What to expect?????

[greenetunes]

Hey all.... here's my first stab at something for all you vets (and newbies) to chime in on..... I guess it's sort of a two pronged message. #1. I am new to Taxi, have made submissions gotten a couple of forwards, am excited, yet unsure at the same time. I've read the ads and so forth regarding Taxi and how sometimes members submit something and a year later someone is calling them. Now I have confidence in my abilities, yet am a realist in the fact that for every tune I write that I think is great, there are a million other guys/girls out there thinking the same thing! Granted I don't expect much (you can't be disappointed if you don't expect anything... and anything that happens is an achievement), but I guess the first question is..... Can I really place any expectations on my submissions, etc?? (understand what I mean???)#2 I've heard many a time in reading articles and looking at things, that a person needs to nail down there style or "genre" (I don't mean just sticking to one genre... but I mean by when describing your genre of "choice" answering the question "what is it?"). I, frankly, have a hard time labeling myself. At the moment I'm a "singer/songwriter who sometimes works with a band and sounds like anything from early John Mayer to Stevie Wonder with rock guitar".... maybe I'm over stating things just a bit... but I find it hard to narrow it down. Even when I read the listings, I at times am hesitant because I don't feel like I fall 100% (heck sometimes even 70%) into a category. What is ya'll advice on that?? Do I just go with what I feel is close (although I don't want to do that for fear of not being in the correct listing) or what????Thanks for the thoughts-- Ron

[hummingbird]

Hi & welcome aboard.What is your career goal/purpose in joining Taxi? What's your music marketing / artist marketing plan?

[ncc1701]

Jun 3, 2008, 4:38pm, greenetunes wrote:Can I really place any expectations on my submissions, etc?? Anything is possible, Ron. If you've already gotten forwards, then the TAXI screeners think your music makes the grade. As more and more of us on the forum can attest, deals DO happen. Quote:Even when I read the listings, I at times am hesitant because I don't feel like I fall 100% (heck sometimes even 70%) into a category. What is ya'll advice on that??If you're going for an artist listing, you'll want to prove your worth in the genre, because a record company will be looking for someone it can market. But as for individual song pitches or film/TV listings, whatever you can produce that's up to par is what you should submit. I don't fit into any particular genre either, and I've had forwards in ragtime piano, fife & drum music, big band swing and medieval dances. I've gotten three pieces signed to a music library, either directly through TAXI or as a result of a previous TAXI deal. And for me, that is success!So I say, the surest route to a deal is to do what you do best. The next surest route is to do what you love to do the most, keep submitting and learning from the critiques, and eventually that will be what you do best. Welcome to the forum, by the way - you'll find the best support and mentoring in the world here. I sure have.And can you post a link to some of your music? We'd love to hear it.Kathleen

[greenetunes]

Vicki --Thank you! (and we're now friends on myspace too) As far as my career goals.. for most of my musical life I've been someone else's guitarist/background singer, etc.. just recently I've branched out and and started doing my own thing. I love performing and I do feel (as I'm sure most of us do) that I've been given this talent for a reason. So at this moment my career focus is on being a performer/singer/songwriter. Music marketing/artist marketing... basically I'm playing whenever and where-ever I can.. trying to do as many festivals as I can this summer and then trying to do the regional college circuit in the fall (I say trying as I'm just starting this "do it yourself" thing.)Kathleen--Thanks for the info... honestly I've been overwhelmed with all the info and support I've recieved (be it from taxi members on myspace, or from looking through the info on the forum) just in the short time I've been on the forum. I'm new to the html forum thing ... so I'll try to post a link to my taxi page .I suppose basically I joined taxi because I hear of the success that people have had on here, and I figured one more place where I can have my tunes listened too and a place where I can actually get feedback and see what's working and what's not. Unfortunately I don't have a home recording setup, so I can't show everyone idea's or anything.. but I'll get there eventually.

[hummingbird]

Hi - I just wanted to figure out what you are doing before I tried to answer your questions.#1 - can you place any expectations on your submissions, if forwarded? Realistically, no. Expect nothing. Keep writing, keep submitting. If your music is getting over the bar, then that means you have something marketable. Keep pitching it. No one can tell you when something will happen. I can tell you I've been a Taxi member for 4 years, and now have music signed. I didn't have any forwards in my first 2.5 years of membership so you are already a step ahead. (I used Taxi as an educational resource to bring my music to the level it needed to be.)#2 I, frankly, have a hard time labeling myself. At the moment I'm a "singer/songwriter who sometimes works with a band and sounds like anything from early John Mayer to Stevie Wonder with rock guitar".... maybe I'm over stating things just a bit... but I find it hard to narrow it down. Even when I read the listings, I at times am hesitant because I don't feel like I fall 100% (heck sometimes even 70%) into a category. What is ya'll advice on that?? Do I just go with what I feel is close (although I don't want to do that for fear of not being in the correct listing) or what????#2 - you have to know who you are if you are selling yourself as an artist. You just have to. You have to figure it out. You have to do this in order to market yourself inside and outside of Taxi. This is part of the business of being an artist.The best way I can think of is to ask other experienced people to tell you. You can use your Taxi custom critiques for this, or feedback on your submissions (they'll tell you if you're off target), and you can also use this forum. Some of it is opinion/subjective of course. I will say that targetting listings effectively is a huge part of success with Taxi. "Singer/songwriter" might fit you best.You might Bob Baker a great resource -- www.thebuzzfactor.com - I find his information to be inspiration and helpful in the development of my career goals.HTHHummin'bird

[greenetunes]

VickiI would have to agree with your statements on #1... I just wasn't sure if I SHOULD expect anything. I have come into the Taxi thing with an open mind, but not really expecting anything except to learn. So hearing that is sort of a confirmation of my initial thoughts.Thanks for the insight on question #2. I do really struggle with how to catagorize the music. I guess my problem with the "singer/songwriter" tag is .. I see Jason Mraz/Howie Day/early John Mayer in that group (which is not at all a bad group to be in).. and I don't see my music being there. I could be wrong... and maybe I'm just being to narrow vision in the genre.. but I suppose that's scared me more than anything. I am comfortable in my own skin as a musician, I've never liked labels (in any form of life) and that too could be part of my problem (insert pyscho analysis here) Anyway.... I digress.... much food for thought.... thanks and keep it coming!!

[hummingbird]

Hey I don't like labels either and it took me a few years to get my head around it. But I do know that I am successful as a voice teacher because I have a niche, and I have branded myself as an expert in that niche. I have struggled to find that same niche musically, but I'm getting there.