDIM, the band was nominated for a Grammy for best reggae album of the year. That same year I was the first white, American reggae artist to play the prestigious Sunsplash Music Festival in Jamaica. In 2015 I was inducted into the American Reggae Hall of Fame for my contribution in helping bring reggae to the United States and spreading Bob Marley’s message of ‘One Love’.
In the first three months of my Taxi membership I got four songs signed to a music library in Hollywood. Since then I have had songs forward to music supervisors, music libraries and major labels. A total of fifteen certificates in less than a year. Where else can you get that kind of action on your music? Now don’t think that just by becoming a member that you will find immediate success although you just might get lucky. Like any gig this requires work and determination. You better be ready for rejection and not take it personally. We all sometimes get precious with our songs. They are our children and we raise them from birth to adulthood. But songs like children must someday go out into the big world and stand on their own. I had to learn this the hard way. I didn’t like getting my tunes rejected but it was my own fault for submitting to the wrong music categories. It’s essential to keep in mind that Taxi’s A&R people are looking for the perfect fit. It could be that a film or television music supervisor needs a particular mood for a scene or a major label artist is looking for a hit single. Regardless it’s crucial to do your homework. KNOW THE DIFFERENT MUSICAL CATEGORIES AND SUB-CATEGORIES. Study the samples that are sent with each music request. No matter how awesome your country song is it’s not going to be forwarded for a Hip Hop placement.
So if you are ready to do the work necessary to compete with the music that is in films, television and on major labels than become a member TODAY! Another plus is the annual Taxi Rally in Los Angeles where members get the latest scopes from music industry people. Last year’s rally was informative, inspiring and loads of fun getting to know fellow Taxi members and industry professionals. I’ve already made plans to attend this year’s rally. It’s a long trip from my Hawaii home but I wouldn’t miss this gala event!
One heArt
Jack Douglas Miller / Puntagon Music
