TAXI.com

Hello, I am writing this as after meeting with Karl Louis, he asked me to post my story here.
My name is Travis, i am a Taxi member from Joplin, Mo. The only way you would know Joplin would be if you saw us on the news as a third the of my city got distroyed by a tornado in may. I am a rapper. I go by the name Skitzo G (facebook.com/skitzog) I decided to make my way down to the road rally this year to see if i could get the tools to make it as an indie. Now i could not afford to stay in any hotel in LA, i was able to stay in Inglewood. Now everyone i talked to said inglewood was a horrible place and that i would not be safe there. I walked back and forth to rally each day as well as walking down to the hollywood park casino at night and i loved Inglewood, i met some great people, and they were just the type for me to go up and give them a hip hop cd, but most of the taxi members i talked to wouldnt drive into inglewood if i had offered them money. Now the first memorible class I had attend was Bob Bakers class. he wrote the guruilla maketing books. I was so impressed by this class and all the little things no one thinks of to draw attention to yourself. I bought his book and continued with the road rally. I also attended both of Bobby Borg's classes. He was to teach you how to make it as a do it yourself artist and he did just that. I was able to talk to Bobby after his siminar and he used my cd to play at a screening session in Hollywood and has even contacted me to let me know exactly what happened there and how my music was accepted, great guy. Now my mentor was Jorge Hernandez, he is a former A and R at epic as well as the current A and R at organica music group. Now i wanna say that i feel most taxi members wasted thier 15 mins by not having a plan. I stood there watched it happen over and over again. So went in with a plan. Sit down told him i was going to give him a brief history of myself (as i gave him history i was showing him 4x6 flyers of these events to let him know i was not telling lies), then told him i was going to play 1:30 secs of two tracks and then i had 3 questions. This impressed him right off the bat, he even went as far as to ask if i sold cars, i replyed no but im trying to sell myself to you. talking with him opened my eyes to how im precieved through my music and left with his contact info. Funny side note: I took the class by Sydney Alston, but came in late, it was a class on marketing. After the class i waited for everyone but one girl to leave, the girl is talking to him about how she got her digipack duplicated at discmakers. I interrupted her and showed her by digipack and said i went through NationWide Disc and they were so much cheaper and just as good. then Sydney gave he his card and said "i work for discmakers player" It was funny, i went on to talking to him outside for quite some time, good guy. Now i went to the mentor lunch on Saturday, the first 2 people were cool but not the most helpfull, then comes Karl Louis. he is the man i had been looking for all weekend. He has worked with Limp Bizkit, rage, Deftones, but he is not a "suit" he is a rauglar guy still be very much a part of the music. I was quite during lunch but as soon as it was over i went up to Karl and explaned who i was and my level of respect for him and asked if he could make 15 mins to listen to my music and give feedback, he said he loved how i approached him and to meet him later before open mic, went there and he said he was busy and to meet him tomarrow. Went to met him then, he said i am a still busy but here is my number! text me and i'll text you back when i'm ready. he texted me during the listening panel (wih i could know if they played my song or not) so i went straight to meet karl, he said he only had 15 mins. I told him my history and my personal story of trouble with police and why i made the 2 songs i played him. He just kept wanting to know more! i told him i was checking out of hotel on Mon morning then going into hollywood and then venice to promote the cd's i brought with my (brought 1000 burnt cd-rs, 200 pressed cd's and 4x6 flyers) he loved my story, told me i was reminding him of the old days and inspriing him;. This guy is so awesome, told me what he truly thought of songs through an a and r perspective and a personal one. he gave me great advise, and his contact info. THIS WAS BY FAR THE BEST PART OF WEEKEND. and i got the oppurtunity all by how i appraoched him, got him alone, was perfessional and showed him a high level of respect. The rally has now ended. I did wake up in the morning, took the bus to hollywood, then Vinice, left Missouri with 1000 cd's, gave back with about 150, took the midnight flight outta LAX and headed back to Joplin. As i said i am writing this here as Karl Louis asked me to, this is by no way me bragging. This is just my story. If you enjoyed it, please let me know, if not, thanks for read! Thanks again Taxi, i have no doupt that attending this rally is going to be a key element to my sucess

Congrats, I think!

I had a hard time reading your story on the forum here because it was one big long paragraph. I would love to be able to really dig into your story, but my eyes can't follow it without some breaks in the action (aka new paragraphs).

I'm not slamming you, I'm glad you had a great time, just make it so we can read it and celebrate with you!

Cheers!

Mazz

HERE YOU GO MAZZ, BROKEN UP IN SECTIONS, MY BAD



Hello, I am writing this as after meeting with Karl Louis, he asked me to post my story here.
My name is Travis, i am a Taxi member from Joplin, Mo. The only way you would know Joplin would be if you saw us on the news as a third the of my city got distroyed by a tornado in may. I am a rapper. I go by the name Skitzo G (facebook.com/skitzog)

I decided to make my way down to the road rally this year to see if i could get the tools to make it as an indie. Now i could not afford to stay in any hotel in LA, i was able to stay in Inglewood. Now everyone i talked to said inglewood was a horrible place and that i would not be safe there. I walked back and forth to rally each day as well as walking down to the hollywood park casino at night and i loved Inglewood, i met some great people, and they were just the type for me to go up and give them a hip hop cd, but most of the taxi members i talked to wouldnt drive into inglewood if i had offered them money.

