T A X I R O A D R A L L Y 2 0 0 7
S c h e d u l e o f E v e n t s
Thursday, November 8th
5:30pm – ’til close:Rally Registration – Hotel Lobby – next to Grand Ballroom – make sure to bring your Photo ID!
6:00pm – ’til close:One-to-One Mentor Registration– Grand Ballroom Foyer – next to the Rally Registration desk. Refer to the Mentor Bios sheet to make your selection. Members only, please. One Mentor per member.
First-come, first-served basis. Must already be registered and have your Rally badge with you to sign up.
6:00pm – 8:30pm: Dinner– On your own. Great hotel restaurant filled with TAXI members and industry types. You never know who you might meet. Probably a good idea to have some CDs on hand!
8:30pm – 11:30pm:Open Mic– GrandBallroom – Names are drawn at random to play in front of your fellow members and their guests. Members only on this stage – guests can accompany. One song per performer.
Friday, November 9th
8:00am – All Day:Registration– Continues at the Rally Registration desk near the Grand Ballroom.
9:00am – 9:10am:Welcome to The Road Rally– Grand Ballroom – TAXI CEO, Michael Laskow. Michael will draw a ticket stub (between 9:00 and 10:15), and one lucky person will win $500 Cash to help pay for their Rally travel expenses. You must be in the ballroom to win!
9:10am – 9:15am:Meet The TAXI Staff – Grand Ballroom – Michael introduces you to the incredible TAXI staff: Chris Baptiste, Clint McBay, Tina Scozzaro, Jonathan Thomas, Cathy Genovese, David Laidlaw, Emilie Maniquis, Craig Streaman, Sebastian Robertson, Jeff Reinstein, and Michael Caroff.
9:15am – 10:15am:Keynote Interview – Kara DioGuardi–Grand Ballroom – One of the music industry’s most highly sought-after songwriters and producers, Kara is BMI’s 2007 Pop Songwriter of the Year, and a Grammy-nominated songwriter with cuts on more than 100 million records by artists such as Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Santana, Kelly Clarkson, Daddy Yankee, Pink, Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Jewel, Pussycat Dolls, Hannah Montana, Taylor Hicks, Ashlee Simpson, Natasha Bedingfield, Hilary Duff, Jesse McCartney, Marc Anthony, Enrique Iglesias, and many, many more!
Please join us as we honor Kara with TAXI’s first-ever Humanitarian of the Year Award, and ask her to share the secrets and techniques that have made her one of the very top songwriters in the music business.
10:15am – 11:15am:Secret Sauce: The Inside Scoop on How TAXI’s Screeners & the Industry Really Work– Grand Ballroom – Get the Inside Track on the TAXI Screening Process and learn how to dramatically improve your chances of getting your music forwarded to the Industry.
Michael Laskow (Moderator)
Pat Luboff – TAXI A&R; co-author of 101 Songwriting Wrongs and How to Right Them
Meg Hansen – TAXI A&R; consultant to Universal, Columbia, and Geffen Records
Matt Hirt – TAXI Member; created a full-time career in film/TV/commercials from TAXI forwards
John Braheny – TAXI A&R; author of The Craft and Business of Songwriters
Dave Walton –TAXI Member; many film/TV placements & credits
Marlice Kraemer – TAXI A&R; CCM/Country expert
11:15am – 12:15pm: Murphy’s Law–Grand Ballroom – with Ralph Murphy– Hit songwriter and VP of Membership for ASCAP, Ralph has become a Rally favorite for giving great advice that you can start using immediately. We promise you’ll walk away from this session with at least one career-changing idea!
12:45pm – 2:30pm:Mentor Lunch #1 – Concourse Ballroom (Mezzanine Level / 2nd Floor). You must already have pre-purchased your tickets to attend.
Friday, November 9th, continued
2:45pm – 3:45pm:Forwards, But No Calls Yet - Grand Ballroom – Frustrated by having TAXI Forwards, but no calls or deal offers yet? Find out why it takes so long to hear back, exactly what happens after TAXI forwards your music, whether or not you should follow up, the range of typical deals made, and much, much more.
Michael Laskow (Moderator)
Matt Hirt – TAXI Member, Created a full-time career in film/TV/commercials from TAXI forwards
Steve Corn – Co-Founder, Big Fish Media, LLC
Tanvi Patel – Co-Owner, Crucial Music and Point Classics
Danny McCloskey – Owner, Songs With Vision
Matthias Weber – Owner, Mattweb Music, Inc.
3:45pm – 5:15pm:A&R Panel #1 - Listening/Q&A– Grand Ballroom – Live critiques, music will be randomly drawn. Genres: World, Electronica, Folk, Blues, Roots, Jazz, Contemporary Christian, Gospel, New Age, and Alt-Rock. You must be a current TAXI member to submit your music for this panel. Some Q&A too!
