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Hi - been working on and off on a 'scientific instrumental' sort of thing. It's called, "Data, Schmata" & it's on my page at http://www.taxi.com/vikkiflawithI'd love to get your feedback on production values, et althanks muchlyHummin'bird

Quote:Hi - been working on and off on a 'scientific instrumental' sort of thing. It's called, "Data, Schmata" & it's on my page at http://www.taxi.com/vikkiflawithI'd love to get your feedback on production values, et althanks muchlyHummin'bird Hi Vikki,You've really been evolving lately and I think that this is one of your best, if not the best, to date. I'm looking at this from a film/television background instrumental standpoint. It's subtle and wouldn't walk all over dialog or voiceover. It changes and evolves in a way where it's not predictable in a negative way, yet it changes and evolves in places where the listener might expect it to change and evolve, so it's predictable in a good way. Those changes are also subtle but enough so that it not monotaneous or dryly repititious.I think the ending needs something different. It just seems to end in a way that all of a sudden I was saying "Hey, what happened?" like maybe my player just quit. A minor item is that the string phrases end abruptly rather than sustaining and fading (like what a real violin section would do). Even if the sustain and fade is only 1 second long, it's what a violin section would do (as they draw their bow across the string on their last note) as opposed to just lifting the bow off the string all of a sudden.I'm working on an uptempo electronica track where I'm pretty happy with what I've done, I've received decent feedback on the basics, and so in spite of the fact that it's probably forwardable as-is, I'm going to send it in for a custom critique to help me polish it off and maybe learn a little more about the subtleties and details of the style. I can then use it as my bottom line and a reliable template to construct new ideas in that realm. I think that this is in the same category. Just out of curiousity, when you listen to this and then listen to some of your early material regarding this kind of stuff, do you see the progress and why the construction/production of this is much improved? I sure do. Good stuff,Dave

Hi Dave - thanks very much for the listen and the feedback. I listened back to the piece this morning and thought 'that ending needs work' - so you caught me. Thanks for the note on the string phrases - I can fix that. I agree, next step is to get some feedback from the screener.Thanks for noticing that I've evolved ...part of it is that I now have some tools - real tools - at my disposal. I have many pieces like this, where I've created motifs & counterpoint, over the last 2 or 3 years, but I didn't have any way to make them into something even close to broadcast quality - even assuming they were good compositions. In addition, I've had a great education just by listening - with all my senses - to really good music, like that created by the wonderful musicians here.I've come a long way from the Taxi newbie who just threw everything she'd written into a burrito & expected the industry to sit up and take notice ... when I read rants from other newbies who don't understand why they haven't been forwarded (it is a total shock - what the $#%@^#!!! ????... I know just how that feels . Taxi - and its members, particularly members of this board - has educated me what it means to craft music for the industry. When one gets a forward, it's like having a great voice lesson when your very-particular-hard-task-master coach is beaming at you because of what you've done. And that's how it feels when I read your post. Thanks, teach

Hummingbird, I listened to Data, schmata a few times and while I'm not an expert on the production of this style of music I can tell you I really liked it....I can see it in a TV/Movie production. Maybe a scene where somewhere is driving after something troubling just happened...but what do I know. I'm one of the songwriter's who has never been forwarded, and I've been with TAXI for at least 4 years. Sorry I can't give you a production critique other than I like it. Cliff GundersenPS..I see your on myspace...I'll have to request to add you.www.myspace.com/cliffgundersen

Quote:Hummingbird, I listened to Data, schmata a few times and while I'm not an expert on the production of this style of music I can tell you I really liked it....I can see it in a TV/Movie production. Maybe a scene where somewhere is driving after something troubling just happened...but what do I know. I'm one of the songwriter's who has never been forwarded, and I've been with TAXI for at least 4 years. Sorry I can't give you a production critique other than I like it. Cliff GundersenPS..I see your on myspace...I'll have to request to add you.www.myspace.com/cliffgundersenThanks for the listen & feedback, Cliff. Glad you like the piece. Hang in there - if I can do it, you can do it. (Sent you an add request)

Hi Vikki,Nice piece. The sounds you chose to use work well together and the piece overall projects a good vibe that would work well behind what I would imagine would be the visuals in a scientific film of some sort.It's late and so I'm in headphones and I noticed at around 1:13 the snare drum suddenly shifts to the right dramatically. I'm not sure if you meant this to happen, but for this piece I suggest you keep the drums panned consistently throughout. If you are going for a dramatic effect, that's one thing, but I have a feeling that you didn't intend for the panning to shift like that. I'm sure it's just a little automation thing in your sequence that is easily remedied.I'm with Dave, your pieces keep getting better and better!Good luck with the submission!Mazz

Quote:I'm one of the songwriter's who has never been forwarded, and I've been with TAXI for at least 4 years.Take this as a compliment... Dude, are you submitting your Rock material to Opera listings or something? Just giving a quick listen to a couple of your tracks, this seems to be a "song doesn't match the listing" scenerio as opposed to an issue of music, sound, or production. Is it just me that I think your stuff sounds pretty darn good? I can't speak to lyrics so maybe there's something there. Maybe this is "90's" rock and not current (I don't follow current trends in this genre) but there's been listings for rock music needed from practically every decade. It seems like your stuff is straightforward enough so that it fits somewhere. You don't have to delve into this but I thought I'd at least voice my support and encouragement. Maybe focus closer on the wording of the listings? I don't know but I don't think it's an issue of overall sound or talent. Dave

Quote:Quote:I'm one of the songwriter's who has never been forwarded, and I've been with TAXI for at least 4 years.Just giving a quick listen to a couple of your tracks, this seems to be a "song doesn't match the listing" scenerio as opposed to an issue of music, sound, or production. Is it just me that I think your stuff sounds pretty darn good? DaveI agree with you Dave!

Thanks folks...just to clear things up, I only submit to Pop/Rock, Rock, AC/Pop...etc. I came into this thread to listen to Hummingbirds music and give her my thoughts, 'cause sometimes when we ask for our fellow writers to lend an ear to our music we don't always get many takers...so I was just lending some support and my ear to Hummingbird's song. I didn't mean for this thread to get sidetracked onto me. Thanks again for input...and Hummingbird sorry for the distraction 'cause your music is beautiful.Cliff

And now it's the taxi pages playing tricks on me was trying to listen to the song but got the error: "http://www.taximusic.com:8888/h/humming ... 55.mp3.m3u Access control configuration prevents your request from being allowed at this time. Please contact your service provider if you feel this is incorrect".I was looking at your own website Vikki, but I didn't see the track there...?