TAXI.com

Hi,In 2005 I released a somewhat whimsical, unusual concept album for kids called PURPLE BURT. It instantly received rave reviews from numerous publications, some of which called it a masterpiece or something comparable. It also received extensive airplay on XMKids satellite radio, including being aired in its entirety as a special program three times in one week. It also won a NAPPA Honors Award, which singled it out as among the best kids music for that year. I sold 400 copies of it on my own, without ever playing live -- merely by word of mouth from the reviews and airplay.I submitted three songs from the album, along with a custom bio and several mentions to check out all the reviews and other info on the album's web site,http://www.purpleburt.comfor this listing:S090409CHCHILDREN'S ARTISTS/BANDS with self-produced CDs wanted by an Independent Music Group that specializes in obtaining national and worldwide distribution deals for independent artists/bands in the Children's music genre. Company's current roster includes many well-known artists and distributes through a top catalog-based distributor with 3,000 vendors, as well as with other wholesalers who distribute to retail shops, libraries and schools. Their commission is 15% of wholesale on any distribution deal the company gets signed. Only completed, self-produced CDs of master quality that contain appropriate, positive-messaged material will be considered for this listing. Please submit two to three songs online or per CD, include lyrics/photo and bio. All submissions will be screened and critiqued by TAXI and must be received no later than Thursday, April 9, 2009. TAXI #S090409CHNeedless to say, but all three songs were returned. The screener felt they were too angular and dense for kids to enjoy, and that it didn't seem marketable to kids. They also said that the lyrics were a bit too nonsensical and they didn't understand what I was getting at with them. And finally, they said that a mention of burping, which is what the very minor brother character on my album does and is only heard from in one 45 second instrumental, is clearly not a positive themed message.I am completely infuriated by this rejection. My album has already proven to be not only marketable to kids, but a great favorite album to many of them. It won an award and got airplay. And let's face it, burping isn't exactly something subversive or disturbing to most kids. Every kid seems to think it's funny.The screener obviously ignored my bio and never checked out the web site, because if they did they would have understood that the songs only make sense within the context of the story and the tracks of storytelling that alternate with the songs help to clearly explain what the lyrics mean. The three songs I submitted were "Purple Burt", "Smile Awhile" and "Color Feel".You can check them out on my page:http://www.taximusic.com/hosting/home.p ... =23066What do you think?Thanks,Mitch

Like you, I've sold more than 400 copies of each of my CDs and received lots of great reviews and some airplay. Welcome to a very large club!I'm sure the bar is high for this listing. I'm sure the screener thought your music wasn't quite what the client was looking for. Doesn't mean it's not good. Doesn't mean you won't have great success with it. For what it's worth, I listened a little to your tunes and I more or less agree with the screener's analysis, burping notwithstanding.I've submitted my songs to many listings. Lots of forwards, some deals, lots of returns. I have had music rejected that I was sure was perfect, and I have had music forwarded that I wasn't sure was right. Usually, after some time passes and I educate myself further, the screener's decision makes sense to me.Best of luck with your music.Cheers.

I doubt there's many here that don't feel your pain.

Apr 27, 2009, 11:29am, kinch wrote:I am completely infuriated by this rejection. Which rejection would you be happy with then? Honestly, this is just one thing. A rejection, one (1). As far as your music or my music, it doesn't matter what any song *has* done... it's what is needed for a particular listing and not all previously successful songs are candidates for all listings. The most obvious to me is that right away, any song with burping (even small or insignificant) won't qualify as a "positive themed message". It just won't. Or at the very least, you're making it hard on yourself by pushing the limits when you have no leverage to push (if that makes any sense). The screeners (or any A&R rep for a label) will listen to the music and if the song in question doesn't meet their needs, then they move on. They won't spend time looking at your website, reading what other people think (or thought) about your music. It has to be right for them. Jacqueline and I got a rejection (from the company owner) because he thought the vocals "could have been brought forward more". They usually won't ask us to do that, wait for the remix and then relisten and decide. Right there it wasn't what he wanted and so he moved on. Anyway, I get hundreds of rejections each year. But I also get hundreds of placements too. Key is to detach emotionally and just move on to the next submission or creation of the next song. Only time I dwell is if there's something to be learned. HTH,Dave

