REGAINING CONFIDENCE....

[carlengland]

So after a couple years of Taxi rejections, how do you get back on the road to believing in your own music again? And how do you write with confidence that you're not making the same mistakes with each new song?Carlwww.soundclick.com/carlengland

[georginasaint]

Carl, I visited your soundclick page - your stuff is EXCELLENT! Don't ever, ever, ever, EVER give up! Keep writing, recording and getting your stuff out there. It will happen. I love the stories in your lyrics - they really made me listen and made me smile!Great hooks! You've got talent!!!!Georgie

[jazzstan]

Carl,I've been with Taxi for over 10 years. Only had a few forewards and no deals at all. (Thank God I kept the day gig!!!). I've been sporatic over the years but as the "bar" keeps getting higher, Taxi (and this forum) keeps me educated about where it is, and that it ~~is~~ within reach -- coz I know exactly what I need to do for my part to improve my output. As long as I'm trying and learning -- then I'm growing. So I set my goal as "improvement" ... so I'm always achieving it, and then I set a new 'improvement' goal for tomorrow, or next week (if I have real work to do - to pay the electric bill for all the studio gear!! ) But you've got some great chops there. So, as the Taxi folks often suggest (and Hummingbird is the living example) consider ALL the various opportunities for your music. You could be doing a lot of instrumental placements, I'd bet. Sure I have down moments, but I think that's part of the growth cycle. Coz if I thought everything was just fine, I'd not be motivated to improve.

[hummingbird]

Quote:So after a couple years of Taxi rejections, how do you get back on the road to believing in your own music again? I allowed myself the freedom to experiement and not worry about commercial viability. I challenged myself by joining writing challenges like FAWM, 50 songs in 90 days, which push me to create, sketch & move on. As my muscles were toned, my writing got better.I also got feedback, took courses, posted on songwriting boards, read/listened to other people's work & read the reviews of them & wrote my own. I learned a lot from that.I reminded myself it's okay to be in a position of growth, to make mistakes, to be an aspiring writer who sometimes nails it and sometimes doesn't.Quote:And how do you write with confidence that you're not making the same mistakes with each new song?By getting feedback from songwriting forums, screeners, custom critiques, & shining a light on my habits, and finding an answer. Like... I used to write meandering melodies. I learned to not do that by writing lyrics with good form, and then putting them to music. Like... I used to get the comment that my sounds were outdated... so I bought updated VI's. Like... I used to get the comment that my VIs 'played' mechanically, so I asked questions & listened to successfully forwarded pieces and tried to figure out how to work with the articulations and midi so that they sound 'human'. My goal is to be a better writer today than I was 3 months ago. That being said... try to see the commonalities in the feedback you get... if people are usually saying that your bass lines suck or your lyrics are too poetic or your melodies need more repitition, then you have to research that and try to find a way to understand it on a deeper level so you can overcome that issue.HTH

[jchitty]

I have no confidence at ALL after three years of being a TAXI member, but Mallowcups and St. Pauli Girl helps during periods of wallowing in self pity. Keep writing and submitting though. Repeat process.

[tedsingingfox]

Oct 27, 2008, 4:36pm, jchitty wrote:I have no confidence at ALL after three years of being a TAXI member, but Mallowcups and St. Pauli Girl helps during periods of wallowing in self pity. Keep writing and submitting though. Repeat process.

[tedsingingfox]

Hey, Carl.I WAS going to tell you to do a search of ANY and EVERY post from Vikki (Hummingbird), but before I could, she chimed in. No surprise there.She is (IMHO) among the most gracious and inspirational people on these boards. HELL...people I've ever met, period.All I can tell you is that ALL of us doubt ourselves from time to time. Lord, I went for nearly 7 years without a SHRED of hope or belief in myself, even though I was still making music all during those years.You have to KNOW in your heart that your LOVE for doing what YOU love is bigger than ANY outside force. Persistence and perseverance are BIGGER keys to success than anything else.Having "commercial" success as your/our goal is one of the biggest reasons "we" walk away from a life of creativity. SCREW that model of "success". Success for me means I get to spend my life creating, and learning (I hope) how to become better at that creative process. Anything more than that is gravy.Hang in there. Breathe. And believe.HTH.Ted

[hazineju]

Oct 27, 2008, 4:36pm, jchitty wrote:I have no confidence at ALL after three years of being a TAXI member, but Mallowcups and St. Pauli Girl helps during periods of wallowing in self pity. haha! did you already put that on the strange cravings thread? hey carl, i just listened to the first song on your soundclick and it sounds to me like you've got the attitude you need already- just keep going, you'll make it by the skin of your teeth if necessary, but you'll make it great song! i know this is cheesy, but i have a daily affirmation (anyone remember stuart smalley?) that i recorded and listen to every day. ESPECIALLY the days when i am totally miserable and "wallowing in self-pity" as chits put it. confidence is something i struggle with, and probably a lot of us in this biz do. you know what else works for me when i need a little boost? i play a new song for my #1 supporter- my mom! i can always count on her to say it's awesome whether it is or not of course i want honest critiques but it sure helps to have someone pat you on the back now and then and simply appreciate your efforts.as for avoiding making the same mistakes, if you are taking your critiques to heart and trying new ideas and techniques on some songs then chances are you're not making the same mistakes!lastly, just remember that for most of us it's a looooong road to success. patience and perseverance!

[hazineju]

Oct 27, 2008, 4:59pm, tedsingingfox wrote:You have to KNOW in your heart that your LOVE for doing what YOU love is bigger than ANY outside force. Persistence and perseverance are BIGGER keys to success than anything else.Tedhey you beat me w/ the "Powerful P"s! good line about knowing in your heart though, too!

[suzdoyle]

Great post! I think times of doubt are a natural -- and essential -- part of the process when living a creative life, because so much of creativity is about living the question and being in the unknown.I find the below quote helps me stay on track when i forget to trust myself. It's ostensibly about the spiritual journey, but really it's about any journey into the unknown . . . and that's where the juiciest stuff of life springs from . . . ,Suz"Spiritual journeys are not taken by the faint of heart. Personal freedom takes us down roads not traveled before. We cannot know ahead of time how our choices will turn out; we can only influence the larger forces of life -- we cannot control them. Anyone who says they possess unquestioning faith and a clear path deceives themselves from the anxiety of choice and the vulnerability of authentic risk.I chose my personal and professional journey intentionally as an act of authenticity and as an act of spiritual exploration. I found my quest to often be lonely, painful, and anxious filled with doubt, vulnerability, and uncertainty as to the rightness of the path. At times I wondered if I had taken on more than I could handle, which is the only way to find out how much I can handle. I also found my odyssey to be filled with the excitement and aliveness that only courageous action can provide me. Beneath the anxieties I always felt a strong confidence. The challenge is to stay the course despite anxiety and uncertainty. I am glad I did not "settle." " - excerpt from "The Moment of My Life" by Tom Heuerman, Ph.D. Sept 2003