Checking in - Inspiration and Gratitude
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- robbiejhancock
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Checking in - Inspiration and Gratitude
Hello!
First I want to apologize (yes I am Canadian) for not being on the forums for so long. This is really where it all started for me and I wouldn't have made it this far without the encouragement of my fellow members and for TAXI. I went back to my first post here on the forum which reads "I am really happy to be a part of the Taxi family and it was an awesome feeling to finally get a forward." Looking at the comments and who was commenting at the time, I had no idea who they were but I now know all of them and they were already nurturing and encouraging me to keep going as successful TAXI members. Bamtone, Scott Free, Cass, Crawdaddy, Seth Littlefield to name a few. Just awesome to go and see that today from July 30th 2013. I joined TAXI in May just prior to that.
Since then, I now have 1500+ placements on TV shows, Documentaries, Films and Commercials, some of those songs and composer credits include music placed on NBC, CBS, ABC, BBC, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Crave, HBO, A&E, AMC, CNN, Discovery ID, The History Channel, National Geographic Channel, Teletoon, The Weather Channel, TLN, MTV, Bravo, BTN, HGTV, Comedy Central, City TV, The DIY Network and Animal Planet. Some of these placements have given me the honor of placing my music under Alicia Keys, Morgan Freeman and Bono. I have also just last year scored and was the music supervisor for my first film which has won 12 awards so far in film festivals internationally. Music is full time and a large portion of my annual income is now from royalties and sync fees. I am starting to need to teach and gig a lot less over the past few years (thankful for this through the pandemic) and focus a lot more on music production.
2 recent placements I want to mention are both ones I called my mom about lol. First I had a placement on Morgan Freeman's Great Escapes on the History Channel under the man with the voice himself! It was a Swampy Bluegrass tune which was a collab with Shayne Green and came through a music library I found out about through a fellow member at the TAXI road rally. I am a huge Shawshank fan so this was just awesome.
The 2nd was a placement on the Lady Gaga "One World Together At Home" concert and it was a solo piano piece through the same library above. I found out about that one from a cue sheet that came in that had Lady Gaga, Pearl Jam, John Legend, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and I was like, why am I getting this? lol. Well sure enough there I was right before the Stones. Needless to say I freaked out and ran around my apartment yelling wooohoooo! I think that will be the closest I will ever get to opening for the Stones but I will take it! Because this was on so many networks it has been the most I have made on a single cue in royalties in a quarter to date. $2253.68! That's when I really knew this production music game is for real. Every penny counts, but it sure is nice to get a lump some like that once in a while. To say that I am over the moon is an understatement. I am so grateful! Thank you TAXI!
Another important note is I have also engineered and produced music for others that have been accepted to top tier music libraries, placed in songwriting competitions, won at song contests in Nashville and even placed on Young and the Restless. I am also really thankful that I can now also help others on their journeys through the skills I have learned through TAXI over the years. I pay it forward and give back as much as I can to help others as those before me helped me.
It wasn't easy and was a LOT of hard work and determination but by following Michael Laskow's advice early on of spending time of the forums, watching TAXI TV and going the the TAXI road rallies, I had all of the ammunition for success I would ever need. All of these things changed my life, especially attending the rallies. That and having WRITE, SUBMIT, FORGET, REPEAT on my wall really helped to keep moving forward.
TAXI has made a huge difference in my life by giving me hope that I can have a real career in the music business. Well it is here, I have arrived and it feels amazing!
Gratitude to Michael Laskow, all of the TAXI staff and my fellow members who kept me going over the years. Especially Tom Stillwagon who helped me to not quit early on and Andy Gabrys who is my engineer hero, mentor and friend and Robin Frederick for coaching me how to bring the best songs out of me and make them flow.
I will leave you with a quote I had on my wall for years that really kept me going through the valleys of this business.
"You are in the trenches now, you have to dig in work hard and always remember to take care of yourself in the meantime". - Andy Gabrys
Never give up, never surrender and keep going! If I can do it, so can you.
Robbie
First I want to apologize (yes I am Canadian) for not being on the forums for so long. This is really where it all started for me and I wouldn't have made it this far without the encouragement of my fellow members and for TAXI. I went back to my first post here on the forum which reads "I am really happy to be a part of the Taxi family and it was an awesome feeling to finally get a forward." Looking at the comments and who was commenting at the time, I had no idea who they were but I now know all of them and they were already nurturing and encouraging me to keep going as successful TAXI members. Bamtone, Scott Free, Cass, Crawdaddy, Seth Littlefield to name a few. Just awesome to go and see that today from July 30th 2013. I joined TAXI in May just prior to that.
