Starting my 4th year of TAXI

[funsongs]

I liked your list of GOOD NEWS items the best.

[gitanosoy]

Hi Tom,
Nice work learning a lot from you on this genres and where to get all these free plugins not sure if I will but it's good to know the source. I remember the days on chat when you didn't even have a DAW but somehow you have managed and didn't give up...now would you pleas jut buy the damn monitors .

I just realized I joined 5 day after you on April 30th 2018.


Glad you renewed. More forwards and hopefully deals are in order.

[cosmicdolphin]

10. Cosmic Dolphin still has not given up on me.

People usually give up on themselves first.

Goals

1. Forward rate to 25%, then 33%.
2. A deal.
3. A placement!

Your goals are wrong , unfortunately it doesn't work like that.

You are focusing on the result when you should be focused on the process, as there is a whole bunch of work that you need to do before the desired outcome is achieved - If you put the work in the right places then other stuff will happen as a by product of the process. That's how it works.

Imagine you are an Elite Sprinter for example..it would be like stating goals of :

1. Run 5% faster...then 8% faster
2. Get into Olympic team
3. Win Gold Medal

To run faster a sprinter doesn't just keep running 100m over and over again and get better - it requires a lot of training to improve on different aspects. Weight training to build muscles, distance running to build stamina, practice in starting blocks, improving reaction time practice from starter pistol, transition from starting position to upright, stride pattern , arm position, nutrition, warm ups , cool downs etc. Then there is the whole mental side.

Everyone has different training needs, If I was your Trainer I would set you these process related goals.

Goals

1. 2 hours piano/keyboard practice each week - lack of playing skills is noticeable and holding you back , online courses are inexpensive and you already have a keyboard

2. Improve Monitoring setup - If you must mix on cans then do it right by using tools to make it flat and easier to mix on such as Sonarworks or Waves NX type virtual speaker technology

3. Invest in proper sounds - only using Free sounds like some badge of honor is a form of procrastination

4. 2 hours mix training per week working through the modules of a mixing / mastering course - I recommend Mixing Secrets for The Small Studio by Mike Senior which is a book rather than a video course

If you do all that you'll be in a much stronger position to get the results you want this time next year.

Mark

[cosmicdolphin]

What you describe is a professional approach, not a hobby approach.

Yes. Do you think the Library owners, Music Supervisors, Editors and the rest of the production team who need the music all do this for a hobby ?

All the money they invested from coming up with a show concept, scripting it, filming it editing it, advertising it. Do you really think they will get to the end of the production process and just throw any old track on it ?

Professionalism is an attitude. Just because you don't do it full time doesn't mean they give you a free pass. Your work is held to the same standards as everyone else.

You will only reach those standards by putting the work in, it's much more fun making music when it sounds good at the end of it.

Mark

[Kolstad]

Good luck on your 4th year, man. I also renewed today. Shoot for the stars and hit the moon, they say.

[cosmicdolphin]

Good luck on your 4th year, man. I also renewed today. Shoot for the stars and hit the moon, they say.

Don't shoot for them with a peashooter I say.

Good luck in your 4th year

[cosmicdolphin]

Once I have passed the filter often enough and have reached a professional level (despite of my amateurish ways of getting there), this problem will be out of the way.

But you wont't pass it often enough without the right training for the areas you are lacking....so it loops back around to my original post

[cosmicdolphin]

. I am even so nice and pay for that filter to protect these busy professionals from me.

Or you could just cut out the middle man and put the money towards tools & training

[DesireInspires]

Hey forum folks!

I just submitted a track and noticed: My subscription runs out today - so I renewed for another year. I have been a TAXI member for 3 years now.

The 3rd year in numbers

55 submissions (of which 2 are pending).
11 forwards (forward rate 11:53, just above 1:5 or 20%).

What's the bad news?

1. No deals! Ergo, no placements.
2. All my software is free stuff.

What's the good news?

1. All my software is free stuff.
2. I just figured out fancy highlighting in the TAXI forum!
3. Satisfactory working knowledge of my DAW (only started using a DAW 1.5 years ago [don't ask! ]).
4. It's a fun hobby!
5. I submitted 1 track per week!
6. My returns are less and less about production, and more and more about mood & style.
7. I produced some actual songs (meaning: with vocals - shoutout to my buddy CourtneyB!!).
8. Producing music kept me sane through the (ongoing) lockdowns.
9. I impressed Matt Van der Boegh and Andre Stepanian (Gitanosoy) with one of my tracks.
10. Cosmic Dolphin still has not given up on me.

Goals

1. Forward rate to 25%, then 33%.
2. A deal.
3. A placement!

Highlights

1. 2/2 on my house tracks.
2. One classic orchestral forward (Mozart's Queen of the Night - with entirely free software!).
3. One orchestral hybrid forward (with entirely free software!).
4. One track is loved by the bots: 21 reposts on SoundCloud!

Credits

Thanks to the forum regulars who are so kind to comment on my tracks. All comments help, because they provide another perspective. I have to give particular credit to Cosmic Dolphin (Mark) who gives me a lot of heat, but also a lot of actionable advice.

Below a few tracks of this past year.

Keep producing!
Tom

ORCHESTRAL HYBRID


TRAP SONG


ELECTRO HOUSE


NON-MAINSTREAM HIP-HOP

You should collaborate with other songwriters.

Send me a PM if you are interested.

[cosmicdolphin]

We will see. Obviously, there is a lot of room for improvement.

You will see. I have already seen.