Schedule of Events
Mega-hit songwriter Kara DioGuardi taking a CD from TAXI member Robert Cooper.
Mega-Hit Songwriter /
Producer, Jeffrey Steele
Producer, Jeffrey Steele
John Braheny, author of 'The Craft and Business of Songwriting,'
gives some pretty heavy-duty advice t
this member at the One-to-
One Mentoring Sessions.
this member at the One-to-
One Mentoring Sessions.
Open mic in the Main Stage.
| Thursday, November 5th |
|
| 5:30pm – ’til close: | Rally Registration – Hotel Lobby – next to Grand Ballroom – Must have your Photo ID to get your Road Rally badge! |
| 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 |
| 8:30pm – 11:30pm: | Open Mic — Grand Ballroom – Names are drawn at random to play in front of your fellow members and their guests. Members only on this stage – guests can accompany you. One song per performer, please. 2nd Stage Open Mic in the Mezzanine Theater, for members and guests! |
| Friday, November 6th |
|
| 8:00am – All Day: | Registration – Continues at the Rally Registration desk near the Grand Ballroom. |
| 9:00am – 9:05am: | Opening Remarks – Grand Ballroom – Jason Blume, Hit Songwriter and Author. |
| 9:05am – 9:15am: | Welcome – Grand Ballroom –
TAXI Founder, 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 and have your ticket stub to win! |
| 9:15am – 10:15am: | Jeffrey Steele; Lifetime Achievement Award &
Keynote Interview – Grand Ballroom – Mega-Hit Songwriter/Producer,
Jeffrey has had hits and cuts with Miley Cyrus, LeAnn Rimes, Tim McGraw,
Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts, Montgomery Gentry, John Waite, Lynyrd Skynyrd,
Gloriana, Phil Vassar, Heidi Newfield, Trace Adkins, Steve Holy, Keith
Anderson, Craig Morgan, Collin Raye, Diamond Rio, Billy Ray Cyrus,
Van Zant, Kevin Sharp, Gerald Levertt, John Michael Montgomery, Pam
Tillis, Aaron Tippin, Joe Nichols, Chris Young, Little Feat, Steve
Wariner, and more. |
| 10:15am – 11:15am: | Broadcast Quality Demystified
– Grand Ballroom – It’s more than just sound quality,
and you don’t need an expensive studio to get it. A solo piano
piece could be Broadcast Quality, but a song recorded in
a million-dollar studio might not be! Want to know why? We
promise to take all the confusion out of it for you by playing
examples, including some randomly picked music from the audience.
Want to see your Forwards, Deals and Film/TV Placements increase dramatically?
Don’t miss this panel! Michael Laskow (Moderator) Tanvi Patel – President, Crucial Music Todd Parker – Director of A&R, TAXI |
| 11:30am – 12:30pm: | Writing & Pitching for the
Country Market – Grand Ballroom – Some
randomly drawn songs from members will be played, plus examples from
top Country writers. Audience questions taken as well! Michael Laskow (Moderator) Ralph Murphy – V.P., ASCAP Nashville Cliff Audretch III – Sr. Dir., A&R/Producer, Universal South Records Sherrill Blackman – Three time winner; Nashville’s Top Songplugger Danny Wells – Hit Songwriter, with cuts and hits by George Strait, Collin Raye, including “These Days” by Rascall Flatts and many more. |
| 12:45pm – 2:30pm: | Mentor Lunch #1 – Concourse Ballroom (Mezzanine Level / 2nd Floor). – You must already have pre-purchased your tickets to attend. |
| 2:45pm – 4:00pm: | Do You Have Music for My Film or
TV Project? – Grand Ballroom – Some of the top
people in Film and TV Music listen to randomly selected TAXI members’
music and take questions from the audience. Michael Laskow (Moderator) Harry Garfield, Executive V.P., Music, Universal Pictures Dave Trotter – Exec. Producer/Creative Director, Studio 51 P.J. Bloom – Music Supervisor/Partner, Neophonic, Inc. Jon Weiss – Music Supervisor, Bunim-Murray Productions |
| 4:15pm – 5:30pm: | 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! Todd Parker (Moderator) Peter Torres – V.P. of A&R, Thrive Records Cindy Wilt Colville – Leading Indie Christian Music Publisher Ted Myers – A&R Mgr., Concord Music Group |
