Pro Review from Broadjam.

[stoneman]

Quote:Dave,Thanks again for the info. So what other avenues are out there besides Taxi that I could invest in, to get my daughters music out there?I think you have been given great advise in this thread by all parties involved. However, none really answered the above question clearly with legitimate contact information. I suspect that it was possibly out of fear of retaliation if they mentioned any of Taxi's competitors. So, please feel free to email me ( yeah, I'm scared to do it also ) and I will send you a list of all the various trade listings and musical opportunity sites that I use. To date, I have had seventeen songs signed and two commercial releases through one of my other trade sheets. By the way, they give hard copy contact information rather than a listing that describes the need and an obscure reference to the listee. You have the opportunity to send your material directly to the people that are looking for talent. Also, through another industry trade sheet I was offered a contract but they withdrew it when they saw that I was an old bald guy with one leg out the graveyard. Then, there are several service websites that I use that list literally hundreds of promotional, performance, contest and recording opportunities. Like Taxi, they are not cheap. But some have worked (for me at least). I mean, every 4 months I see a royalty check that is directly related to using these services. I would be more than happy to share this info with you free. Or, if you use the old Google search engine you can find a lot of these websites yourself. I applaud your resolve to invest in your daughters music career like you have. Unfortunately, I was an abandoned child and never had anyone's support until I began to build my own fan base. That has taken me 40 years of non-stop work both on the road and in the studio. What you have done is giving your daughter a great head start compared to the support most other artists get. Taxi has been a proven vehicle for a lot of songwriters and artists yet there are many who never seem to be able to crack the Taxi vault (including me) of success. I would advise that you study the listings thoroughly and try to be as close to the mark they have described. Also, don't put all your eggs in one basket. Try several avenues and one of them may get you there. But don't be discouraged by rejection as it is a part of being in the business. My first years in the business (early 60's) I received rejections from hundreds of recording companies. I keep the letters in a box in my closet and every now and then I pull them out and marvel at how far I have come. But all my plaques and awards adorn my walls and I use them as inspiration and proof that with hard work, faith and persistence, even a Black man with no musical training, parents or support can have some successes in the music industry. Consider the money you have spent to be the wisest investment you will ever make. I heard your daughters singing and I believe that to be true. Be Blessed,Stoneman

[frankmv]

Headcoach, et al:My song, South Beach, recently made the Top 10 at BroadJam (in the Latin and Latin-Jazz categories). OK...that's nice. I submitted the same song for a Latin Jazz listing, and it was returned. Later, I submitted the song for two separate World listings, and they were both forwarded. Different reviewers, different listings, different results. Is it a bad tune? I don't think so (and neither do a lot of BroadJam listeners, btw), but it didn't "fit" the Latin Jazz listing, at least according to the reviewer. I guess the moral is that reviewing music is largely a "subjective" process - i.e. subject to the reviewer's background, opinions, feelings, etc. That's not to say that the review process is a mere crapshoot...on the contrary, as many here have stated, reviewers (at least at TAXI) put their reputations on the line when they forward a tune. I liken it to recommending a competent software engineer for a job(I'm a software engineer, so I can use the analogy). If the recommendee drops the ball badly, it reflects badly on me; and if the client is also MY client, they begin to question MY ability and discernment. Take heart...I submitted my song four times before it was forwarded...I guess that means I finally found my "niche". One hurdle down...now if they'd just call! Good luck...and keep plugging.Frank www.broadjam.com/frankvillafanewww.mysp ... kvillafane