Pummeled Anyone?

[jeffabbey]

Just one more question Dave,When a listing comes out, does it have a story line topic?For example…Let’s say there is a TV movie being produce that is about a hero like FBI agent that ends up being killed at the end of the movie. Do they give you such information so your song reflects the topic of the movie, let’s say, as the movie’s credits are being rolled at the end of the movie?Thanks again,Jeff

[davewalton]

May 28, 2008, 6:09pm, jeffabbey wrote:Just one more question Dave,When a listing comes out, does it have a story line topic?For example…Let’s say there is a TV movie being produce that is about a hero like FBI agent that ends up being killed at the end of the movie. Do they give you such information so your song reflects the topic of the movie, let’s say, as the movie’s credits are being rolled at the end of the movie?Thanks again,JeffWell, if you check out the listings...http://www.taxi.com/industry.php?Listin ... -box...you probably won't see anything like that. The two tracks of music that was just placed into the horror film (Taxi deal I just posted), that listing (if I remember right) just was looking for "horror/suspense instrumental music in a variety of styles" or something like that. They didn't list each scene, etc. They found a nice selection of tracks they wanted and then placed them into the film as they saw fit. I won't know how they used the music until I get the DVD. To use your example though, the listing might say something like "Action/suspense instrumental needed for feature film. Stylistically open but the cue must build drama". That would be typical. This isn't a "Taxi thing"... inside or outside of Taxi the descriptions for what people/companies want are typically vague. Why, I don't know but they just are. Taxi listings sometimes seem vague if you don't have anything to compare them against but are usually pretty informative by comparison to the rest of the "world" outside of Taxi. My favorite (actual request from a film I was writing music for):I was thinking sound wise simple key tones, which couldget faster during the flash backs in the school yardwhich are now black and white. Then for the credits atune that consists of the those tones. Well I hope this answers some of your questionsOh yeah... that made it crystal clear. Everybody ready to write a track based on THAT explanation? Taxi listings are like Gold compared to that real example.Anyway, the listings are pretty much self-explanatory. Before joining Taxi, I took a little time to look through the listings to see which listings (and how many listings) I thought I could write music for (or had music for). I remember one of the first listings that caught my attention, a listing looking for African-themed music that was going to be used as part of a nation-wide display at various zoos across the country. For some reason, the idea of walking into the St Louis zoo or San Diego zoo, standing in line for the exhibit and hearing my music... that idea really was pretty appealing.I joined too late to submit to that listing (in 2004) but looking back, I never would have gotten forwarded much less gotten a deal. That's been the real beauty of Taxi for me. The critiques helped me evolve my music from "out-of-date" New Age to a fairly wide range of current sounding orchestral, electronica and ethnic. Some New Age too still... hopefully not too out of date. Plus the forum is a good place to run ideas by, just to see if the rest of the people think a music idea or concept is going to work for a certain listing.

[mazz]

Writing for specific listings is great practice for the "real" world. I just had an experience where I was able to send in a complete piece written to a specific "a la" 36 hours after I got the e-mail. If the producers hadn't gone over the music supervisor's head and brought in their own piece, I would have gotten the gig (but that's another story). A lot of times it's getting your piece in before the other guy.But as Dave said, writing for TAXI listings is like writing for libraries, you never really know where your music is specifically going to be used. In fact, the TAXI listings are many times a lot better than what you get from actual clients. Dave's story is a great example. I asked a music library rep that signed some of my stuff if he was looking for anything specific and his reply was: "I'm looking for great music". OK man, I'll get right on it!! Cheers!Mazz

[fallan]

May 28, 2008, 3:21pm, stevebarden wrote:May 28, 2008, 1:03pm, jeffabbey wrote:Does TAXI take into consideration poetic licensee? I could name a number of hit pop and rock songs that take off into a line that is abstract and appears out of context with the song but allows the listener to interpret what it means. Jeff, the danger of comparing a "hit" song by a band like YES and the type of material typically submitted to Taxi is that once you have a huge fan base, a record deal, and a green room full of M&M's (no brown ones!), all bets are off. You are free to write whatever kind of song you like - as long as it doesn't alienate your fans too much.Remember, with Taxi you're pitching either to TV/Film or an artist who doesn't write his/her own material. That narrows the scope of the material and screams "be commercial", "be mainstream".Just my opinion.SteveThis is spot on!!Steve.When you have achieved great success a lot of artists on many occassions "do their own thing"

[jeffabbey]

Thanks a lot for all the info everyone,This thread of posts has been very helpful to me in the understanding of TAXI and why it is set up the way that it is.Jeff

[heinsite]

mazz, you're hysterical (and historical...) and got me laughing here.yeah, looking for great music, duh, reminds me of 1/2 the taxi listings that say something like,"only looking for hits." haaaaaaaaaaaaa! not album fillers--yeah like nowadays every tune on an "album" is a hit. NOT..."but in the good 'ol days, your old gramps remembers many an album where you'd be hard put to find a BAD cut, " and he spit his chaw on the sun bleached porch, and continued to rock slowly in his squeky chair, all the while humming an old tune from Blood on the Tracks..."the best,warren

