Taxi.com

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David Hooper, do you have an opinion about my last post?
 
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yeah, you just taxi-hatin'.....you aint got no love for a scama playa......

you may want him to email u a FUQ file in TDK, or something like that........
 
DavidK said:
David Hooper, do you have an opinion about my last post?

Taxi can charge whatever they want to for their service and people can either take them up on it or not take them up on it. That doesn't make them a scam.

One look at my opinion of Taxi and you'll see what I think about them. What somebody charges for their service has nothing to do with anything though. There are definitely those who think that Taxi is worth every cent.

dave @ kathode ray
 
"Taxi can charge whatever they want to for their service and people can either take them up on it or not take them up on it. That doesn't make them a scam."


So, the fact that the "suckers" pay their money willingly legitimizes this practice? By that logic, that would make most scams legitimate, as they often depend on a trusting, willing "mark".
Novice writers and performers are fertile prey for these scammers, who peddle false hope and "inside" contacts.
If it's NOT a scam, Mr. Hooper, then list your cuts/deals/signings.
Oh, I forgot....confidentiality! How clever!

Bob (NOT Dobbs!)
 
After reading the rather heated comments I had to sign on one more time. Again, I'm not a member of TAXI and this is not an endorsement or spam for TAXI.

I do agree that for a $300 fee, there should be some allowance for song review (3 a year or whatever) - lets face it I don't care who the writer is only 1 out of every 10-20 songs we write is worth a damn anyway.

But I again mention that a writer I work with (a member of TAXI)has been published - because some of his material met the "format" which TAXI required - and in turn TAXI forwarded the material to a publisher - and the material was picked from that publishers catalog. We in turn have made money (not a large sum) because of partial writing credit.

We now have a direct contact with a reputable publisher - and some limited credibility as writers (since material has appeared in a movie and on a country artist CD - no one significant) which we may never have had if TAXI had not forwarded the material. So the $300 and the $5 were worth it.

Now before TAXI, we use to send dozens of tapes to dozens of publishers - some solicited and some not - spending $$$ on stamps, envelopes, etc) with only periodic success - so on a dollar to dollar basis, TAXI actually paid for itself better (in at least one case) than all the previously mailings combined.

I'm not saying it's for everyone (and it certainly requires "formula driven material") and I'm not expecting to land a cut on the next Janet Jackson (or whoever) CD ----- but TAXI can do what it claims.

And yes, the $5 fee does force us to be very selective about which tunes we submit, in particular since the reviews often require various re-writes (and re-submissions).
 
Just got something via email on www.musician.com/friend/ which seems to be an organization similar to Taxi. It is $99 for up to six submissions though, so it might save you guys some money. Check it out if you are interested.

dave @ kathode ray
 
It seems that as the home recording market grows, the scammers are close behind. I'm still waiting for your list of cuts/signings/deals, Dave.

Bob
 
Bob, did you check out that site? They offer


FREE Shipping on one order at Musician's Friend - no restrictions on order price
Extended standard price protection from 45 to 60 days @ Musician's Friend
Early notification and early entry to special sales events @ Guitar Center
Extended standard price protection from 30 to 60 days @ Guitar Center
Discounts with major travel & logdging franchises: Days Inn, Ramada, Howard Johnson, Knights Inn, Travelodge, Wingate Inn, Super 8, AmeriHost, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, Clarion Hotels, Rodeway Inn, Econo Lodge, MainStay Suites, Avis, Ryder.
Gear Insurance
Qualified members will get $1,000 in gear insurance from MusicPro as well as additional instrument insurance coverage at special member pricing. You'll also enjoy insurance coverage on studio liability, touring, travel, health, dental, and life - all at discounted group rates. For more info, visit musicproinsurance.com


Sounds like you are signing up for one of those $30 coupon books that you buy and forget to use. Plus, this one has a really fishy website. They tried to lead you on with a bunch of names like Dave Mathews, Macy Gray, etc., and I bet a lot of people think that Dave Matthews made it big because he gave these people $99. This one looks like "Sixty Minutes" fodder to me.

These guys dont give written evaluations. Hmmmm, let me think.
How would you possibly know if they actually listened, or just threw your tape in the trash? No money back guarantee, at least Taxi does that.
Think I will skip this one





:cool: :cool:
 
I agree, maestro! Unfortunately, there are a lot of dreamers out there who will fall for this stuff. The fact is that there is absolutely no substitute for paying your dues, and that means getting tight, playing everywhere you can and building a rep.

I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes:


Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.

Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.

Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.

Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

-- Calvin Coolidge





He may have been known as "Silent Cal", but when he did speak, he made a lot of sense!

Bob
 
Indeed, I too am reminded of one of my favorite quotes:

There's a sucker born every minute. -PT Barnum

My favorite "Benefit" from these guys
Early notification and early entry to special sales events @ Guitar Center

You can get that if you buy a guitar pick from GC, it simply means you are in the computer. Whoopdy-Woo!
 