Since then, I now have 1500+ placements on TV shows, Documentaries, Films and Commercials, some of those songs and composer credits include music placed on NBC, CBS, ABC, BBC, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Crave, HBO, A&E, AMC, CNN, Discovery ID, The History Channel, National Geographic Channel, Teletoon, The Weather Channel, TLN, MTV, Bravo, BTN, HGTV, Comedy Central, City TV, The DIY Network and Animal Planet. Some of these placements have given me the honor of placing my music under Alicia Keys, Morgan Freeman and Bono. I have also just last year scored and was the music supervisor for my first film which has won 12 awards so far in film festivals internationally. Music is full time and a large portion of my annual income is now from royalties and sync fees. I am starting to need to teach and gig a lot less over the past few years (thankful for this through the pandemic) and focus a lot more on music production.
2 recent placements I want to mention are both ones I called my mom about lol. First I had a placement on Morgan Freeman's Great Escapes on the History Channel under the man with the voice himself! It was a Swampy Bluegrass tune which was a collab with Shayne Green and came through a music library I found out about through a fellow member at the TAXI road rally. I am a huge Shawshank fan so this was just awesome.
The 2nd was a placement on the Lady Gaga "One World Together At Home" concert and it was a solo piano piece through the same library above. I found out about that one from a cue sheet that came in that had Lady Gaga, Pearl Jam, John Legend, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and I was like, why am I getting this? lol. Well sure enough there I was right before the Stones. Needless to say I freaked out and ran around my apartment yelling wooohoooo! I think that will be the closest I will ever get to opening for the Stones but I will take it! Because this was on so many networks it has been the most I have made on a single cue in royalties in a quarter to date. $2253.68! That's when I really knew this production music game is for real. Every penny counts, but it sure is nice to get a lump some like that once in a while. To say that I am over the moon is an understatement. I am so grateful! Thank you TAXI!
Another important note is I have also engineered and produced music for others that have been accepted to top tier music libraries, placed in songwriting competitions, won at song contests in Nashville and even placed on Young and the Restless. I am also really thankful that I can now also help others on their journeys through the skills I have learned through TAXI over the years. I pay it forward and give back as much as I can to help others as those before me helped me.
It wasn't easy and was a LOT of hard work and determination but by following Michael Laskow's advice early on of spending time of the forums, watching TAXI TV and going the the TAXI road rallies, I had all of the ammunition for success I would ever need. All of these things changed my life, especially attending the rallies. That and having WRITE, SUBMIT, FORGET, REPEAT on my wall really helped to keep moving forward.
TAXI has made a huge difference in my life by giving me hope that I can have a real career in the music business. Well it is here, I have arrived and it feels amazing!
Gratitude to Michael Laskow, all of the TAXI staff and my fellow members who kept me going over the years. Especially Tom Stillwagon who helped me to not quit early on and Andy Gabrys who is my engineer hero, mentor and friend and Robin Frederick for coaching me how to bring the best songs out of me and make them flow.
I will leave you with a quote I had on my wall for years that really kept me going through the valleys of this business.
"You are in the trenches now, you have to dig in work hard and always remember to take care of yourself in the meantime". - Andy Gabrys
Never give up, never surrender and keep going! If I can do it, so can you.
Robbie
- melodea
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Re: Checking in - Inspiration and Gratitude
Thanks so much for sharing Robbie! Congrats to your sucess. Such an inspiring story!
Chris
Chris
[glow][/glow]Melodea a.k.a. Chris Moser
- Telefunkin
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Re: Checking in - Inspiration and Gratitude
Well said sir! Whenever I read such testimonies its always apparent how those who've made huge strides in this business are often the ones most willing to push their ego aside. Congratulations on your many successes, and those yet to come .
Graham (UK). Still composing a little faster than decomposing, and 100% HI.
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Re: Checking in - Inspiration and Gratitude
So inspiring !!! Congrats
- IanJames
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Re: Checking in - Inspiration and Gratitude
Awesome Awesome Awesome!!
- rinlow75
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Re: Checking in - Inspiration and Gratitude
Awesome Robbie! Thanks for sharing and congrats.
- markhimley
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Re: Checking in - Inspiration and Gratitude
Absolutely loved reading this, huge congrats my friend!!
- DouglasKnight
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Re: Checking in - Inspiration and Gratitude
Huge congratulations to you, well done! I wish you continued success! Thanks for the inspiration!
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Re: Checking in - Inspiration and Gratitude
Congratulations, Robbie! Thanks for sharing your Taxi story.
Onward and upward!
Lamar
“We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained" JFK
Lamar
“We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained" JFK
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