November 2nd-5th, 2017 in Los Angeles!
See Last Year's Schedule Below
See Main PanelsView The 2016 Ballroom Panels
See Class ScheduleDownload The PDF
See Class DescriptionsDownload The PDF
One To One Mentor SessionsDownload The PDF
Panelist, Mentor, & Teacher BiosDownload The PDF
Mentor Specialties Quick ViewDownload The PDF
Mentor Lunch InformationDownload The PDF
Buy Your Mentor Lunch TicketsGet Your Tickets
Listening and Feedback SessionsCheck It Out
Song/Career/Prod Bar SessionsDownload the PDF
Rally Questions Answered/FAQsDownload The PDF
Road Rally Hotel InfoBook Your Discounted Room
Schedule of Events Main Ballroom
All panels, panelists, teachers, and mentors have been confirmed, but minor changes may occur.Thursday, November 3rd
Road Rally Registration - Adjacent to the Grand Ballroom. You must have your photo ID to get your Road Rally badge! One-to-One Mentor Registration - Grand Ballroom Foyer – After you register for the Rally, proceed to One-to-One Mentor Registration in the Ballroom Foyer. 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. Dinner – Eat at the hotel’s Daily Grill (the food is really good) with all the new friends you’ve made during Road Rally Registration! Open Mics (2) - Concourse Ballroom (2nd floor) and the Mezzanine Theater (top of escalator). Both Open Mics are on a first-come, first-served basis. Members and guests are welcome to perform at the Open Mics!Friday, November 4th
Registration - Continues at the Rally Registration desk near the Grand Ballroom. Opening Remarks - Grand Ballroom - Legendary Record Producer Michael Lloyd Welcome -Grand Ballroom - Grand Ballroom – TAXI Founder and CEO, Michael Laskow. Michael will draw a ticket stub (between 9:00 and 10:30) 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 Road Rally ticket stub with you to win! Music Licensing Basics- With Music Supervisor Frank Palazzolo and Music Library Owner Bob Mair. Songs, instrumentals and cues defined, publishing explained, song and cue titling, metadata, sync and master licenses, blanket licenses, exclusive VS non-exclusive deals, what “in perpetuity” means, pitching etiquette, communicating effectively with the industry, who pays you what, how you get paid and how long it takes, where to focus your time and effort, and how to get started. Take lots of notes, because we’re giving you a treasure trove of usable, real world information in this action-packed seventy-five minute session! Reverse Engineering Instrumental Cues – If you’re a songwriter, artist, or a budding composer with a basic home studio, this powerful presentation will show you exactly how to build simple yet effective Instrumental Cues that can create real income! When you hear the examples and learn the detailed recipes for what we affectionately like to call “Stupid Little Instrumental Cues,” you’ll be kicking yourself for not starting down this path years ago. With highly successful songwriter, composer, and producer Dean Krippaehne. He’s also the author of the best-selling books, Demystifying the Cue and Demystifying the Genre. Mentor Lunch #1 - Concourse Ballroom (Mezzanine Level / 2nd Floor) - You must have pre-purchased your tickets to attend. Bring your ticket to the luncheon! Bring CDs if you'd like to give some out. Music Library Listening Panel – Grand Ballroom – Get real-time feedback on Songs and Instrumentals from some of our favorite Music Licensing executives: Rich Goldman (CEO, Riptide/Pacifica) Joy Stringer (Dir. Of A&R, Crucial Music); Bob Mair (CEO, Black Toast Music); and Donna Ross-Jones (President, Transition Music) Songs and Instrumentals. What Gets Licensed the Most? – Grand Ballroom – Most successful composers will tell you that certain pieces of music are “evergreen” and get used over and over again, year after year. Want to hear what money sounds like? TAXI members Matt Hirt, Keith LuBrant, and Chuck Henry will play you some of their most frequently placed music. The John Braheny Songwriting Award - Grand Ballroom – TAXI member Keith LuBrant will be presented with the “JB” Award, named after legendary songwriting coach and advocate, John Braheny. The Stories Behind the Songs – Grand Ballroom – Hit songwriters Allan Rich, Jud Friedman, Shelly Peiken, and Marty Dodson will tell us the stories about how their hits were written then play us the songs, live in the Ballroom! Song craft and fun all rolled into one helluva way to kick off your Friday night at the Rally! Dinner Break - On your own. Try the Daily Grill in the hotel. Great food! Stop by the sponsors’ booths and give them the attention they deserve for paying for your Road Rally tickets! Open Mics (2) - Concourse Ballroom (2nd floor) and the Mezzanine Theater (top of escalator). Both Open Mics are on a first-come, first-served basis. Members and guests are welcome to perform at the Open Mics!Saturday, November 5th