I'm STILL waiting for a reply from Hooper on his cuts/deals/contracts. I guess he's down at the bus station looking for kids coming in with guitar cases. Kind of a new version of the Chickenhawk - the Suckerhawk.



Bob


Verdict just in...................

OJ's NOT GUILTY AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Bob, give me a break. Didn't you see me in the Chicago Tribune, the Miami Herald, the Charlotte Observer, or the Los Angeles Times this week? Haven't you read my articles in On Stage or on GetSigned.com?

I'm perfectly fine with the fact that you may not know me from the next guy, but can't you just check out one of my sites like www.indiebiz.com or do a quick search for "David Hooper" on the Web to find out what I have done?

Lots of people play a role in getting an act signed. You guys know you'd have a field day with me if I were to take credit for something like that...and I'd deserve it if I did!

What can I do for guys like you is the real question, isn't it? What about guys like Lee Kennedy? You've never heard of him either, but he's one of several that I have worked with that make over $100,000 every year by playing music. See www.musicbizbooks.com to find out exactly how.

Keep paying those dues, Bob.

dave @ kathode ray
 

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for every Lee Kennedy (whoever that is), there are thousands of suckers youve taken money from and got nothing.....if you take $$$ from someone who OBVIOUSLY has no talent and will never make it in the music biz, you are a scam artist......

Ive got a feeling that this Lee Kennedy guy has some talent if he's making those $$$....people with that kind of talent will make it with or without you.....

maybe you should tell us exactly how many success stories you have as a percentage of people you take money from....1 in 100,000?.......
 
Gidge, click on the Attachment David Hooper attached, it is a spam picture of a book , How to make 100k in music, by David Hooper and LEE KENNEDY. That's who Lee Kennedy is, a guy who makes at least part of his 100 grand buy selling books on how to make a hundred grand. Maybe he is some great musician, dont know, I couldnt find any info except what is provided by Dave Hooper.

Dave Hooper, I have nothing against you, you do your thing in life, I do mine. I havent called you a scammer ever, I referred only to your competition. You clearly are a very ambitious young man who knows how to promote himself, nuttin wrong with that.

However, one thing you wrote was uncool:

Keep paying those dues, Bob
It's a
thing to pay dues, not a bad thing. 99 percent of musicians make it by practicing hard and paying their dues.
On occasion, idiots like the Spice girls get famous with uber-promoters like you. Practice and musicianship make musicians, not people who pay money for the honor of being a musician.

I have made over 100k a year playing music. I was gonna write a book on it, but I will let my secret out here for free:

I practiced 5 hours a day for twenty years.:cool:
 
Maybe he should write a book "How to Make $100,00.00/year Spamming Web Sites"....i have an attachment for him....:D
 

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Gidge, you know as well as I do that it is up to the musicians I work with to do something with the knowledge that I give them. Would you blame a guitar teacher if somebody he gave lessons to didn't practice or make use of that investment?

Who is in control of your career? Is it you or is it somebody else?

David, as a musician myself, I definitely know the value of practice. "Paying dues" isn't the right word for that though. You don't have to be beaten down for years before you can make it. Why torture yourself?

As I say on my site, a lot of people are going to ge the knowledge that I can share with them one way or another. You can hang around clubs for twenty years, make mistakes, and learn from them or you can learn what other people have done to achieve their success.

By the way, if you're making that kind of money, you're doing a lot more than practicing. You know as well as I do that it not only takes grear skills as a musician, but also great business knowledge.

If you'd like to write a book, let me know. I can add a lot to your bottom line. If you're not interested in selling it, I can distribute it to thousands of musicians within hours free of charge and you'll get great publicity out of it.

dave @ kathode ray
 
Havid H:
A. I read the Herald every day, and must have missed your article this week, so I searched the Herald archives...nothing about you or Indiebiz. Which day, which section?
B. Paying dues "torture"? I can only remember a few gigs in over thirty years that I didn't thoroughly enjoy, and even they were far from "torture". Paying dues involves becoming proficient on your instrument or your writing (practice), learning (through success and failure) to perform for and entertain a real audience, and gaining a reputation for professionalism. All the "knowledge" imparted by the likes of you is worthless without the chops to actually put up or shut up.
C. I do believe that your fishing expedition on this BBS is beneath contempt, as there are other members here that have many years of experience in the business working with major acts, and whose advice is offered for FREE.


P.S. For comparison, I would invite anyone to visit the Nashville Songwriters Association's site. Review their benefits, services, etc., but more importantly, check out their members' credits and their sponsors.

P.P.S. I will keep paying my dues.......gladly.

Bob
 
Bob,

I am not in Miami and don't have the exact section of the paper that I was in. It was an advice column for people breaking in the music industry. I looked at their site and couldn't find a search box. Will check again later.

The Nashville Songwriter Association is a great organization. Mention my name the next time you call them up. I have spoken at several of their events.

dave kathode ray
 
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