[devin]

May 29, 2008, 2:48pm, heinsite wrote:"but in the good 'ol days, your old gramps remembers many an album where you'd be hard put to find a BAD cut, " and he spit his chaw on the sun bleached porch, and continued to rock slowly in his squeky chair, all the while humming an old tune from Blood on the Tracks..."the best,warrenBwahahaha!!That sounds familiar....I think we're related! (Please don't take that as an insult )Maybe it was the time I was listening to music (started early 80's), or just the fact that I had just enough disposable income to buy LPs AND had time to listen to them all the way through, I could hear the tie in between tracks on an album. Bands could write an entire story, using the tracks as chapters.Alot of my formative stuff was loosely grouped into progressive rock (Rush, etc), and themes ran throughout the album...so themed "album cuts" could be part of the plan back then?I contrast that to my listening style today (only the top hits via an Ipod, or what's on Satellite radio at the gym, or what's on TV), and my listening habits more closely resemble "ordering lots of appetizers" versus a well planned, choreographed meal. If an artist only had one amazing song, and 9 fillers, then one song is going to be downloaded...it can't be used to sell the other 9 tunes as easily today?I mean, it was a lot of work to clean that vinyl and get the needle in the groove (or even longer to fast forward that 8 track)...I wasn't going to mess with it once it started....I was prepared for that whole side.I watch my nephews listening to music today...the iPods are just collections of top songs. An artist shooting for anything less isn't going to get that "acceptable" track downloaded. (and that "acceptable" track certainly isn't going to get me noticed either).Does this match or clash with your experience?

[heinsite]

howdy devin,just stumbled on your reply/familiar sounding ramblings. I REALLY APPRECIATE AND UNDERSTAND YOUR WORDS MAN!yeah, very familiar, except my best music memories are from the 70's, i kind of slowed and then stopped in the mid 80s or so. and come to think of it, because there were no "total" albums that at least I could relate to. not to say there weren't any, it just wasn't my time coinciding with "theirs" if that makes any sense at all. i was busy doing other things.yep, doesn't ANYBODY take the time--and i haven't lately either by the way--ouch-- to sit down in a deep chair and listen to an entire 45 minutes of cohesive music. no kidding, one of my favorite sit downs that i've listened to about 100 times is symphany #6 "pathetique" by tchiakovsy (sorry, aint goin' to get the spelling right at this moment....) and do you want to know the last 2 "albums"/cd's i actually purchased? 56 i am by the way--THE BARE NAKED LADY'S album STUNT. a great package of tunes by a great band that's fallen along the wayside lately. and the other? ANDREW LYOYD WEBBER'S PHANTOM OF THE OPERA!! yeah, pretty damn insanely eclectic a mix, huh? but you know what, they hit my soul. and that's what i'm trying to do with my music, but hell, a long way to go.so i get the appetizer analogy for sure! not enough of the main course--nor the time to sit and eat it, no? and will there ever be that time we used to have again? i'm afraid of the answer...all the best, i enjoyed your post and didn't do it justice!! time for beddy by for me.warren

[devin]

Hey Warren...I just stumbled back to this thread...that's how freakin' busy it is for me too.Weird huh....we expect almost INSTANT replies to e-mails, yet we don't take the time to hear track #2."Drive thru music"....should you and I patent that phrase? (Or at least write a tune?!?!)

[ckbarlow]

May 28, 2008, 6:09pm, jeffabbey wrote:Just one more question Dave,When a listing comes out, does it have a story line topic?For example…Let’s say there is a TV movie being produce that is about a hero like FBI agent that ends up being killed at the end of the movie. Do they give you such information so your song reflects the topic of the movie, let’s say, as the movie’s credits are being rolled at the end of the movie?Thanks again,JeffI think there was a Dispatch listing yesterday that was just about exactly like this... let's see...INDIE POP/ALT ROCK SONGS in the range of Broken Social Scene, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Feist, Rilo Kiley, The Decemberists, etc. are wanted by the Music Supervisor for a Feature Film starring Eva Longoria Parker, Jason Biggs, Rob Corddry and more. The Music Supe still needs the closing song that will be playing throughout the final scene of the movie. This film is a comedy about a corrupt Principal of an elementary school and the fight of the Vice-Principal, teachers and students to restore peace and justice. The final scene is a moving celebration of their victory and the song playing should be one that reflects that tone. They want to hear an uptempo song with universal and positive lyrics - not too serious, but not comedic or silly either. They're not interested in a "garage rock" sound at all, but rather a current sounding Indie Pop song with a bit of Alt Rock sensibility thrown in. The score is quite similar to the soundtrack from "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind" - fun, quirky, comedic and upbeat. They'd like the closing song to fit nicely with that tone, but it should also stand out to highlight the climactic attitude of the final scene. Lyrically, the tone should be bright and universal - you'll want to avoid specific storylines, settings, names, etc. References to overcoming obstacles and beating the odds would be a huge plus. Male or female vocals are just fine, but excellent performances are an absolute must! No instrumentals or cover songs, please!