DIY Power Tools – Grand Ballroom – Get Power Tips on booking gigs, building your website, crafting bios, sponsorships, branding, social media, touring, networking, marketing, and much more. Moderator: Tony van Veen (CEO, Disc Makers & CD Baby); with Dave Cool (Dir. of Artist & Industry Outreach, Bandzoogle); Bobby Borg (Music Marketing Expert); Dan Kimpel (Media and Networking expert); and Ryan Gaughan (Touring expert). Learn from the best of the best! Becoming Contemporary – Grand Ballroom – If your music is dated, best-selling author Robin Frederick’s Master-Class will show you how to evolve your rhythm, melody and lyrics to become more contemporary and competitive in today’s Radio, TV/Film, and Advertising markets. Get the best of Robin’s books, Shortcuts to Songwriting for Film & TV and Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting, with great new audio and video examples! Mentor Lunch #2 - Concourse Ballroom (Mezzanine Level / 2nd Floor) - You must have pre-purchased your tickets to attend. Bring your ticket to the luncheon! Bring CDs if you'd like to give some out. Think Like a TV Music Supervisor – Grand Ballroom – Music Supervisor Frank Palazzolo will show you exactly how he picks and places music in a scene from a hit TV drama. Don’t miss this golden opportunity to give yourself the kind of insight and “unfair” advantage every musician wishes they had. Frank will also give you tons of great insider tips and take your questions. Don’t miss this Master Class in creating and pitching music that Supervisors really need! Music Supervisor Listening and Feedback Panel – Grand Ballroom – Get your randomly drawn songs heard by this panel of A-List Music Supervisors: Maureen Crowe (Film/TV); Frank Palazzolo (Scripted TV); Jen Malone (Unscripted TV); Jabari Ali (Film/TV); Jonathan Weiss (Unscripted TV); and Jacob Nathan (Film/TV). (Songs and Instrumentals from TAXI members will be pulled randomly). Crafting Hits for Country and Pop Radio – Grand Ballroom – Why guess at what works when the charts are handing you a road map? Ralph Murphy is a Hit Songwriter, Producer, Publisher, past V.P. of ASCAP, Global Consultant, and the author of Murphy’s Laws of Songwriting. He’ll tell you what’s working on the Country and Pop charts and why it’s working. Take your song craft and chances of writing a hit to a whole other level! Dinner Break -You should have tons of new friends to dine with! Open Mics (2) - Concourse Ballroom (2nd floor) and the Mezzanine Theater (top of escalator). Both Open Mics are on a first-come, first-served basis. Members and guests are welcome to perform at the Open Mics!Sunday, November 6th
Ask TAXI Anything – Grand Ballroom – Join TAXI CEO Michael Laskow, the staffers who write the Industry Listings, and some of our A&R people (screeners) for this open forum designed to help you better understand the process, increase your chances of getting more forwards, and navigate the music industry more effectively. Ask us anything, and we promise we’ll do our best to give you honest, helpful answers! Picking and Placing Instrumental Cues in Reality TV – Grand Ballroom – Thousands of Instrumental Cues created by TAXI members are placed in dozens of Reality TV Shows every year. Join Music Supervisor Jonathan Weiss and Reality TV Editor David McIntosh to learn how and why they pick one Cue over another, and how it works when it’s placed in the scene. This will be eye opening, enlightening, and you’ll be creating a lot more usable Cues after you see this presentation! Lunch -No Mentor Lunch today. You're on your own. Enjoy the Daily Grill. Because there is no Mentor Lunch today, the restaurant will be very busy! Plan accordingly, and allow plenty of time to eat. How to Write and Produce Killer EDM Tracks – Grand Ballroom – TAXI member Stephen Baird wanted to be a rock star when he came to his first Road Rally in 2007. He quickly discovered that his true talent was creating Instrumental Cues and that literally changed his life. He now makes a consistent six-figure income and his EDM tracks are exceptional. Steve will create an EDM track from scratch (with his laptop!) while you watch on the big screen. Learn how to create tracks for what is one of the hottest genres for film, TV, and records today! Getting Comfortable with Production – Grand Ballroom – Some people are less inclined to tackle their own productions, and it’s time for that to change. Becoming self-reliant with your home studio and modern production techniques will set you free. We’ve got some great panelists who can help you with that! With Carla Kay Barlow, Elizabeth Anne Mall, Adriana Lycette, Doug Fenske, and Patty Boss. The Happy Ending Pitch Panel – Grand Ballroom – This panel of Music Industry All-Stars will listen to randomly selected songs from TAXI members and guests alike during this Rally-ending Pitch Panel. Michael Lloyd (100x Platinum Producer, Music Supervisor); Pedro Costa (Music Library Executive); Rob Chiarelli (100x Platinum, Grammy-Winning Producer, Mixer); Ron Harris (A&R and Multi-Platinum Producer); Andrea Torchia (Music Publishing Executive); and Bob Mair (Music Library Executive). Songs and Instrumentals.TAXI Road Rally 2016
Listening and Feedback Sessions
Concourse Ballroom (2nd floor)
Audio CDs only, please, no MP3s! Lyric sheets should be rubber-banded on outside of CD. Sharpies and rubber bands will be next to drop boxes inside the ballroom.
Note: These sessions are NOT for Film & TV music feedback. These sessions are for Label, Publisher, and Artist feedback only!
