Check out last year’s schedule (below)
to see what you can expect at this year’s convention!
Schedule of Events Main Ballroom
Subject to very minor changes.Thursday, November 1st
Road Rally Registration - Near the Grand Ballroom on the hotel’s first floor. You must have a 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 2nd
Registration - Continues at the Rally Registration desk near the hotel’s Grand Ballroom on the first floor. Opening Remarks - Grand Ballroom – Legendary Record Producer Michael Lloyd. Welcome to the Road Rally - TAXI Founder and CEO, Michael Laskow welcomes attendees from all over the world to the 22nd Road Rally. Michael will draw a ticket stub (between 9:00 and 11:00) and one lucky person will win $500 cash to help pay for their travel expenses. You must be in the ballroom and have your ticket stub with you to win! How Video Editors Choose and Use Music – When video editor Laurel Ostrander showed last year’s Rally audience how she selects, edits, lays in, and mixes the music in TV shows, our members felt like they’d been given the “secret code” to creating music that would get used much more often than their competition. Laurel’s presentation was so powerful that we’re kicking off this year’s Road Rally with it so everybody can learn why some pieces of music work better with picture than others. Don’t miss this life-changing Master Class! Once you understand the “how and why” of music placements, you’ll have a competitive advantage when pitching your music. The John Braheny Genesis Award – Matt Hirt became a TAXI member more than two decades ago because of John Braheny. Matt became the first member to earn a six-figure income, proving that Film and TV Music can be a full-time job for independent musicians. By sharing his tips, techniques, and knowledge of the industry, he’s inspired generations of TAXI members to also pay it forward by sharing what they’ve learned. Join us as we honor Matt for being the genesis of the spirit of generosity that has changed the lives of so many members. Eat & Greet Luncheon #1 – Concourse Ballroom (2nd Floor) – You need to have purchased your Eat & Greet ticket in advance and have your Rally badge with the Eat & Greet Luncheon credential on it to attend. Bring CDs if you’d like to give some music out! Film & TV Song Pitch and Feedback Panel – Songs (from TAXI members only) will be played for Music Supervisors and Music Licensing executives Frank Palazzolo (Music Supervisor), Bob Mair (CEO, Black Toast Music), Mason Cooper (Music Supervisor), Beth Wernick (CEO, Imaginary Friends), and Shannon Quisenberry (Director of Creative, Think Music). Songs only! Music played during this panel will be chosen randomly from a playlist generated from a panel-specific TAXI Listing that ran prior to the Rally. Submissions not played during the panel will be screened on a yes/no basis after the Rally, and Forwards will be sent to all the panelists. This Is How Music is Pitched, Chosen, and Licensed– Music Licensing executive Shannon Quisenberry and Music Supervisor Frank Palazzolo will give you an insider’s look at how the process goes from spotting, to pitching, to quote request, to negotiation, and the final sync and payments that result from the placement. Understanding the process may help you get more of your music licensed. Audience Q&A will follow; get your questions ready! Ten Reasons Your Music Will Get Used or Not – Music Licensing expert Beth Wernick recently said, “Every time I’m on a panel I want to tell people why their music isn’t getting used, and what they can do to make sure it does.” If you’d like to license more music, don’t miss this fast-paced, pithy look at the details that will help you land more syncs! 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 3rd
Instrumental Pitch and Feedback Panel – Panelists Joy Basu (CEO, Lab Hits Music), Jonathan Weiss (Music Supervisor), Michael Kruk (CEO, Platinum Music), Pedro Costa (CEO, InStyle Music), and Tim Hogarth (Reality Show Video Editor) will listen, give feedback, and possibly take some music home! Music played during this panel will be chosen randomly from a playlist generated from a panel-specific TAXI Listing that ran prior to the Rally. Submissions not played during the panel will be screened on a yes/no basis after the Rally, and Forwards will be sent to all the panelists. Creating Fresher Melodies, Rhythms, and Lyrics– Record labels, publishers, and music supervisors always want music that sounds fresh, but nobody ever tells you what “fresh” is or how to create it! Join best-selling author Robin Frederick as she gives a Master Class in what fresh means, and shows you how to ditch your dated melodies, cliché lyrics, and stale rhythms. Bonus: Robin will freshen up some audience members’ songs, live, on stage during this powerful session! Eat & Greet Luncheon #2 – Concourse Ballroom (2nd Floor) – You need to have purchased your Eat & Greet ticket in advance and have your Rally badge with the Eat & Greet Luncheon credential on it to attend. Bring CDs if you’d like to give some music out! Which Music Works Best for Advertising– It’s no secret that ad agencies often pay big bucks for the music placed in TV Commercials. Music Supervisor Karl Richter will play a range of examples, and explain why certain types of music work best. If time permits, Karl will listen to some music grabbed randomly from audience members! Music Supervisor Pitch Panel – Songs and Instrumentals, Members only pitch – Music Supervisors Mason Cooper (Film/TV), Frank Palazzolo (Scripted TV), Jonathan Weiss (Unscripted TV), Karl Richter (Commercials/TV/Film), and Naaman Snell (Trailers/Promos) will listen, give feedback, and maybe even take some music home! Music played during this panel will be chosen randomly from a playlist generated from a panel-specific TAXI Listing that ran prior to the Rally. Submissions not played will be screened on a yes/no basis after the Rally, and Forwards will be sent to all the panelists. Which Music is Used in Trailers and Promos, and Why – Music Supervisor Naaman Snell joins us for a deep dive into the music side of Trailers and Promos for Film, TV, and Video Games. Find out which types of music work best for each sub-category within this highly specialized and unique area of the advertising industry. 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 4th