Chris Baptiste (Moderator)
Michael Puryear – Final Four Music/EMI (Contemporary Christian, Gospel)
Danny McCloskey– Owner, Songs With Vision (Folk, Blues, Roots)
Peter Torres – A&R, Thrive Records (Alternative Rock)
Frank Cody – Co-Founder, Rendezvous Entertainment (Jazz)
Dino Malito – VP/GM, Domo/Kampai Records (World, New Age, Electronica)
Yoav Goren– Co-Founder, Immediate Music (Film Trailers)
5:15pm – 6:15pm:Producing an Amazing Sounding Song: (No Experience Required) – Grand Ballroom – with Apple–Every Mac computer ships with GarageBand ’08 included for free, a complete music studio in a box that has become the music-making tool of choice for millions around the world. For many songwriters and artists, it’s their ‘little secret’ to creating professional sounding and broadcast-quality music without prior recording experience. Join Apple’s Music Creation team with some very special musical guests and learn how incredibly fast and easy it is to write, record, and produce an amazing sounding song.
6:30pm – 8:30pm:Dinner–On your own. We told you the Westin’s restaurant was a great place to eat and greet! Somebody tried to car-jack Michael at a fast food place on Century Blvd. years ago. No Kidding! Might want to stick close to home or venture out with a posse. ;-)
8:30pm – 11:30pm:Open Mic– GrandBallroom – Night #2 – Names are drawn at random to play in front of your fellow members and their guests. Members only on this stage, please. One song per performer.
Apple Demos & Classes– National Room (Mezzanine Level / 2nd Floor) – There’s a really good reason the Apple Store in your mall is always crammed with people – their products are just plain remarkable! Go hands-on with their awesome computers and incredible music creation software in this room at the Road Rally. Because of the support we get from companies like Apple, the Road Rally continues to be a FREE event. Please stop in and show a little love. The schedule for Apple’s Demos and Classes is on a separate sheet tucked neatly inside this tri-fold schedule.
Roland Presents–O’Hare Room (Mezzanine Level / 2nd Floor) – Take your recordings to the next level! Get hands-on instruction and learn mixing and production techniques on state of the art recording workstations. Space is limited – sign up at the Roland exhibit. Session titles and times posted outside the O’Hare room. Because of the financial support we get from companies like Roland, your tickets to the Road Rally remain FREE. Please stop in and say ‘thanks’. Our members always tell us how much they love their clinics! The schedule for Roland’s clinics is on a separate sheet tucked neatly inside this tri-fold schedule.
One-to-One Mentoring–Friday, Nov. 9thOnly – Trattoria Restaurant (Not the main restaurant. This one is behind the glass doors, near the other restaurant. Lobby Level / 1st Floor.) A&R People, Producers, Hit Songwriters, Managers, and Industry Pros of all kinds will sit down and listen to your song, answer your questions, and give you real-world advice. Members-only, and by appointment only. Sign up in the Grand Ballroom Foyer (near TAXI Rally registration) Thursday, Nov. 8th, starting @ 6:00pm. As always, One-to-One mentoring is free, but on a first-come, first-served basis.
TAXI Drivers’ Ed Classes–Friday, Nov. 9th – Sunday, Nov. 11th – Located in meeting rooms on both the Lobby Level (1st floor) and the Mezzanine Level (2nd floor) of the hotel (see hotel map). Many of our favorite experts will be sharing their secrets of success in these intimate “classrooms.” These have been a huge hit every year we’ve had them, so we’ve added even more classes for ’07! Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. See the Driver’s Ed sheet for class times, rooms, and descriptions.
Saturday, November 10th
9:30am – 10:45am:Marketing Your Music – Grand Ballroom – So you’ve sold 27 CDs to people in Sweden and Germany, you’ve got 1,753 so-called “friends” on MySpace, and you’re still way in the red on your last release. Not doing as well as you thought you would going Indie? These panelists are three of Michael Laskow’s favorite marketing experts, and they’re going to help you fix that problem. Don’t miss this!
Michael Laskow(Moderator)
Tony van Veen – President, Disc Makers
Nancy Moran – Indie Music Marketing Expert
Mitch Meyerson – Guerilla Marketing Coach
10:45am – 12:15pm:A&R Panel #2 – Major Label Q&A – Grand Ballroom – Everybody seems to think that the ‘Majors’ are a dying breed and artists should now sell directly to consumers. But are they? How many musicians do you know that earn a living wage selling their music? We’ve got some Major Label A&R people, an A&R person from a big-time Publisher, a producer/artist/songwriter who just started his own imprint on a Major Label, and an Indie Artist marketing expert to help you choose your best path to achieve success.
Michael Laskow (Moderator)
Tony Ferguson – VP of A&R, A&M/Interscope Records
Bob Baker – Indie Music Marketing Expert
Brian Howes – CEO, Wreck Beach/Interscope Records
Sara Kapuchinski – Dir. of A&R, Chrysalis Music Group
Autumn House – Sr. Dir. of A&R, Capitol Nashville
12:30pm – 2:15pm:Mentor Lunch #2 – Concourse Ballroom (Mezzanine Level / 2nd Floor). You must have already pre-purchased your tickets to attend this luncheon.
