why I will not renew my membership

[squids]

Feb 28, 2009, 7:57pm, claire wrote:And Claire, you're way to young to consider that. -------------------------------------------------------------Squids, next time you're in town let me know and we'll hang out at the Bluebird and listen to the competition ClaireYou're on! Chits and another cowriter of mine and me were gonna do open mic up there as soon's she's done with Rx. I can't wait, it's been a dream of mine for a long time and I'm makin it a part of my graduation present, my lil tour of the southeast so anyone who actually lives in any of the southeast states and wants ta meet, PM me.I'll let ya know when, Claire. Hey, you could come on up and do one of your tunes too. We'd support you!

[weslong]

Onno,With stats like that, you'd be foolish to give up now. There are people on this board who've stuck with it for years just a few forwards here and there. Just my two bits.Wes

[claire]

taxi also makes it seem like you're almost there too and when you change what they said and resubmit it then something else is wrong, they screw around with you and I've noticed that from one of my critiques, co writers, and other members have said the same---------------------------If it's any consolation, they do that here too. Play a song at a critique session, everyone has different suggestions on how to fix what's wrong. Pro critiques, peer reviews, taxi screens - that happens everywhere. So you change something to please reviewer A and reviewer B doesn't like it, so you change it for Mr. B and Ms. C doesn't like it, etc. etc. After a while you get tired of doing what we call "writing by committee" and start trusting in yourself because sooner or later somebody isn't going to like your song and someone is going to love it and you can't keep rewriting to please the whole world.I love it when someone says "oooh, that's SO close...now if you'd just change this one line...". If half a dozen people agree, that's one thing. If two reviewers have different opinions, that's another.I don't think Taxi is trying to screw with us but yeah, it hurts when you add up all those $5 rejections.Claire

[Casey H]

Feb 28, 2009, 7:35am, ggalen wrote:Of course, if you write just for the pure joy of creating music, expressing ideas, sharing it with friends, and singing, there is always a "slot" available, and your odds of success are 100%. No doubt, true... The overwhelming majority of people that come to this forum want some level of commercial success. And I can't think that too many people pay money for taxi, if they are writing for sheer pleasure. So, answers on this forum will always be geared in the commercial direction.Before I ramble, the caveat: I don't write country so while I can sympathize, emphasize, advise, etc., I can't really feel what country writers feel. For MANY years, from my teens until about 8-9 years ago (that's A LOT of years, trust me ), I wrote songs for pleasure, "therapy", and just plain emotional expression. Then around 2000, I started getting songs recorded for demo. Like everyone else, I was convinced that I had the next best things to sliced bread and hits and money were well in sight.Over these past 8-9 years, I've learned about the difference between writing for therapy and for commercial value. So now I write differently. I've a ways to go, but the whole process is different.I DO find that writing with the "commercial voice" in my head-- you know the "what would the taxi screener or A&R person think?" voice sometimes takes some fun away from it-- every thing gets so serious, almost painful at times. It's not only my friends or family that have to like it and tell me how great I am.BUT, the trade-off-- even one song on TV can make it all (for me) worthwhile. The "fix" I get from a library deal, a placement, or even an "almost placement", now means way more to me than friends at a party telling me I'm great. A recent forward where the film music supervisor himself screened... Now THAT'S sheer enjoyment for me!! And still.... NOTHING is ever wrong with making music for fun! Casey

[ggalen]

Casey,A thought:Ultimately, success is when *you* feel like a success in your own head...whether it's because an outside person told you your stuff is good, or because you decided for yourself that it is good.Either way, it's not "real" until you feel it inside.And then it really doesn't matter where it came from!PS. It works the other way, too, if you are a star regularly being paid to play on stage but don't believe inside that you are good, then you don't feel like a success. Weird but true.

[gitarrero]

Feb 28, 2009, 12:21pm, claire wrote:Interesting thread. The "horse" I write is country music. It's not a question of writing in other genres - it's what I do. Claire hi claireslideboardouts is right: all I wanted to say was that there are WAY more slots available if you open up the focus.I don't know your situation in detail (day gig, family, available free time etc) so obviously I can't give any "fast advice". that hasn't been my intention anyway.if all you want to be is a country songwriter, then you have to find ways to achieve that goal; I think matto hit the nail on the head when saying that if that is really your dream, then you simply can't stop working on it, with whatever "vehicles" that seem helpful to you.the only point I wanted to add is: if you focus on one, selected thing, I guess it will be harder to make a living of it than if you would choose to work in several niches where you fit.it's a question of your personal strategy - so there's no such thing as "right or wrong" - it's simply your strategy, your decision, the way you chose to work & live. there's no "valuation" in it from my side.cheersmartin

[Casey H]

Feb 28, 2009, 12:21pm, claire wrote:Not trying to get snippy here but it does make me smile when someone basically says "why don't you do something else" in response to my saying that Taxi isn't the best avenue for country music cuts. I was just posting my reasons for leaving on a thread that was about leaving.Claire Hey ClairePeople like Marty are just trying to help (I think you know that ). Reality is, with or without taxi, landing a song in film/TV (odds-wise!) is easier than getting an artist cut. We also see every day, dozens of people with film/TV successes through taxi, so it's natural to mention that when someone is leaving in frustration over pitching artist placements.I empathize with you in that it's not easy to change a dream that's in your heart and soul just because a different thing has better odds. (But Marty did say do two things in parallel, to be fair)... For example, I love writing songs with words. But yet, instrumentals are much easier to place and I've even had few such placements. I am writing some instrumentals, but they will never feel as satisfying to me. My dream is to hear my words on TV. You raised good points elsewhere in the thread. It's not just taxi that will nit-pick every word of your song, it's everyone out there, especially in Nashville (from what I hear).So, my take always has been that if someone can get excellent, "almost there" reviews from taxi, all the more reason they should be heavily marketing on the outside as well. MHO is once you are at what most "experts" would call an 8-9 or better, it becomes more and more an opinion thing, with opinions varying from person to person, excuse to excuse, and day to day... If someone can do equally as well or better without taxi, they should do what makes sense. Who wouldn't?There ARE a lot of writers out there who, with taxi's help, got their songs from 5's and 6's to 8's and 9's. (A general rating scale, not just taxi's)... For them, taxi has provided a valuable service.I wish there were simple answers to complex issues, but there never are.Best! Casey