Finding Time to Make More Music and Money – One of the secrets to success that many of TAXI’s most successful members often share is simply making time to make more music that industry professionals need and use! The more music you make, the more money you make. Find out how TAXI members Matt VanderBoegh, Keith LuBrant, Randon Purcell, Marcus Cohen, and Terrell Burt find the time to create a bunch of great music and take care of the business side of their careers while raising families, and in most cases, holding down day gigs! Overcoming Fear, Anxiety, and Procrastination – How many times has your fear of rejection caused you to procrastinate until a TAXI opportunity’s deadline passed you by? TAXI member Dean Krippaehne has become one of our most successful members by facing his fears, conquering anxiety, and kicking procrastination to the curb. Dean’s story will move you, inspire you, and help you become the productive and successful musician you’ve always wanted to be. Lunch - No Eat and Greet Luncheon today. You’re on your own. Enjoy the Daily Grill, which we anticipate will be very busy. Plan accordingly. I Am Woman, Hear Me Score – Breaking in to the world of scoring is hard – probably even more difficult for a woman. Sharon Farber is a composer for film, TV, and concerts, a four-time Emmy nominee, winner of a Society of Composers and Lyricists award, and a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures. If you’d like to know what it takes to become a member of Hollywood’s elite circle of score composers, don’t miss this – even if you’re a man! Make Your Music Easy to Use with Stems and Metadata – Creating the right music is a given if you want to be successful, but there’s more to it! You’ve got to make it easy for end users to find your music, use your music, and then pay you for using it. Karl Richter (Music Supervisor) and Steve Barden (Composer and Author) will teach you how to create stems, include the right meta data, and deliver your music to end users the right way, so music supervisors, publishers, and editors want to work with you time and time again! The Happy Ending Pitch Panel – Members and Guests can pitch for this panel! This panel of handpicked Music Industry All-Stars will listen to randomly selected songs from TAXI members and guests alike during this Rally-ending Pitch Panel. Film, TV, Song, and Artist pitches are all fair game for this fun, and often inspiring panel with; Michael Lloyd (100x Platinum Producer, Music Supervisor), Elyse Schiller (Music Licensing Executive), Rob Chiarelli (100x Platinum, Grammy-Winning Producer, Mixer), Ron Harris (A&R/Multi-Platinum Producer), and Brooke Ferri (Music Licensing Executive). CDs (Songs and Instrumentals) need to go in the drop boxes found between the 2nd and 3rd Grand Ballroom doors between 3:30pm – 5:00pm.Listening and Feedback Sessions
TAXI Road Rally 2018 Concourse Ballroom (2nd floor)
Note: These sessions are NOT for Film & TV music feedback. These sessions are for Label, Publisher, and Artist feedback only!
VERY IMPORTANT: We will now be giving you one raffle ticket as you enter the Concourse Ballroom (2nd floor!!!) just before each session begins. You must have your raffle ticket at the beginning of each session. Latecomers will NOT be able to get a ticket out of fairness to the people who got there on time. To choose songs for the panel, we will pull a random ticket from a box and call the ticket number out for you to bring up your CD. Members and guests may submit for these sessions. You must have a valid Road Rally 2018 badge to submit! 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.
Friday, November 2nd, 6:30pm - 8:00pm POP & URBAN Suzan Koc, Pop Publishing Executive Michelle Bell, Hit Songwriter, Pop and Urban
Saturday, November 3rd, 6:30pm - 8:00pm ROCK & SINGER/SONGWRITER Chris Long, Rock A&R Expert and Artist Manager Brooke Ferri, Multi-Genre A&R Expert
Sunday, November 4th, 10:45am - 12:15pm COUNTRY & CHRISTIAN Paul Marshall, Country Songwriting Expert Michael Anderson, Hit Country & Christian Songwriter
Sunday, November 4th, 1:45pm - 3:15pm JAZZ & EDM Jon Asher, Hit Songwriter, Producer and EDM Expert Terry Wollman, Jazz A&R and Manager
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!"
Fox Films Music Executive/Music Supervisor, Patrick Houlihan does some meeting and greeting with TAXI members right after his panel finished up.
Jake Belnick from Extreme Music Library gives some advice to a TAXI member during the One-to-One Mentor session.
Hollywood Music Supervisor John Houlihan raises his hands and shouts, "That's what I'm looking for!" during his presentation at the Road Rally.
TAXI members silhouetted against a screen during one of several breakout classes about music recording at the Rally.
A-List Hollywood Performance Coach, Steven Memel (foreground, with hand raised) gives some advice during the Mentor Lunch at TAXI's Road Rally.
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.
Singer/Songwriter Briagha McTavish wows the audience with a great performance during one of the Road Rally Open Mics.
Film Trailer Composer Nick Murray watches as Film Trailer Music Executive/ Supervisor Julia Trainor explains how trailer music should build to an exciting crescendo.
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.
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.
"Fett" teaches his Recording and Production Class to a full house, and the audience loved it!
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