POP and URBAN
Friday, November 4th, 3:30pm - 5:00pmSuzan Koc, Pop Publishing Executive at BMG/ Rondor; Shelley Peiken, Hit Songwriter, Pop; Michelle Bell, Hit Songwriter, Pop and Urban
JAZZ and EDM
Saturday, November 5th, 9:00am - 10:30amBud Harner, Jazz A&R and Manager; Jon Asher, Hit Songwriter, Producer, EDM expert.
COUNTRY and CHRISTIAN
Saturday, November 5th, 3:30pm - 5:00pmChip Hardy, Country Hit Songwriter, Publisher, Producer; Marty Dodson, Country Hit Songwriter; Jamie Owens-Collins, Hit Christian Songwriter and Artist; Dan Collins, Hit Christian Record Producer.
ROCK and SINGER/SONGWRITER
Sunday, November 6th, 10:45am - 12:15pmChris Long, Rock A&R Expert, artist manager; Brooke Ferri, Multi-Genre A&R Expert.
VERY IMPORTANT: We will have drop boxes NEAR THE STAGE in the Concourse Ballroom (2nd floor!!!) just before each session begins. You must have your CDs in the boxes PRIOR to the beginning of each session. Once the session starts, we will NOT be able to allow latecomers to put their music in the boxes out of fairness to the people who got their music in on time.
When we pull CDs from the box, we will call the artist or songwriter’s name out. If you’re not in the ballroom, your music will not be played. Again, that’s in fairness to the people who are in there! Members and guests may submit for these sessions. You must have a valid Road Rally 2016 badge to submit!
Music Library Executives Bob Mair, Chas Ferry, Garry Smith, Dave Trotter, and Ron Mendelsohn listen to TAXI members' music during their panel at Road Rally 2013. Bob Mair raises his hand and says, "I'd like to get a copy of that song!"
"This was my first Rally and absolutely the best weekend I've had... ever. Don't tell my wife, she thinks it was our wedding!" -Russell Landwehr, TAXI member
Fox Films Music Executive/Music Supervisor, Patrick Houlihan does some meeting and greeting with TAXI members right after his panel finished up.
"Everyone I spoke to really raved about the Road Rally." -Jeff Brabec V.P. BMG/Chrysalis Music
Jake Belnick from Extreme Music Library gives some advice to a TAXI member during the One-to-One Mentor session.
"This weekend was absolutely transformational for me." -Pedro Costa, TAXI member
Hollywood Music Supervisor John Houlihan raises his hands and shouts, "That's what I'm looking for!" during his presentation at the Road Rally.
"I gotta say, it lived up to the hype and then some. That was one of the greatest experiences of my life." -Mike Baressi, TAXI Member
TAXI members silhouetted against a screen during one of several breakout classes about music recording at the Rally.
"TAXI and the Road Rally have been the best investment in my musical career that I ever made. Nobody delivers like TAXI!" -Kurt Kreimier, TAXI member
A-List Hollywood Performance Coach, Steven Memel (foreground, with hand raised) gives some advice during the Mentor Lunch at TAXI's Road Rally.
"The experience not only lived up to my expectations, it surpassed them!"
-Russ Reiter, TAXI member
World-Class Experts Kavin Hoo, Barry French, and Jeff Steinman giving some great music production tips on how to best use Virtual Instruments and Sample Libraries at the TAXI Road Rally.
"The people I've been able to meet through TAXI are amazing." -Alexi von Guggenberg, TAXI member
Singer/Songwriter Briagha McTavish wows the audience with a great performance during one of the Road Rally Open Mics.
"I nearly didn't make the trip over from Hong Kong, thinking that it was too early to benefit from the Rally after joining only 6 months ago. I couldn't have been more wrong, and this really was one of the most outstanding and enriching events I have ever been to."
-Andrew, TAXI member
Film Trailer Composer Nick Murray watches as Film Trailer Music Executive/ Supervisor Julia Trainor explains how trailer music should build to an exciting crescendo.
"Just like your literature promises... I made great new contacts and started some new relationships with other writers. And had one heck of a good time." -Terry Gorka, TAXI member
A-List Hollywood Music Supervisor Dondi Bastone (back to camera) invests lots of his time giving out sage advice and taking music from TAXI members after his panel wrapped up.
"I speak at a lot of music events nationally and internationally throughout the year. The TAXI Road Rally is my favorite - by miles." -Debra Russell, Industry Professional
Music Supervisors Patrick Houlihan (Fox Films), Dondi Bastone (Sideways, The Descendents, HBO), J'ean Demery (Access Hollywood), and Jonathan Klein (The League, FX Network) listened to lots of music and gave some great feedback during their panel.
"The Rally removed any doubt I have about TAXI. When my renewal is due, I'm signing up for 2 years!" -Felix Wong, TAXI member
"Fett" teaches his Recording and Production Class to a full house, and the audience loved it!
"The entire atmosphere at the Rally is like... one big family. My wife said that she didn't want to leave such a warm environment to go back to the real world. Neither did I."
-Clay Butler, TAXI member