Singer/Songwriter Newbie

[Coffeeinthesink]

Hi everyone! Thought I should introduce myself since I've been lurking and considering signing up with Taxi. I'm a singer songwriter out of Florida and have been playing music on a semi-professional level for a lot of years. My band Driving Lights has been active locally playing shows for 7 years. I also produce all of my own music which is a huge interest of mine. I'm a Cubase user which has been great to me for a lot of years now. I know the industry standard is Pro Tools but I've found its midi editing to be superior and am very comfortable with mixing and audio editing in Cubase.

I'm considering whether Taxi is right for me. The work I do is all original and typically folk or rock-based. I think Taxi would work for someone like me in that that I completely own everything I do and could be ready with stems or instrumental versions of my music for submissions. At the same time, I don't have a wide range of music genres ready for submissions.

I want to learn as much as I can before I dive into this. I really don't know as much as I should about libraries, returns, forwards, etc. So any recommended reading would be welcomed! Thanks if you made it this far and looking forward to joining the community!

[funsongs]

Welcome to the Community Forums, David.
Like you stated, there are many participants and members who spent lots of looky-loo/lingering time here on the Forums, as well as Monday night's TAXI TV,
getting acquainted with the people and workings of these 'tools', if you will, prior to joining.
Cheers.

[cosmicdolphin]

Hey there David

I like your music, I certainly think you have the songwriting / musical / production / vocal chops to make Taxi work for you.

Whilst I don't write songs very often ( mainly instrumentals ) we just had one accepted into a good Library with a singer we met and recorded with last year...Your material is every bit as good to my ears so I don't see why you wouldn't be successful.

The good news is you seem to able to do it all , not all of us are blessed with the vocal talents to sing our own songs well enough to be used in production music so that is in your favour as it negates one of the major PITA's of putting a song together for a deadline.

Your mileage may vary as to your back catalogue, virtually nothing I did before Taxi was right for the Listings so writing to order may be the " work" you have to do.

Good luck !

Mark

[Coffeeinthesink]

Thanks for the encouragement Mark! that was all helpful information for me. Looking forward to being on the boards. And hopefully in the success stories.

[jman1283]

Nice music! Do you write it all yourself? What instrument(s) do you play? Do you record yourself as well?
I'm looking to collaborate and haven't yet joined Taxi, but definitely learning a lot from this site as well as Taxi TV!
Good luck to you!
Jason

[cosmicdolphin]

Thanks for the encouragement Mark! that was all helpful information for me. Looking forward to being on the boards. And hopefully in the success stories.

Good to have you here..yeah it's really just turning the skills you already have towards writing stuff they actually need. You seem to have a fairly modern sensibility though, I could imagine you doing some of the Indie Folk type stuff that I see come up in the Listings. Many of us have had to work to eradicate the sounds of the decades we grew up in from our music !

Mark

[Coffeeinthesink]

Hey Jason - thank you! I do write everything myself and usually do all the vocals, background vocals, guitar, and keyboards. I occasionally play the bass or drums but the guys in my band do a much better job at that. I do record and produce everything I do, but have relied on professional mastering because that is a dark art I don't foresee understanding.

[JeoJohn]

It is very nice to hear that your passion on music.I really appreciate you.keep giong ..All the best

[JNav]

Hey David,

First good songs. I enjoyed listening to them.

So in order to put my short answer/opinion in context, let me give u a little of my own bg. I have been writing producing and engineering since about 96. I joined TAXI originally back around 2011 I think... Had a couple submissions for major labels forwarded as well as communications with them. That was my first (and only year). I was young eager and ambitious... In other words if it didn't produce (fast) results I moved on. I have since grown and learned. Combine that with the way the industry is now compared to then, as I have just re-signed with TAXI, and have read, listened to and did my "research", I realize my approach needs to be adjusted to reasonable expectations this go round. And unless I fall upon a financial struggle I cannot recover from, I plan on renewing next year (and I just signed up a couple of weeks ago). Why?, because I plan on it taking time to develop and grow. Seed planting (as they say). While I play to win, I will expect my fair share of returns and disappointments on my "Journey". Not because I'm not good at what I do, but because I am one in X trying to fill a spot(s) and it is a business.

That said, if you got off the fence in your decision to go Cubase vs "the industry standard" Pro Tools (and invest the $), then you should be able to decide on this without wasting too much time. You will not know what your worth is if you don't invest. And any investment (with few exceptions) take time to grow and manifest. It's not for everyone, this I know. But man c'mon look at the opportunities placed right in front of you. That's why I got off the fence. Just my opinion though

Hope this helped!


- J