TAXI.com

Very odd listing title and description, Taxi and music supervisor.


S230610MB
ROMANTIC CLASSICAL INSTRUMENTALS are needed

Mid-Tempo Instrumentals that could work as a replacement for "Slumber My Darling" by Stephen Foster which is currently temped in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhABYW51IDM

Quoting the Music Supervisor: "We need Instrumentals with Piano and violin instrumentation. It needs to be something classical that has the SAME TEMPO and STYLE of the referenced piece."

... submit top-tier, Romantic Classical Instrumentals that feature piano and strings as their only accompaniment, and could work well as a replacement for the example. Captivating melodies, top-notch piano and string instrumentation, and solid arrangements that fall in the general wheelhouse of the references are all needed for this pitch. Nailing the classical vibe and sound will be key to meeting the needs of this request.



These are FOLK song stylings, or LIEDER, or PARLOR SONGS, or sometimes in Classical circles called "Songs for Children" aka Lullaby or maybe Ballad.

Just because he lived during a period of time which is called the Romantic Period, does not make him a Romantic Composer or make this a Romantic piece. "Romantic" compositions have specific characteristics which are completely unrelated to this Foster composition or compositions like this. "Romantic Classical Instrumentals" means Debussy, not Folk. There is very little about the Reference track which relates to "Classical" era composition!


According to the internet encyclopedia, Foster wrote Minstrel tunes (aka FOLK style) and hymns. Still a world away from "Romantic Classical". If the same style were written today they would probably be called SHOW TUNES.

The direct quote is odd: "It needs to be something classical that has the SAME TEMPO and STYLE of the referenced piece" since the reference piece's style is not classical. Writing piano & violin with a lyrical melody top line does not make a piece "classical". The music supervisor should probably have asked for something in "Appalachian" style.

Or you could just ignore the labels and make something that sounds like the ref track

Telefunkin wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 01, 2023 11:17 am

....and your point is?

this forum is described as "Feedback on Taxi's current listings", which is exactly what I provided above. what is YOUR point?

Superblonde is having lunch at a restaurant. The waiter comes over and says, "Mr Blonde, is ANYTHING OK?"

Taxi listing isn't reference the romantic period of music. Like every other taxi listing, it's a mood and a genre.

mteezykeys wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 01, 2023 1:55 pm

Taxi listing isn't reference the romantic period of music. Like every other taxi listing, it's a mood and a genre.

could be debated, however it is much more like a lullaby, not a romantic song, nor classical song. "Darling" refers to the child/baby.

Foster's lyrics :

Slumber my darling
Thy mother is near
Guarding they dreams
From all terror and fear

Sunlight has past
And the twilight has gone
Slumber my darling
The night′s coming on

Sweet visions attend they sleep
Fondest dearest to me
While others their revels keep
I will watch over thee


the listing wants Instrumental so therefore as lyrics don't matter, it would be better to describe the request as needing "Lyrical Melody" (not 'romantic melody').


It's not really worth much more time pondering, in general this listing reads like something requesting "ROMANTIC COUNTRY" and then the given Reference track is from Green Day. A big disparity.

Based on the reference and the listing description, focus on the first 20 seconds of the reference. They are not looking for a song, they are looking for a piano violin duet waltz at roughly 136bpm. "Romantic" and "classical" are music supervisor/editor descriptors, not terms a musicologist would use. You are 100% correct regarding the various music history terminology, but we all know how much respect things like Western musical theory or history get around here. Pretty sure the listing describes what the client is looking for.

Paulie wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 01, 2023 4:37 pm

Based on the reference and the listing description, focus on the first 20 seconds of the reference. They are not looking for a song, they are looking for a piano violin duet waltz at roughly 136bpm. "Romantic" and "classical" are music supervisor/editor descriptors, not terms a musicologist would use. You are 100% correct regarding the various music history terminology, but we all know how much respect things like Western musical theory or history get around here. Pretty sure the listing describes what the client is looking for.

If you can't accept the imperfections of the business you are in you can (1) Adapt (2) Get out or (3) Whine about it non-stop. (Not directed at you, Paulie)

Paulie wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 01, 2023 4:37 pm

Based on the reference and the listing description, focus on the first 20 seconds of the reference. ... "Romantic" and "classical" are music supervisor/editor descriptors, not terms a musicologist would use. You are 100% correct

what you have just described is a process which completely discounts the often-repeated mantra:
"read the F*&$ brief"; i.e. recommends to actively ignore key words of text in listings.

superblonde wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 01, 2023 5:21 pm

what you have just described is a process which completely discounts the often-repeated mantra:
"read the F*&$ brief"; i.e. recommends to actively ignore key words of text in listings.

Sort of, maybe. This is where having a solid music education actually gets in the way. Your understanding of the terms "classical" and "romantic" are generally not what the industry listings are asking for. They might be if you were working with a library that specializes in classical music, etc. Gotta stick with the general population mindset on this one, rare is the listing that actually means "classical" or "romantic" (or Renaissance, Baroque, etc.). And don't get me started on the term "neo-classical" which is all the rage these days.