Taxi is close to worthless for singer/songwriters

[kvnlnt]

The Song: Author Of Change
My Taxi Profile: http://www.taxi.com/kevinlint
My Website: http://www.kevinlint.com


The Listing: S100405CC
CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN SONGS needed by an Independent Music Consultant who pitches to Major Artists/Bands. Style may range from Contemporary to Traditional. No covers or public domain songs please Ð must be original compositions. Lyrics may also range, but must be appropriate for Christian radio. Male or female vocals are okay. Vocal and instrumental demo presentation must be top-notch! We ran this listing recently as Dispatch #D100212CC - so if you submitted to that listing, please send in new material this time around. Please submit one to three songs online or per CD, include lyrics. All submissions will be screened and critiqued by TAXI and must be received no later than Monday, April 5, 2010. TAXI #S100405CC

The Critique:

[rnrmachine]

Hi Kevin,

I replied on your other thread and probably should have put it here... I didn't know you had posted both though. COuld you post your lyrics so people can read em and then have a much better chance at giving you honest opinions? I listened to your song and it's not easy to grab the lyrics out.. just much easier for everyone to read them as they listen then decide.

Rob

[Ajetpackoperation]

Oh snap!

[jnmorrison]

Hey kvint:

I would say - take a breath, step back and chill out, then come back and re-think why you're upset.

Don't forget that this rejection is not a rejection of YOU OR YOUR WORK - but simply a rejection of this work, for this particular listing. It might work for another - there are also many stories of people submiting the same song to a listing twice and getting 2 different screeners and one passes the tune along, and the other rejects it! SO - there's another little fact: this is just ONE screeners opinion.
However: I listened and I happen to agree with the screener - wheat fields as pure as snow is just plain confusing, regardless of the overall meaning - you have to listen to your tunes from the ears of the listener (VERY difficult!) regardless of the mastery of the work (which it is...this is an awesome song) accept for that one little bit. Don't you think your tune and message is worth fixing one little glitch to make it perfect?
SO - either go back and fix it, make it better and sell this puppy, or continue on with it as is.
The choice is ultimately yours.
But - I would be very careful about blaming taxi for your failures - OR stating something like "taxi is useless to singers/songwriters" because there is PLENTY of evidence to the contrary.

Keep at it my friend! Rome wasn't built in a day, and so neither will a music career be!

I really do love your work!
Cheers,
Nick

[Casey H]

Kevin
Please post the lyrics so we can discuss it objectively.

I know it's tough getting such good scores with a return. Many times I've thrown a tantrum after reading a critique, dismissing it as nonsense, only to have it hit me months or years later that there was value in the feedback.

Best,
Casey

[Penz2nz]

Kevin,

Wow man, that's much better.

[ottlukk]

I listened to the song, but before I comment on the lyrics, I'd love to see them in print. Thought the whole tune was around a "9", and I think there are others of us here who have issues with the screeners . . .
could you post the lyrics?
Ott

[Kolstad]

Hi Kevin,

I don't think that a valid statement, based on this post.
This is a real high bar listing, when the songs are pitched to Major label artists.

Allthough the song is very nice, and you have a great arrangement (I thought this sounded something in between singer/songwriter and christian country, though), it falls on the lyrics due to the review. I actually thought the grades on the review were VERY generous, considering this is for major label artists. Nice screeners can also be a danger, it looks like.. I'd bet this screener liked this song!

Lyrics are a major issue for major artists, and to reach the bar, they have to meet a long list of criteria. As it is for a major listing, I also didn't hear this as having enough chart potential, despite it being a nice song to listen to. You must have been close, as I wouldn't have marked this 'on target' (I'll never be a screener ).

I could more easily hear this in a tv series, though. Hope it can find a home, man. It's a nice one

Anyway justmy2c

[Casey H]

Kevin
The electronic age allows us to, within seconds, express our first reactions to things. It's just a few keystrokes and "Enter". Sometimes we have to remember the time when we may have written a letter and stood by the mailbox debating whether or not to drop it in since there was no taking it back once in the US (or other) Mail.

A business world rule of thumb in the email age is if you get an email that really pisses you off, don't respond for at least 24 hours. You give yourself time to settle down, re-read it more objectively, and consider the consequences of a reply that might further inflame a situation.

What "up side" is there to posting a thread with this title? You've attacked a company in a public place and certainly didn't enhance your professional reputation. Stuff on the internet is like nuclear waste... It lives a VERY long time. Google and plutonium are forever.

Other options:
1. Post that you are disappointed with the return & disagree, include the lyrics, and ask for feedback.
2. Contact Taxi politely and ask to discuss.

One mistake I've made in the past is missing certain key words in a listing which indicate just how high the bar is. "Major Artist/Major Label" indicates an incredibly high bar. For another listing, it's possible the song would have been forwarded. So there were times where, after I threw my fit (thankfully not in public), I realized how much the feedback and return were in the context of the listing and not a horrible affront to my music or talents.

Another thing that has helped me is to, after a breather period, channel that anger and frustration energy into the positive-- do a re-write to address some of the issues. Think of it this way: It's very hard to create a song that is so good it gets a lot of 8's and 9's but just falls short in one area. So why not take the positive slant and become determined to make that extremely good song even better? (Don't necessarily go by only one review, though)...

It's human for many people to feel like punching a wall when you get a return or rejection somewhere. Deciding not to punch the wall depsite how you feel at the moment is the key. The broken fingers and spackling work are never worth it.

Best of luck,
Casey

[kvnlnt]

Good advice ya'll...unfortunately you are all speaking to me as if I am reacting suddenly and am some kind of newbie who can't take the heat. I've been with taxi for 5 years. I have forwards....I've made tons of submissions, I know the ropes, I know their processes, I know how to be a professional, I know what it means to make statement like this in public, I know what it feels like to be rejected, I know how to pick myself up, I know how to write for media, I know how to write for other artists, I know what submissions to submit to..........there really isn't anything new in everybody's comments if you've followed these boards for 5 years like I have......what I'd like to share all with you is something you've obviously missed....it's how to warn others about products and services that are either terrible or aren't worth their salt. I'm about $900 deep in taxi fees and I've never made a penny. Money doesn't qualify anything, one contact, one phone call, one something would be worth the time and effort I've put into this. It's crap and that's NOT MY OPINION. If I pay for a service like this and I provide TOP NOTCH material (which I am)...every damn bit as good as any single song I've ever heard from the "forwards" section...and the "deals" referenced...I expect results. There's NOTHING wrong with being upset about not getting a return on your investment. I'm actually SERIOUS about what I'm doing and I believe in my work and it's quality...and when I'm a faithful customer year after year I EXPECT the same from them. If not, then I'll tell people the truth....not kiss ass...for whatever reason I can't begin to think of. My post was "Taxi is close to worthless for singer/songwriters"....I was hoping somebody would write back and say "not true everybody, here's all the things taxi did for me and I'm a singer/songwriter"...hilarious to me that I get responses that I'm being some whiny baby. Looks like I hit the nail on the head.