[simonparker]

Quote: Claire writes: I love it when someone says "oooh, that's SO close...now if you'd just change this one line...". If half a dozen people agree, that's one thing. If two reviewers have different opinions, that's another. I've got you beat Clarie. I had a face to face with an individual who said I needed to make small changes and he'll take the song on and find a home for it. It's been one redemoed song with minor changes, 4 months, and 3 very friendly and professional e-mails by me later, and I have not heard a single word from this individual.

[jchitty]

I owe folks some e-mails and PMs... I will answer ASAP...I'm out and about today, playing in the snow, (YAY, we have snow in B'ham)and we're fixin' to go out again, BUT, I just wanted to chime in here.I think that TAXI needs to have a mini-Rally in Nashville for the country songwriters. (and other genres would be included as well) I've always thought this, although I realize the logistics of this are very hard to pull off. But even if there was only a one day seminar, this would help us. I notice that the majority of discouragement on the board is from country songwriters. I had a great time in Nashville when Michael Laskow held his film and tv seminar last April. This is what KEPT me a TAXI member.....just getting to network with people and meet others in the biz gave me a big shot of hope.It doesn't have to be anything big, even just one speaker would be good....and if people could afford to fly and get a hotel room for one night, it wouldn't be as expensive as staying for four nights or so. I would LOVE to meet country writers like Claire, Warren, Andy, Cam and Ontario and, of course, other peeps like Squids, Ern, Case, etc.Just my two cents....I know it's very hard to pull something like that off, but if it was kept very small and not too pricey (maybe just one or two speakers) I think many country songwriters would attend this. I know I would if my health allows me to. I really liked the seminar last year. It made me feel like I was a part of something. And in turn, that causes me to work harder and write more.I know many attended the L. A. Rally, but I'm guessing there is something about being in Nashville that hits home more, especially for us 'country folk.' Yeah, some say, 'well, I don't care about seminars. I want a deal.'Sure, that would be great, but in the meantime for those of us trying to catch a break, a very small Rally in Nashville would allow us to network, etc. It keeps hope alive. Once again, that seminar jazzed me about staying a TAXI member, although I'd still stay a member if nothing is ever held again. It's the one direct pipeline I have to the biz. I know Claire has probably advanced far beyond the networking stage, but it would still be nice to meet her in Nashville anyway.Like Claire, I prefer to write country because it's what I do best. It comes naturally to me, and I don't have that much desire to compose for film and tv. Plus, I don't have a studio. I think 'you are what you are' and even if I made a lot of money from film and tv, my dream lies with getting a cut in Nashville. That's what really jazzes me. It's like trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear (sorry, I know it's not a good comparison, hehe)....people naturally gravitate to what they like writing best. If you're not jazzed about film and tv, you're not gonna write your best work. I do see what Case and Martin are saying though...they are just trying to help.I guess I could go on to say that you can take the girl out of the country, BUT....

[jchitty]

Feb 28, 2009, 7:13pm, squids wrote:Well, perhaps this is the downside of the huge influx of writers/musicians online....they're all flooding the same tired old roads and may be causin a lot of libraries to make themselves less accessible now, which makes it harder fo us all. Just a couple of years ago, if we have a very strong relationship with our libraries, they should continue to take our work. That said, I've had two now who were young companies last year and now won't listen to my stuff since their stable has boomin. I have to apply like the rest. Again, part of the whole process of bein online where so many are. Claire, I do understand what you're saying. You're a wonderful songwriter and we have mo things in common than you'd think in terms of responsibilities, jobs etc. It's tough to find the energy sometimes (fo me anyway) to come up with lyrics or to want to sing. I sho don't wanna learn more about production. So little time these days, we have to spend it on where our interests lie. Writin' country is so unlike any other genre......it's jes not somethin you can fake. You have to let it seep into the bones, breathe it, sleep with it. Takes years and craft and talent. A good musician can probaly imitate film/tv and get away with it but write a country song? Pardon me but it's even mo unlikely than gettin a hit through taxi in Nashville. Crossin' back ova could be done from country to instrumentals but again, after spending years learning how to be an exemplary writer in the country genre, it's so hard to even consider leaving it. And Claire, you're way to young to consider that. You in the town, you got the chops, things'll happen yet. Good luck!Great post, Squiddy...yep, you gotta sleep, eat and drink country....it's part of who I am....it comes naturally to me...I like to write Rock, Jazz and Alternative too, but country music is just in my bones as you say. It's like liver and onions too, you either hate it or you love it, hehe. I agree, something is gonna happen for Claire...you just can't have lines like like "man, I love the freckles on her nose, the smell of her skin when she leans in close" (or something like that, forget the exact lines, but great song) without it being discovered...."Wedding Night" is gonna go somewhere..That's good writin'!