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Hey everyone, I see a lot of postings wondering if TAXI can help you if you're in the country market. Well, this week I signed a letter-of-intent (LOI) with a Nashville publisher to co-publish 2 of my songs, dependent on them getting the songs cut by a major artist or or indie with major distribution. Actually, they got one of the songs via TAXI, and I ended up sending them a second song as well, based on the artist they were planning to pitch to.What's ironic is that I write full-time in Nashville. I have my own plugger in town representing my catalog (which is why we agreed to an LOI vs. going to a single-song deal), write with signed writers, the whole nine yards. But, this opportunity came to me via L.A. - TAXI!So, yes, TAXI _can_ help you in Nashville. I can't predict if the songs will end up getting cut through this publisher, but the fact that these songs now have more coverage as a result can't hurt!

Congrats!! That is SO awesome -- your songs must be top-of-the-line awesome. Kudos to you, and I hope it works out for you!!!

"What's ironic is that I write full-time in Nashville. I have my own plugger in town representing my catalog (which is why we agreed to an LOI vs. going to a single-song deal), write with signed writers, the whole nine yards. But, this opportunity came to me via L.A. - TAXI!"Ha ha...Thats a good story Stan.I've often wondered what it must be like to do what you are doing...being right there in the center of it all.I've got mucho respect for people like you.Good luck in the future.

Wow, that is FANTASTIC, Stan. I knew that if anyone had a chance for a country song deal through TAXI, it would be you because I've listened to some of your songs. Good luck with this. This is good news for all us country songwriters, and congrats!

Way to go, Stan. This is big news, and VERY encouraging to those of us who still dream of cracking the country market.Links to the songs?Ted

great news!!!!!you deserve every note of it

Thanks, everyone. I just wanted to show everyone that TAXI forwards _do_ make it to Music Row, and they do get heard! Links to the songs:Good Lemonade: http://www.taximusic.com/song.php?song_ ... m=trueLove In Your Life: http://www.taximusic.com/song.php?song_ ... eEnjoy!-s-

Awesome songs Stan Congrats - I love the fact, too, that your songs "had to" leave Nashville and go to LA in order to get to "Nashville." It's a crazy-cool wacky biz dean

Hi Stan,Great news, great story , great songs!Got some tunes I'm readying for review here with some listings in mind, so it's good to know where the bar is.If you got a sec, I'm wondering if you might give me and experienced opinion regarding the need for full demos vs guitar/vocal. Also would you reccomend any demo service in particular? I've been looking into Paramount, who also offer co-writers, which I'm thinking would be a good idea to take my songs over the bar. BTW, your songs sound great! Who do you use?Congrats again on you Nashville/LA success!!! Arthur

Here's my .02 on the demo subject. If you're pitching country, you're competing with the likes of Jeffrey Steele, Craig Wiseman, Neil Thrasher, Kyle Jacobs, and the list goes on. They spend anywhere from $1000-$1500/song demo! . So, if your song is as good as the hit writer's song, and the A&R person is deciding between yours and Jeffrey's, wouldn't you want to make sure you give yourself every advantage you possibly could? I'd like to say that a killer song with a great piano/vocal or guitar/vocal could beat out an equally great song with a full production, but I just don't believe that. My demos are a mix of home-produced (always with great singers, though), and mostly full-blown. I spend between $700-$900/song. I have a friend who's a great engineer in town (produces demos for some of the folks I mentioned above a matter of fact), he sets up "demo derbies" where a group of us go in on 2 full studio days and cut about 20 songs with Nashville "A" players. It helps keep the cost down a little. As for mail order, a lot of folks use Larry Beaird (www.larrybeairdmusic.com). Kim Copeland was advertising a demo service at the road rally (www.kimcopelandproductions.com). Both are reputable folks. Another guy I worked with a lot in my earlier demo days (he moved his studio out of town a ways, but he does a great mailorder demo business as well) is Jackie Cook's business, The Song Cellar (www.songcellar.com). There are numerous other people who do that as well. Sorry, I've never heard of Paramount. I couldn't vouch for them or the "co-writing service" (I'd be careful, especially if they're gonna charge you for it). If you belong to NSAI you can use them to sanity check any services you are planning to use on the row, they'd be a good resource for you if you're out of town. There are plenty of businesses out there who love to take money from out-of-towners, beware!I don't think you could go wrong with Larry, Kim, or Jackie though.Hope that helps!-s-