Kinch,Congratulations on all your success with your album but Dave hit the nail on the head. These listings are usually very specific and there is no wiggle room it either fits or it doesnt. Almost all of Taxi's listings are "high bar" and if your songs didnt fit this one they might very well fit the next one. There are children's listings all the time.No need to be infuriated. Its just songs, we write them all the time.M~

hey Mitch,Keep doin what U do... Cool tracks!It's just a matter of time U'll hit some/some more...We all go thru returns & it doesn't mean our stuff ain't good, just a matter of whether they suit the listing & these listings are pretty tight in terms of what they looking for...-Kel

Thanks everyone. Yes, I agree that burping didn't help my cause, but that's the only part of my evaluation that I agreed with. What upset me the most is that the screener said "close, but no cigar." based on their opinion that kids wouldn't "get" my songs and they weren't marketable. But kids already "get" my songs in a big way, and they are marketable. So, essentially my whole album was rejected because of burping.

Hi Mitch,The fact that you keep using the word "rejected" signals to me that you might still be somewhat attached to your music emotionally and not stepping back and seeing it as a "product".I'm not advocating that you stop being passionate about your music, because that passion is what helped you create it and helps you persevere in putting it out there.But part of being the artist and the marketing department (and the cook and janitor...you get the idea) is learning how to put on those different hats and become those different people temporarily. The sales guy doesn't think in terms of rejection, he just moves on to the next potential customer or opportunity until he gets a bite. The artist guy just needs to write and make it artistically "right" and then has to turn it over to the marketing and sales department. The artist will for sure see these returns as rejections but the sales guy won't see it that way at all.It's difficult to pull off, particularly if you've had some success already (congrats on that, by the way!!). Sometimes great instrumentalists think that they can also be great composers by virtue of their playing and gigging experience, but they soon find out that, even though some of the skills are transferable, in reality, it's a different kettle of fish, and it takes time to create a new persona, in this case one of composer.So let your artist rejoice in the success and joy that the music has created, and let the sales team enjoy putting it out there, even in the face of "rejection". In other words, keep submitting and don't let this little bump in the road derail you.Cheers,Mazz

Apr 29, 2009, 8:41am, mazz wrote:But part of being the artist and the marketing department (and the cook and janitor...you get the idea) is learning how to put on those different hats and become those different people temporarily. The sales guy doesn't think in terms of rejection, he just moves on to the next potential customer or opportunity until he gets a bite. The artist guy just needs to write and make it artistically "right" and then has to turn it over to the marketing and sales department. The artist will for sure see these returns as rejections but the sales guy won't see it that way at all.The part of me that is the sales guy is delighted by returns as well as forwards and critiques. What I get from all of these is information. I get words to describe my music, I get information about what genre my music is in (like many folks here, I write in many styles, so this is very useful), I get adjectives, I get comparisons to similar artists. When it's time to find a home for my tunes, whether on a CD or in a library or elsewhere, I need to be able to describe it accurately and succinctly and I don't want to waste resources pitching it somewhere that it doesn't belong. I can decide how much or little of this information to pass along to the artist guy, but the sales guy loves it all.

Apr 29, 2009, 7:19am, kinch wrote:Thanks everyone. Yes, I agree that burping didn't help my cause, but that's the only part of my evaluation that I agreed with. What upset me the most is that the screener said "close, but no cigar." based on their opinion that kids wouldn't "get" my songs and they weren't marketable. But kids already "get" my songs in a big way, and they are marketable. So, essentially my whole album was rejected because of burping. Hi Mitch,I listened to your CD and I thought it was adorable. Perhaps your vocals were a little low in the mix, but I enjoyed what you are doing with this. When the screener said that the songs were "too angular and dense for kids to enjoy" I think there is a point to be made there because your imagery is very "angular and dense". You know in your heart that your project is ever so delightfully quirky; I can totally feel your intentions in your work and you are definitely offering kids a surrealistic experience and you are doing this boldly, obviously, and purposefully. So my question for you is: why be discouraged over one rejection when you are so purposeful about being challenging and unique? Statistically speaking, such efforts are bound to be side-stepped again and again until they find a home.The bottom line for me is you've got something special here and I think you should be happy with it, but marketing something this edgy will take extra time. Remember: you chose this path; it is a difficult one because you dared to be different. The quickest road to success is the middle one. - hey, I just made that up! Peace,Allen