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Ok, I am not looking to sign with them, but I had just watched a John Berhaney video last night, and I wanted to see what people thought about some of the statements that they make on that video. His main thing that he is trying to get across, is write, and keep on rewriting the song until it is at it's best.


"Everytime I see Michael Laskow (Founder & CEO of Taxi) on YouTube or any other promotional outlet, I keep thinking to myself he is a modern day John Bozeman.

Bozeman started off looking for gold, then quickly realized he'd make more money "mining the miners" and began selling goods to miners. Now, the miners certainly needed tools and supplies, but I'm sure John Bozeman fed their dream by telling them how much gold was there just waiting to be found.

They make more money off a marginal talent, one who submits frequently and without success. In fact, the ideal scenario for Taxi (based on their business model) is that the majority of their members get some forwards, some "near hits", but not a contract. It's only when you get a contract that the client is revealed and the direct channel (bypassing Taxi) becomes available to you. Therefore, once you have success through Taxi, you develop a direct relationship with the client, which then greatly reduces or eliminates altogether the need for submitting through Taxi.

As a business man, I have to ask myself why their business model creates a clear financial incentive for their members to submit without success.

So, taking it a step further (in a devious way), if I'm Michael Laskow, I want to help you get better, but not so you get a contract, but so that you don't lose hope. If you still have hope you'll still be firing off those submissions to Taxi."

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[quote]From the little time that I have been writing my own songs I have learned that people hate re-writing their songs, and they think that the other person that suggest it is crazy.

That's generalizing. Professionals do what needs to be done. That's not just in writing music; that's any professional. That's also what separates them from the amateurs.

[quote]Then, I also have a friend that says that if it's not good enough for them, then the He double toothpick with them. He don't think that you should have to re-write the song when you have already have given it your best, and I think that sometimes your best is not good enough, even if you think that the song can't be re-written you can always pull something new out of the hat. I am not an expert and do not claim to be, but when you get people that are telling you these things to do and you don't want to listen to them, then you are probably not going to get a cut ever.


To me it sounds like you are on the right track with your mindset. Your friend, probably not. Even the best work with others to get more out of themselves. You MUST be able to identify what needs to change. The weird part is, it may not be the song!

I could also be something else altogether. Your reputation, ability to market it, using the channels that are used to get your song to who it needs to go to...all of that.

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The other thing that I wanted to point out was that they said that people will write songs that have maybe 3 to 4 chord changes and sounds all the same is what people are not looking for, they suggest for you to have your verses sound the same, and maybe a little change here and there, to make things interesting, but in the chorus make it go somewhere else, in this piece maybe change the music and the tune for the chorus, in other words provide a very good sounding hook, so that your chorus does not sound anything like the verses.


I thought this was sort of good advice. I agree with keeping it interesting. If you listen to the radio, hooks are ALL over the place. It's not that hard to flow chart a song to find how often to create a hook and how often to repeat those hooks.

As far as chords, my advice, grab songs you like that are current hits (if your goal is to get airplay) and notice how many chords they use.

I see it more as the same chords, but the changes are varied. It's in the feel more than anything.

Again, just my opinion and I may be wrong!

Good luck and thanks for sharing the video!

Chad (Hope that makes it easier)

TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.