| 5:45pm – 7pm: | Make Broadcast Quality Recordings in Your Home
Studio – Grand Ballroom – Apogee’s Stephen
Bright and some very special guests will demonstrate how
incredibly easy it is to record Broadcast Quality music in your home
studio using just a Mac laptop, GarageBand and Apogee products like,
ONE, Duet and GiO. This will blow you away! |
| 6:30pm – 8:30pm: | Dinner Break — On your own. |
| 8:30pm – 11:30pm: | Open Mic – Grand Ballroom –
Names are drawn at random to play in front of your fellow members
and their guests. Members only on this stage – guests can accompany
you. One song per performer, please. 2nd Stage Open Mic
in the Mezzanine Theater, for members and guests! |
One-to-One Mentoring – Friday, Nov. 6th Only – 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. 5th, starting @ 6:00 p.m. As always, One-to-One mentoring is free, but on a first-come, first-served basis. TAXI Drivers’ Ed Classes – Friday, Nov. 6th through Sunday, Nov. 8th – Many of our favorite music industry experts will be sharing their tips, techniques and secrets of success in these intimate “classrooms.” We’ve doubled up on some of the most in-demand classes to give you a better chance of attending the classes that best fit your needs! Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. See the Driver’s Ed sheet for class times, rooms, and descriptions. Improve Your Songwriting Instantly with MasterWriter 2.0 – In the mezzanine-level, theater – Friday, Nov. 6th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 7th from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 8th from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Join Hit Songwriter Barry DeVorzon and see the huge arsenal of tools to draw from in one, easy to use program. Come to any one of the three seminars, for a chance to win a FREE Copy of MasterWriter 2.0. They will announce the winner at a drawing at the end of each presentation. You must be present to win! |
|
| Saturday, November 7th |
|
| 9:30am – 10:45am: | Writing Songs and Composing Instrumentals
for Film & TV – Grand Ballroom – Some of your
most successful fellow members will show you how they write songs
and instrumentals that get signed and licensed. They’ll play
examples and give you tips and techniques that have worked well for
them! Michael Laskow (Moderator) TAXI Members: Matt Hirt, Suz Doyle, Dean Krippaehne, Chuck Schlacter, Ed Hartman, Martin Haene, Vikki Flawith, Dave Walton, Barry French, John Mazzei and Tracey Marino. |
| 11:am – 12:00pm: | Give Your Songs the Competitive Edge
– Grand Ballroom – Robin Frederick, author
of "Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting," gives 10 brand new Shortcuts
to creating songs with the commercial appeal that attracts the music
industry and turns listeners into fans. Learn “Genre" shortcuts,
four secrets of successful Film & TV songs, plus three valuable
tips for writing songs that get noticed by publishers and record labels! |
| 12:15pm – 2:00pm: | Mentor Lunch #2 – Concourse Ballroom (Mezzanine Level / 2nd Floor). You must have already pre-purchased your tickets to attend this luncheon. |
| 2:15pm – 4:15pm: | Major Label A&R –
Grand Ballroom – Your Golden Opportunity to get your best songs
heard (drawn randomly during the panel) by top A&R people. We’ve
added a half hour to this panel. It will be mostly listening with
some questions interspersed. Good luck! Marshall Altman and Michael Laskow (Moderators) Cliff Audretch III – Sr. Dir., A&R/Producer, Universal South Records Monti Olson – Sr. VP of A&R, Universal Music Publishing Group; A&R, Interscope Records; Owner , ORG Records David “Touch” Wright – Dir. of A&R, Island Def Jam Ken Komisar – President, Tennman Records (Justin Timberlake’s label) |
| 4:30pm – 6:00pm: | Creating and Licensing Video Game
Music – Grand Ballroom – Want to learn how to create
what Video Game Music Supervisors and Producers really need? Want
to learn about the business side of the Video Game Music industry?
