Taxi is close to worthless for singer/songwriters

[eeoo]

Hey Kevin - I've been a Taxi member for many years and my main thing is singer/songwriter stuff. I get my share of forwards but the only stuff I've had signed are instrumental cues. It's common knowledge that the bar is super high for country but in my experience the bar seems pretty high for singer/songwriter material as well. Your stuff is top notch to me, keep doing what your doing with or without Taxi. All the best! eo.

[kvnlnt]

Hey eeoo....good feedback. My title has a lot of "negative vibe" to it...however, I'm secretly hoping somebody will be able to prove me wrong with something tangible. Reality is, I've had and still have high hopes...I'm just starting to loose faith that my money here is doing anything good for me.

[cardell]

Just keep going...I think you're closer to succeeding than you realize.

Stuart

P.S. I dont agree that : "Taxi is close to worthless for singer/songwriters"

[wta]

"You are the wheat field, pure as snow"? Makes no sense. I don't feel your lyric/imagery supported the "Author of Change" hook either and I couldn't understand many of the words sung. Instrumentally, this is a good production and warranting high marks but I feel this screener did a good job, hands down.
I'm not convinced the music commercial music industry is a good fit for you as an artist, I checked out your website and your front page was a big red flag but when I read your "bio" the verdict was in...

My suggestion is you apologize for blaming Taxi for your lack of success, suck it up and either fine tune your approach or find other outlets for your work. I'm a singer/songwriter/performing artist and Taxi helped me get off the bench and into the game, hands down I owe Michael, Taxi and this forum for my regional success as a performing artist and look to be a national act in the next 12 - 24 months.

The sad thing here is the only thing this thread has proven is your lack of professionalism. Not trying to be mean, just real.

wta
EDIT: Commercial=Licensable I should have been more clear, I felt the context lended itself to this definition but it seems I needed to be more specific in my wording for a poster on the next page... Cheers. Oh I should add that I didn't say I didn't like the website, just that it gave me the opposite impression of the type of presentation that I would expect from a website communicating to industry professionals risking their reputation on representing an artist's music.

[eeoo]

I think your website is bitchin'...

[wta]

I think your website is bitchin'...

It's a very artistic sight, just not commercial...

[Kolstad]

Im sure you have the experience you're claiming. But what use is that to you - do you think you should have more credit and be getting more forwards because of that?

I thought this song had a really great vocal track, and the music sounded nice, but also that it's not current in terms of major label singer/songwriter stuff. We're talking about music that sounds like Colbie Calliat, John Mayer ect. and this sounds nothing like that, however good in it's own sense. Why do you think this review is far off, you didn't explain that?

The reality of music business today is that you have to pay to get access to the markets. Even pro's with amazing crendentials, who's been in the business for decades, has to do that. It's just part of the running costs, and there's no guarantees. I'd bet pro writers are with every pitching service there is around! These days, even hit songwriters can't get publisher's appointments, and even reputable publishers can't get artist appointments! That's how it is! Everybody writes their own stuff, and won't take songs they don't cowrite.. one of the reasons production music is growing, I think.

If your experience and forwards have made you deals and connections, why don't you use them? If not, I suggest you cool down with the rhetorics, as you must realize there's nowhere else to go. Do you want to revisit the beaten road, knocking down doors and distributing burritos? I hope your anger is not about giving up. After all, the review wasn't that bad, really man..

[rnrmachine]

Hey Kevin,

Please take what I say here, as I am saying it in a calm manner, because I am saying it that way...

You have 57 posts.. and that counts the 3 posts of your "lashing out" and your 2 replies... how the heck could anyone know you have been with Taxi for 5+years and we certainly wouldn't know you frequent the forum. My gut says that it is not true... 57 posts in 5 years.. and you frequently come here?! Hard to beleive. A hell of a lot harder to beleive then Taxi. You claim to have been at these forums.. BUT then WHY would you need anyone new to prove anyhting to you?.. I have read a number of success stories in my SHORT time on the forum. I assumed, and rightfully so, you were new. You are acting exactly like you are claiming you are not acting and where I come from, if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck... then ya probably have a duck. Why didn't your post read?? "Fellow Taxi members I am concerned about... prove me wrong" if you were truly being calm and wanted to be proven wrong.

That said, I posted on your screener shoutout...

I feel your pain dude, maybe you were a tough decision not to forward, but he felt, after thinking about it, that you didn't quite make the "Top notch" for this listing. No doubt he was liking the song but he felt as far as pitching it to other artists it wasn't the hit they are looking for? Maybe he felt it was album cut level and not hit. He should have stated that though imho.

I ceratinaly wouldn't give up on that song, it's good but maybe rethink those lyrics if you are going to for "pitch to other artists" type listings. The bar is always very HIGH in that area. If I was an artist going to sing someone elses song. It had better be better then I can write or what is the point?

That said, the song imho is plenty good for film/tv listings if decide to try going for that area.

Good tune man, I would be proud of that.. it is always a humbling experience when we get the dreaded "return" and I feel your pain, I really do.

God Bless,

Rob

WHICH WAS VERY KIND on my part.

Please understand how it looks to us... posting 3 new threads in different sections of the forum is definately frustration. You lashed out, out of anger, is it rightous anger? Possibly and I feel I treated you that way. I do not see anywhere else that anyone has treated you poorly or is blindly defending Taxi. No one here is a hypnotized idiot, blindly following the "Taxi Cult". We ARE artists just like you and if you discovered something we would want to know about it. It is just the way you posted that made everyone treat you that way.. it was a reaction to your action. Sort of Neuton's Law in play here.

I happen to feel Taxi is worth the money... (I had a critique on a song, I follow the critque and now MTV used it.)... ESPECIALLY if you can make the Rally. If you are like me and can not make the Rally because it would cost as about as much as a UA preamp to go there, and get back, and you do not own a UA preamp... then you're screwed. You have to rely on the critiques, the forums, the new broadcasts. Taxi is a tool, and needs to be used as such. I HATE that I can't use the rally as part of my "Taxi Toolbox" right now, but I hope too in the future. Soo if you do not use Taxi, or any tool, properly then you ARE just wasting your money.. no doubt dude.

YOU STILL HAVE NOT POSTED YOUR LYRICS and a number of folks, whom have had placements, not just forwards are telling you they will take a gander and give an opinion... why have you not posted them? Complete strangers willing to take time out of their day to read/listen and give you an honest opinion. From outside the "box" that we are all stuck in when it is our own music. You are limiting your Taxi tool even more now...

BTW, No one here has to prove anything to you either. IF we choose to do so, then that is our choice.

EDIT: I wanted to add in.. I think a number of artists involved with Taxi are FAR BETTER then a lot of stuff I hear on TV, Radio, commericals BUT if someone is looking for a "PINK" Cadalac.. you can have every color in the world except pink... but they know they want a pink one... well you are screwed unless you are given an oppertunity to repaint one of them pink... Don't go around crapping on everyone because you feel your light red cadalac is close enough to pink that they should take it.

Rob

I sent you a PM as well.

[guitaroboe]

Hey Rob,
I couldn't have put it better myself. Atta boy...
Adonis

[Stein Thor]

love your website.....