Now the first memorible class I had attend was Bob Bakers class. he wrote the guruilla maketing books. I was so impressed by this class and all the little things no one thinks of to draw attention to yourself. I bought his book and continued with the road rally. I also attended both of Bobby Borg's classes. He was to teach you how to make it as a do it yourself artist and he did just that. I was able to talk to Bobby after his siminar and he used my cd to play at a screening session in Hollywood and has even contacted me to let me know exactly what happened there and how my music was accepted, great guy.

Now my mentor was Jorge Hernandez, he is a former A and R at epic as well as the current A and R at organica music group. Now i wanna say that i feel most taxi members wasted thier 15 mins by not having a plan. I stood there watched it happen over and over again. So went in with a plan. Sit down told him i was going to give him a brief history of myself (as i gave him history i was showing him 4x6 flyers of these events to let him know i was not telling lies), then told him i was going to play 1:30 secs of two tracks and then i had 3 questions. This impressed him right off the bat, he even went as far as to ask if i sold cars, i replyed no but im trying to sell myself to you. talking with him opened my eyes to how im precieved through my music and left with his contact info.

Funny side note: I took the class by Sydney Alston, but came in late, it was a class on marketing. After the class i waited for everyone but one girl to leave, the girl is talking to him about how she got her digipack duplicated at discmakers. I interrupted her and showed her by digipack and said i went through NationWide Disc and they were so much cheaper and just as good. then Sydney gave he his card and said "i work for discmakers player" It was funny, i went on to talking to him outside for quite some time, good guy.

Now i went to the mentor lunch on Saturday, the first 2 people were cool but not the most helpfull, then comes Karl Louis. he is the man i had been looking for all weekend. He has worked with Limp Bizkit, rage, Deftones, but he is not a "suit" he is a rauglar guy still be very much a part of the music. I was quite during lunch but as soon as it was over i went up to Karl and explaned who i was and my level of respect for him and asked if he could make 15 mins to listen to my music and give feedback (we winded up talking for over an hour) he said he loved how i approached him and to meet him later before open mic, went there and he said he was busy and to meet him tomarrow. Went to met him then, he said i am a still busy but here is my number! text me and i'll text you back when i'm ready. he texted me during the listening panel (wih i could know if they played my song or not) so i went straight to meet karl, he said he only had 15 mins. I told him my history and my personal story of trouble with police and why i made the 2 songs i played him. He just kept wanting to know more! i told him i was checking out of hotel on Mon morning then going into hollywood and then venice to promote the cd's i brought with my (brought 1000 burnt cd-rs, 200 pressed cd's and 4x6 flyers) he loved my story, told me i was reminding him of the old days and inspriing him;. This guy is so awesome, told me what he truly thought of songs through an a and r perspective and a personal one. he gave me great advise, and his contact info. THIS WAS BY FAR THE BEST PART OF WEEKEND. and i got the oppurtunity all by how i appraoched him, got him alone, was perfessional and showed him a high level of respect.

The rally has now ended. I did wake up in the morning, took the bus to hollywood, then Vinice, left Missouri with 1000 cd's, gave back with about 150, took the midnight flight outta LAX and headed back to Joplin. As i said i am writing this here as Karl Louis asked me to, this is by no way me bragging. This is just my story. If you enjoyed it, please let me know, if not, thanks for read! Thanks again Taxi, i have no doupt that attending this rally is going to be a key element to my sucess

Good story. This was my first rally also. The rally makes the music world a lot smaller. You knew the people that were there you wanted to talk with, you stated your intentions with respect, and they returned that same respect. What an opportunity.

When my co-workers ask about the rally, I tell them there are classes that musicians, songwriters, performers, business owners and plumbers can benefit from. You took courses that met you where you were, and what you needed. You are engaging your career, by even putting yourself in this path. (thanks to Michaels L.'s idea of taxi)

As long as you take things away from this conference, you are on your way to making it. Sounds like you really maxed out your benefit. Congratulations. ( I know I have my homework cut-out for me)


Let's see how much difference we can make in a year. Good luck, and good story. Keep pushing.

thank you James and i think the way you summed up the rally was spot on, good luck to you, we all have alot of reading, reflecting, and hard work to do if any of us want to make anything out of what we experienced, thanks again for the read

good for you! i'm glad you got some attention and you deserve it! i wish you all good things!

Hey Travis - GREAT story, very inspiring and helpful in so many ways. I am a classical/pop kind of guy like Charles Fox who has deep appreciation for great music of ALL genres. And I live just around the corner from you near Branson, MO. Joplin is ALWAYS in our thoughts and prayers as the people there rebuild. Even though I din't meet you I feel like we are neighbors and friends. The RALLY keeps on inspiring learning, growth, encouragement and persistence. Thanks for your post. Bruce Gerlach, College of the Ozarks.

To Bruce, thanks you for your prayers, we are still picking up the rubble down here. I would love to talk further with you, maybe we could do some work together. I am hip hop but LOVE mashing styles together, get back with me sir

Travis,
I love your story and am so glad you shared it with us!! I wish you the continued success you deserve!
Coleen

Great story Travis,

You're absolutely right it makes a huge difference whether you are prepared and have a plan or not. I think the industry pros at the Rally are always very impressed by someone with a real plan, because most members who attend don't have one. So that sets you apart right there.
It shows them that you are serious and put some thought and work into what you are trying to do.

(Making a new paragraph now for mazz ) And if you also have great music and are open to suggestions on how to make it even better , then you really have a great shot at going far.

So best of luck to you. Keep up the good work!

matto