We’ve got three World-Class Experts to give you answers to these
questions and many more. Don’t miss this! Michael Laskow – (Moderator) Inon Zur – Composer: Prince of Persia, EverQuest, Crysis, Fallout 3, Dragon Age: Origins, and much, much more! Sascha Dikiciyan – Composer/co-composer: James Bond: Tomorrow Never Dies, Quake III - Arena, Dark Messiah, Splinter Cell 4, Beowulf, Haze, Hellgate: London, and Mortal Kombat vs DC, plus much more! Bob Rice – CEO of Four Bars Intertainment. Leading agent for top Video Game Composers. |
| 6:10pm – 7:pm: | Song Construction – Why it Matters and Getting It Right! – Grand Ballroom – Ralph Murphy, Hit Songwriter/Producer, ASCAP Vice- President, and legendary analyst of why some songs are hits and others aren’t, will improve your songs and your odds in this single session! |
| 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 – Names are drawn at random to play in front of your fellow members and their guests. Members only on this stage – guests can accompany you. One song per performer, please. 2nd Stage Open Mic in the 200-Seat Theatre |
| Sunday, November 8th |
|
| 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! Michael Laskow (Moderator) Ted Lowe – President, ChoiceTracks Marina Mena – Dir. Film & TV Music, FirstCom/Universal Aaron Davis – V.P., Music Licensing, MusicBox Dave Trotter – Executive Producer/Creative Director, Studio 51 Robert Case – President, New Pants Music Publishing |
| 11:15am – 12:30pm: | Hit Songwriters and Composers Q&A Panel
– Grand Ballroom – The world’s best songwriters
and composers share their very best songwriting tips and techniques,
along with the career strategies that helped them develop successful
careers doing what they love. Michael Laskow (Moderator) Andy Goldmark – Hit Songwriter of such hits as Michael Bolton’s “Love Is A Wonderful Thing” and “Soul Provider,” Jennifer Paige’s “Crush,” “You Should Be Mine” by Jeffrey Osborne, and many, many more. Adam Watts and Andy Dodd – Mega-Hit Songwriters/Producers with 45 Million CDs sold, including Jesse McCartney, Kelly Clarkson, High School Musical I, II, and III, Camp Rock, Hannah Montana, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jeremy Camp and more. Danny Wells – BMI Million-Air Award Winning Hit Songwriter, with cuts and hits by George Strait, Collin Raye, including “These Days” by Rascall Flatts and many more. Steve Dorff – Multi-Award-Winning Hit Songwriter and Composer with Grammy and Emmy nominations. Fifteen Top 10 hits such as Kenny Roger's "Through the Years," Anne Murray's "I Just Fall in Love Again," and many more. Film/TV composing credits including "Every Which Way But Loose," "Murder She Wrote," and "Murphy Brown.” |
| 12:30pm – 2:00pm: | Lunch – No Mentor Lunch today, you’re on your own. |
| 2:00pm – 3:15pm: | Performance and Vocal Makeover with Kara DioGuardi – Grand Ballroom – Mega-Hit Songwriter, Producer, Warner Bros. Records V.P. of A&R, and American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi will do live song, vocal, and performance makeovers for TAXI members who will join her on stage. Some performers will be drawn randomly for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (TAXI members only, please). |
| 3:30pm – 4:30pm: | Marketing Your Music Online – Grand
Ballroom – Not selling as much of your music as you thought
you would? This is the panel for you. Top experts on using the Internet
to market and sell your music. Dan Kimpel (Moderator) Tony van Veen – CEO, Discmakers and CD Baby Ariel Hyatt – President, Ariel Publicity Debra Russell – Life Coach, marketing specialist Bob Baker – Author, Guerilla Music Marketing Handbook |
| 4:30pm – 6:00pm: | Producers Looking for Hits/Pitch Panel
– These Top Producers have all run listings and/or worked with
songs and artists from TAXI. They’re looking for more
great material and they’ll listen to randomly selected songs
and answer questions on this extremely popular panel. Michael Laskow (Moderator) Michael Lloyd – Legendary producer with more than 100 Gold & Platinum records. Denny Diante – Mega-producer/arranger for Paul Anka, Barbra Streisand, Henry Mancini, Elton John, B.B. King, Neil Diamond and many more. Rob Chiarelli – Mixer, engineer and producer with 100 Gold & Platinum credits. Ron Harris – Producer whose credits include Christina Aguilera, Hoku, Christopher Williams and Adina Howard. Beau Dozier – Producer for Joss Stone, Avant, JoJo, B2K and more. |