~ F's

(Jan 14/09) When I was in school, getting an F was a very very bad thing. Worse than I. I was incomplete. I was, you didn't do everything you were supposed to do and/or attend everything you were supposed to go to. But an F meant that whatever effort you did make wasn't good enough to make any sort of grade at all. F meant, you have to do it all again if you want credit for it.

But these days, F's are delightful. F's mean... the work you've put in, the skills you've attained, the tools you've purchased, the craft you are working at... have all brought your music to the point where someone might interested in signing it.

See, I belong to TAXI, an "A&R" company. People looking for music in the industry (music publishers, labels, producers, music supervisors, music libraries, etc) go to TAXI and say "we're looking for music like this, here's the specifics." TAXI sends out those listings to their members. Members submit music, and TAXI uses industry vets to screen the music and only sends the best on to the listing party. That's called a "Forward".

I spent the first 3.5 years of my TAXI membership seeking that elusive F, and never achieving it. With help from TAXI feedback and peers, I grew my skills, got the tools, and learned how to produce my own music to broadcast quality. Now, I get regular F's. And each one delights me no end. They mean I've "passed the test".

They mean I've succeeded where I used to fail.