2:30pm – 4:00pm:A&R Panel #3 – Listening Only– Grand Ballroom – Your Golden Opportunity to get your best songs heard (drawn randomly during the panel) by the friendliest A&R people we know. Good luck!
Marshall Altman (Moderator)
Tony Ferguson – VP of A&R, A&M/Interscope Records
Sara Kapuchinski – Dir. of A&R, Chrysalis Music Group
Brian Howes – CEO, Wreck Beach/Interscope Records
Autumn House – Sr. Dir. of A&R, Capitol Nashville
Darius Jones – Dir. of A&R, Urban Music, Capitol Records
4:15pm – 5:15pm:Listen and Learn: The Teaching Concert – Grand Ballroom – Ever wonder why a particular song works so well? Join Hit Songwriters Jason Blume, Don Rollins, Adam Watts, and Andy Dodd for this “Songwriters-In-The Round” where you’ll learn the specific secrets that helped them craft their mega-hits, and then they’ll play them for you. A Road Rally first!
5:30pm – 6:30pm:MasterWriter Demo–Grand Ballroom –Hit Songwriter Barry DeVorzon shows you how hundreds of the world’s Top Songwriters have used this incredible, easy-to-use software to take their songs to the next level. Members who have been to this in years past were amazed by the dramatic results!
6:30pm – 7:15pm:Phrasing: The Body Language of Your Song – Grand Ballroom – Berklee College of Music professor Pat Pattison gives you the secrets to making your lyric phrasing work to support your ideas, creating stronger emotion and a more powerful message.
7:15pm – 8:30pm:Dinner–By now, you should have tons of new friends to dine with. And in case you haven’t noticed, the Westin’s Lobby Bar rocks when TAXI’s members come to town. ;-)
8:30pm – 11:30pm:Open Mic– Grand Ballroom – Night #3, names are drawn at random to play in the Grand Ballroom. Members only, please. One song per performer. This is your last chance to say that you played a gig in LA! Must be present to be selected.
Sunday, November 11th
9:30am – 11:15am:Film & TV/Publisher Pitch/Q&A Panel– Grand Ballroom – Your randomly selected songs get played and your questions get answered. Lots and lots of members have had Publishing deals and Film/TV placements happen as a result of this panel!
Chris Baptiste(Moderator)
Michael Lloyd – Music Supervisor / Producer more than 100 Gold & Platinum Records
Jerry Davis – Music Supervisor, Fox Sports
Cassie Lord – General Manager/Executive Producer, Rescue Records/5 Alarm Music
Ted Lowe – President, Choicetracks, Inc.
11:15am – 12:30pm: Hit Songwriters Q&A Panel – Grand Ballroom – Some of the world’s best songwriters tell you how they created their monster hits. What are they doing that made them so successful? Come to this panel and find out!
Michael Laskow (Moderator)
Brian Howes – cuts by Daughtry, Hinder, Puddle of Mudd, etc.
Don Rollins – cuts by Alan Jackson/Jimmy Buffett, Randy Travis, Reba, Faith Hill, Carole King, etc.
Adam Watts & Andy Dodd – cuts by Jesse McCartney, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, etc.
Mike Elizondo – cuts by 50 Cent, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, etc.
12:30pm – 2:00pm: Lunch –Once again, you’d be smart to have some CDs with you at the Westin’s restaurant.
2:00pm – 3:15pm: The Publisher, the Member, and the TAXI Screener– Grand Ballroom – Get an all-sides-of-the-coin perspective that will show you what the big-dog publishers are looking for when hunting for Staff Writers. Legendary Music Publisher Judy Stakee (Warner/Chappell Music), former TAXI Member David Choi (now signed to Warner/Chappell), and TAXI A&R person MichelleMcAfee (who used to work with Judy Stakee). Nobody’s ever done a panel quite like this, and it promises to be VERY powerful. Not to be missed!
3:30pm – 5:00pm:Producers Looking for Hits/Pitch Panel–These Top Record Producers have all run listings and/or worked with songs and artists from TAXI. They’re looking for hits and they’ll listen to randomly selected songs and answer questions on this first-of-its-kind panel at the Rally. Michael Lloyd has generously donated a new Acoustic Guitar, which we will be drawing a ticket stub for, and giving away during this panel. You must be present to win.
Michael Laskow (Moderator)
Rob Chiarelli – Hilary Duff, Christina Aguilera, Ray Charles, Will Smith, the Corrs, Pink, etc.
Michael Lloyd – more than 100 Gold & Platinum Records
Marshall Altman – Kate Voegele, Shawn Mullins, Emma Roberts, Marc Broussard, Zebrahead, etc.
Fett – One of Nashville’s leading Producers of Indie Artists
Thank you for coming. We hope you had a great time.
See you next year, and please travel safely on your way home!