Request for Feedback on Christmas Instrumental

[irthlingz]

For the listing below, we've created "Keep It Trill Ye Merry Gentlemen" - at this link:

https://www.taxi.com/members/pgveCRHTTZ ... -gentlemen

Thanks for any comments you may have!

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Michael & Sharon
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A Bunch of INSTRUMENTAL COVERS of CHRISTMAS SONGS in the PUBLIC DOMAIN are needed by a very busy British Music Library that's constantly landing tons of placements in Film, TV, and other Media.

This Library is searching for quite a few -- and a wide range of -- Instrumental Covers in the general wheelhouse of the following references (but not limited to):

"What Child Is This" by The Piano Guys'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqNFBub24FY

"Silent Night" by Duke Pearson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNwM-diBN5Q

"Carol of the Bells" by Stephan Moccio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baxdGKFOAgo

"Joy to the World" by Kenny G
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANbIVMjunGY

"Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" by Our Last Night

Please send well-produced Instrumental Covers of Public Domain Christmas songs that capture the holiday spirit! Your submission should have solid arrangements, and stay true to the original melodies of the Songs so that they are familiar to listeners. Your arrangements can range stylistically from Classical to Jazz to Rock to Hybrid to anywhere in between (as long as they remain commercially viable)! They can also range from mellow and soft to bombastic and epic. Whichever approach you choose to take, your production should be polished and clearly Christmas-y. If you plan to use any virtual instruments, please be sure they are of the highest quality and not dated.

Please double check to make sure the Covers you submit are truly Public Domain! In case you’re unsure if your Instrumentals are in the Public Domain, here’s a link that will help: Public Domain Christmas Song List.

Your submissions should be about 2 to 3 minutes long, give or take. Non-faded, buttoned endings with good edit points are needed for this pitch. Do NOT copy the referenced examples in any way shape or form. Use it only as a general guide for tempo, tone, texture, and overall vibe. Broadcast Quality is needed.

This company offers an EXCLUSIVE deal. Since this is an Exclusive deal, please be sure the material you submit for this pitch is NOT already signed with other Libraries or Catalogs. You must own or control your Master to submit. Please send as many Instrumentals as you’d like, online or per CD. All submissions will be screened and critiqued by TAXI. Submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM (PDT) on Thursday, August 4th, 2022. TAXI # S220804PC

[magicjuani]

Very nice listing and yeah the Christmas season needs to be prepared.
I am not a huge pro at making Christmas songs but I feel the spirit in your track. The repeated snare may sound to MIDI too me: I suggest to add some groove to it in your DAW but other members here may have other better ideas.

Is your song in the PUBLIC DOMAIN ?
Does your chosen title spoof "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen"?

Be careful, either it is NOT the right listing you posted into the forums or you might want to submit for Original Instrumental version.

[ErinC]

really nice ideas in here, i love this track and really like the way you took it. I do feel the mix could use some work and the instruments don't really sound alive. I would try playing with expression and modulation automation in your DAW, or even varying your quantization a little especially in your strings. It may help it sound a little more human. Great start though.

[Casey H]

Keywords in the listing:

well-produced
solid arrangements
(as as they remain commercially viable)!
your production should be polished
If you plan to use any virtual instruments, be sure they are of the highest quality and not dated.

While it's a fun track, you have be honest with yourself as to whether it meets the bar as described here.

Casey

[irthlingz]

Very nice listing and yeah the Christmas season needs to be prepared.
I am not a huge pro at making Christmas songs but I feel the spirit in your track. The repeated snare may sound too MIDI to me: I suggest to add some groove to it in your DAW but other members here may have other better ideas.

Is your song in the PUBLIC DOMAIN ?
Does your chosen title spoof "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen"?

Be careful, either it is NOT the right listing you posted into the forums or you might want to submit for Original Instrumental version.

Thank you, Obi-Juan! Yeah, we thought it is close enough the the traditional tune to submit for this listing.

Will work on the snare!

[irthlingz]

really nice ideas in here, i love this track and really like the way you took it. I do feel the mix could use some work and the instruments don't really sound alive. I would try playing with expression and modulation automation in your DAW, or even varying your quantization a little especially in your strings. It may help it sound a little more human. Great start though.

Thank you, Erin, for the encouragement and the suggestions!

[irthlingz]

Keywords in the listing:

well-produced
solid arrangements
(as as they remain commercially viable)!
your production should be polished
If you plan to use any virtual instruments, be sure they are of the highest quality and not dated.

While it's a fun track, you have be honest with yourself as to whether it meets the bar as described here.

Casey

Thank you, Casey! We'll see if we can "polish" it a bit.

[Casey H]

Keywords in the listing:

well-produced
solid arrangements
(as as they remain commercially viable)!
your production should be polished
If you plan to use any virtual instruments, be sure they are of the highest quality and not dated.

While it's a fun track, you have be honest with yourself as to whether it meets the bar as described here.

Casey

Thank you, Casey! We'll see if we can "polish" it a bit.

TBH, you are in the habit of putting together something not marketable from the get-go in many ways and falling in the trap of thinking you can just polish it when from the ground up, almost all aspects aren't there. Not being mean. Encouraging you to re-learn how you approach making music. We have an expression you've probably heard, "Polishing a turd". Again, didn't say that to be insulting. I've tried to polish turds of my own. Admittedly, I didn't listen on good speakers as I am way on vaca, but from what I could tell, this won't cut it. If others think otherwise, cool.

Best,
Casey

[cosmicdolphin]

I'm sorry but I don't like it at all and it doesn't meet any of the listing requirements for me either- I think Casey makes a good point, and question whether you are hearing what we are hearing.

[AlonMarcus]

Great arrangement but I'll have to agree with Casey and cosmicdolphin. I feel the arrangement is wasted on an unripe production.
It's over compressed and sounds like a video game from the 80's (and can be great if a listing of that kind will come).

Maybe a recording that will put more emphasis no live playing with less instruments will do justice to your musical ideas, which are very fine.