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Hi Everyone -

This will be my very first Rally but here is the rub; I figure it is going to cost me, between airfare and hotel and meals, around $1000-$1500. That will come from my music/studio budget - meaning that much less to spend on acoustic treatment, plugs, computer upgrades and such. Up to this point, my total yearly budget has been around $800-$1200 to spend on upgrades and new software. I am working on increasing my budget each year.

Starting in April (when I joined Taxi), I decided to really pursue composing as a full time gig - and for the next 5 years, really focus on making a living out of writing music. Taxi is a big part of that plan. But also, I need to upgrade my computer system, and would really like to up my instruments (with the likes of LASS, Symphobia, HollywoodWinds...) and maybe most important of all at this point, treat the acoustics in my studio. I have taken over a spare bedroom and the acoustics are not the worst I have seen, there is a big need for some treatment -as I don't have any currently.

So, putting aside the fact that the Rally is a great opportunity to meet and network and learn, is it so important as to put off spending the same money on treating my studio with some good acoustic material, or up-ing my plugins? I was thinking this morning maybe it would be wise for me to spend my budget this year on room treatment and then plan for the Rally next year.

I know that everyone says they wish they had gone to the Rally earlier - and I definitely will attend in 2011. But I wonder if it is better to keep writing, keep submitting and getting feedback, improve my room and tools and skills as much as I can this year (and every year for that matter) and focus on attending the Rally next time?

Any words of wisdom from those of you that have been around awhile, gone to the Rallys, and maybe need to decide how to spend $1k?

Thanks -
kc

Kayle,

I have attended three Rallies and I am already booked for this year.

We all have to decide how to allocate our resources to accomplish our objectives.

The need to upgrade and improve your tools will never end (IMO) There is always something new and exciting on the horizon and as a professional composer, some of the new tools could be essential to one staying competetive.

On the other hand, one chance meeting at the Rally could create an opportunity for you that could result in you signing a bunch of tracks overnight. I don't go to the Rally with the plan of this happening, but it does happen.

Also, the sessions at the Rally are very educational and the information you will be exposed to in the various sessions could possibly help you leap ahead in either production skills or business skills.

I particularly enjoy the listening panels. TAXI member's music is played and a panel of industry folks provide feedback and comments about production etc.. Typically, a number of genres are played in these sessions.


I think one can be successful even if they never attended a Rally. One possibly can be more successful, sooner, by attending the Rally.


I know I'm looking forward to November and seeing my friends, learning some new ideas and meeting some new people. Possibly, you'll be one of them.


Chuck

Thanks Chuck. There is no doubt in my mind that the Rally is more than worth the price of Taxi membership. And one of the reasons I joined in the first place was to attend them. But as I look at my expenses this year, I am just wondering how best to allocate what little funds I have. And if it might not make more sense to get some ducks in a row at home before venturing out.

Now, I know that there is always an excuse, and that you won't ever have everything you need (or perhaps want is a better word) to do the work. But I just wanted to ask - if you had to choose between spending $1k on the Rally or on room treatment/equipment, which would you choose? And again, this is going to be different for everyone, I guess.

perhaps, it's a dumb question.

kc

Kayle,

I'm not sure if can give you objective input, largely due to the fact that I don't know how bad the acoustics are in your room.

I do know how good the Rally is in terms of an experience to motivate you and help you move forward with some new insights and relationships.

I don't want to over sell the Rally because your experience may be very different than mine.

I do feel that having more libraries to send your music to sooner can get you to the point where you are generating more revenue from your catalog. The interaction at the Rally can possibly accelerate this process. Unlike on this Forum, face to face, we have the ability to discuss which libraries we are signing our tracks.

Chuck

hey kc,

I know exactly how you feel. It was 2 years ago when I was in pretty much the same place as you. I had a limited amount of money that I could put towards music that year. My "studio" was in need of some acoustic treatment. There were some plug-ins that I wanted to get as I just knew they would make my mixes better. At first, I wasn't going to go to the Rally. I knew it was something that would be helpful to my career, but I just didn't know whether the money would be better spent there or on upgrading my recording situation.

Well, I eventually decided that I'm always going to find something to buy/upgrade when it comes to gear and my studio. And after reading about some of the experiences that others had, as well as one of the emails that Michael sent out about the Rally, I decided that spending the money on the Rally as opposed to the gear was the choice I needed to make. And I am SOOOOOOOOOOO glad I did.

Putting aside for a moment the networking and relationships I made while I was there, the education and information I got from the Driver's Ed classes and various listening panels was extremely helpful such as learning some networking tips from Dan Kimpel and mixing tips from Rob Chiarelli.

Back to the networking and relationships... I was able to make some new friendships as well as deepen existing ones that I had made online through the forums. Some of those have turned into co-writes, and some of those co-writes have turned into deals. But more importantly, some of those have turned into what I honestly believe are going to be life-long friendships.

