Sometimes, DISPATCH isn't worth it...

[rcase]

Quote:Yeah, what is it about deadlines that lights a fire in our creative souls?I think it's the same thing that would get me moving if somebody (literally) lit a fire under my lazy arse! Move now boy, or FEEL DA PAIN!!I think squid is onto it. Occasions where I've had to produce in a hurry left no time for me to allow my precious, perfectionist inner-git to dawdle, thereby turning a 1-2 week project into a 1 and 1/2 year..um...Masterpiece.

[lboogie77]

I think dispatch is worth every penny. The short deadlines put pressure on you to create and or revamp something from your catalog. Which is good b/c sometimes you may not be inclined to write anything new or revisit something already "done". It helps you stay focused and not get carried away with details that in the end could take you way off course of what the listing asks for. Dispatch is also a sort of prep tool for the real world of things. If you ever landed a composer job there will be pressure and deadlines and sometimes the music supervisors don't know what they want until the last minute. The video editors could come up with some last minute edit that makes the scene a smash, and the tune you wrote no longer fits the mood. Back to the daw and rewrite! You may get a call at 4AM saying they need the new music by 6AM to get to the producers of the show. Crazier things have happened in this biz we work in. 77

[bombaycharlie1]

I too think Dispatch is worth every penny. I need deadlines to finish writing. Dispatch not only gives me deadlines, but opportunities to write something out of my comfort zone. (I also love challenges!)I remember reading an interview with Herbie Hancock (one of my idols) where he was asked whether he preferred to solo in a free jazz setting or in a pop tune setting. He thinks the free jazz can be too hard...no boundaries, no limits, whereas the pop setting is a finite from...you got eight bars to tell your story from beginning to end... Personally...I need boundaries. Maybe this should be another thread (if it hasn't already been one)Love the Dispatch challenge!My $.02 (Where is the cents sign on this keyboard!)Charlie

[tedsingingfox]

LOVE the feedback from this thread. I can promise you that my ability to create quickly (from a studio/production standpoint ... one of my short-term dreams/goals) is only going to get better and bigger from here; but VERY relieved to hear so many of you taking the challenge. I love the time-constraints that force me to stop worrying so much about perfection and instead just going with my gut.Thanks, you guys. And sooner or later, I'll be able to post something new "that I just came up with" to share and/or beg you for input.Ted

[squidlips]

Quote:I too think Dispatch is worth every penny. I need deadlines to finish writing. Dispatch not only gives me deadlines, but opportunities to write something out of my comfort zone. (I also love challenges!)I remember reading an interview with Herbie Hancock (one of my idols) where he was asked whether he preferred to solo in a free jazz setting or in a pop tune setting. He thinks the free jazz can be too hard...no boundaries, no limits, whereas the pop setting is a finite from...you got eight bars to tell your story from beginning to end... Personally...I need boundaries. Maybe this should be another thread (if it hasn't already been one)Love the Dispatch challenge!My $.02 (Where is the cents sign on this keyboard!)CharlieI love Herbie. He's a god.

[tedsingingfox]

Thanks, guys. I guess my bigger point was that, for someone like me --who HAS to depend on paying someone else to get my songs on tape-- paying the extra for DISPATCH listings was ultimately an impractical expenditure. I was simply trying to put the word out there for other studio-co-dependents. Ted

[sgs4u]

I like dispatch. My forwards have mostly been a result of those forwards. The waiting isn't as long, and that works for me. The new daily listings are constant reminders to stay focused on throwing the darts. Sure it's another fee on top of the basic Taxi membership. Everyone draws their expenses line in the sand differently. I think for people who have a 100 or more song catalogue, dispatch is an alternate, and more efficient method of pitching. To each his own.

[tedsingingfox]

I totally agree. So all I need to do is keep writing.

[davewalton]

Quote:Thanks, guys. I guess my bigger point was that, for someone like me --who HAS to depend on paying someone else to get my songs on tape-- paying the extra for DISPATCH listings was ultimately an impractical expenditure. I was simply trying to put the word out there for other studio-co-dependents. TedDefinitely... if you're like you or Casey and many others I'm sure that record using studio musicians, etc... the Dispatch isn't practical when you're not able to do quick turnarounds. Now, when you get your catalog to the point where you've got good tracks for a lot of the listings you see, then...

[bigdrisk]

The thing I like most about DISPATCH is the quick deadline. For years that's how I learned to make a living at songwriting. So much so that I literally wouldn't start working on something until there was a deadline staring me in the face. The Regular listing deadlines are too far away - plus after you submit to a regular listing you might not hear anything for a month after that. I don't find that very inspiring.So I have ended up pouring my creativity into DISPATCH listings and then using the stuff I already have on hand to submit to the regular listings. So far, I have found that to be a more personally rewarding experience. The verdict is still out on what will be more financially rewarding.