I also had a chance to interact with some of the industry folks while I was there. One of them took my demo CD and nine months later I got a chance to start writing for a new "daytime talk show" that was about to debut. Had I not been there, that opportunity would not have happened, and though you can't count on those kinds of deals happening, they DO occur.

That being said, I wouldn't make my decision to attend solely on the hopes of getting one of those kinds of deals. Doing so would likely increase the chances of your experience not living up to your expectations. But if you base your decision on going more about learning something, getting "re-energized" (an aspect that I hadn't mentioned but should be noted, just being around 2k people that have the same passion as you is quite an experience) and being prepared for any opportunities that do arise, as opposed of going with the intention of trying to "make something happen" then I think you'll have a more enjoyable experience. Just my $0.02.

hth,
- Big Blue

ps - My room still hasn't been treated yet and though I'm sure having my room treated will help improve my ability to record and mix, it has yet to stop me from getting deals and placements. I don't say that to be boastful, but to show you that it is possible to achieve some success without having the "optimum" situation.

Hey Big Blue -
Thanks for your helpful thoughts.

Lots to think about in the next week.


kc

As composers we tend to focus on gear and writing, often to the exclusion of paying attention to and/or upgrading our skills in other areas, including business. These are "soft" products that can't be fondled like a new guitar, keyboard, or compressor, or even a plug-in, if you're into that sort of thing

So often it's hard to justify an investment like going to a conference if it's going to take away from your studio investment. In fact, if you're not thinking about these types of conferences as an investment in your career, then it might be good to step back and try to consider it as such, even for a little while.

The Road Rally is really a great place for networking, which is something composers living far from where the majority of the business resides don't often do. In the internet age it's easy to submit to libraries, etc., online, but nothing beats a face to face interaction. Even if one doesn't meet a potential client directly at the Road Rally, there are so many other beneficial aspects to it, not the least being how eye opening it can be to see hundreds of your colleagues in the same place at the same time. The energy from the focus and combined enthusiasm of these folks is pretty inspiring. And that's not even to mention the array of classes and panels that are populated by actual "players" in the music business. When are you going to have the opportunity to hang with these folks in your everyday life unless you move to LA and spend a lot of time and money (which is time you won't be composing) doing networking, driving around trying to get meetings.

I understand it's a tough decision and I'm not trying to sway you one way or the other (OK, maybe just a little bit! ), but basically all I'm trying to do is to get you to consider the Rally as an investment in your career that is every bit as valuable (probably even more, IMO) as those acoustic panels. Who knows, you might make a connection that will advance your career much faster than that new reverb plug-in will.

Good luck on your decision!

Mazz

How urgent the need for new/better sounds is largely depends on what you're currently using. Tell us what you've got and we'll be better able to tell you how to prioritize.

I'm one of those people who thinks decent acoustic treatment can be done on the cheap especially if it doesn't have to look like a million bucks. Also if you locate your nearfields carefully within the room and sit close to them you won't need a ton of treatment to be able to do clean mixes.

Hi Mazz and Matto -

Thanks for the posts. I do consider the Rally a huge investment (not just financially, but also professionally) and I am sure the contacts, classes and networking pay off, either quickly or in the long run, or both. I do place a high value on networking and being that I am not in LA, it is even more important to make the face to face time happen when I can. I guess the question in my mind really comes down to priorities. And to that question, and Matto's request, here is what I am currently working with:

MacBook Pro 17" Core 2 Duo, 4 GB Ram, 320 HD, 500 GB external HD, Apogee Duet, Yamaha C3 Midi Grand Piano, Blue Bluebird, AKG 2000B, SM-58, Adam A5s, AKG 240 headphones. No acoustic treatment

Logic Studio 9, Kontakt 4.1, Omnisphere, Trillian, Stylus RMX, Garritan Steinway Basic, Izotope RX

Wanting to do more orchestral stuff, hence the desire for LASS and HollywoodWinds...

Thanks again for all your suggestions.
kc

Kayle,
Like everyone else says it all depends on what you want. There are benefits of both.

We went to the rally for the first time last year after being members for several year previous. We met another member who ended up hiring us to do arrangements for a couple of his songs. That gig made up for the cost of the hotel room and food. Not saying that's going to happen to you, but it ups your chances when you show up. The "Must be present to win" mentality.

For acoustic treatment you can do simple cheap things without spending the big bucks of Auralex or anything. Just some curtains and rugs can accomplish a lot. And while tracking if you need to cover more reflective surfaces you can hang some temporary fleece blankets, i've found these to work out well.

For software that's a hard one to do on the cheap. The higher priced libraries are often worth it. Seems like you have a good collection of gear already to get you a lot.

We're definitely going back this year in lieu of getting some new gear that we've really been wanting for a couple years. The networking is as much of an investment as the gear. You can have the best sounding music in the world but if no one knows about it.... And like Mazz said, the energy factor and buzz you get from being around so many other like minded people is great and will fuel you for months.

btw, I really like your website. So clean and straightforward!

Theresa