Blazetrak My ExperienceOk folks.. I don’t know if I am being brave or foolish here.. lol
I know that lots are fed up with the whole Blazetrak thing, but as I took the time to write all this I thought I should post it.
Please be gentle with me until 2 in the afternoon, after I have taken my blood pressure tablets..lol
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I have been watching the topic about Blazetrak rage on and on and because of the emotive responses that have been going back and forth, I have been reluctant to add my experience to that pot.
That post is so long and so intense that I thought this new topic about my experience with Blazetrack
would be better.
I know that for some I will be seen as an idiot, and from other a gullible fool and maybe from 1 or 2 as someone who believes enough in what they have, to take a chance, and see what happens.
I have in the past joined Taxi $200 and spent money on submissions. I have joined NSSA and spent money with them $150. I have to be honest and say that IMO I got nothing in return.
Sure maybe I am not just good enough with my writing, so I don’t blame them.
While each of these places and others as well have members who are at the top of the food chain (so to speak) both in experience and skill, there are many many 1000s who join, pay the fee and then quietly disappear.
Remember folks, no one offers money back.
So as usual I paid my money and I took my chances.(No one ever says if your stuff is crap, don’t join) and every one has their carrots to dangle and they all have the ‘we offer advice and mentoring spiel’.I have friends who have set up ‘showcases’ and invited industry professionals along, and no one turned up.
So this poor singer songwriter plays in a venue that they paid for, and provides drinks to all the friends and family and fans who were invited and is let down.
How do you recover from that?.I was compare in a songwriter’s venue in the heart of London (Ronnie Scotts) where groups and singers
have travelled up to 200 miles to appear, because loads of A&R have promised to be there.Often the A&R (professionals) didn’t turn up, or were more interested in using up the bar tag that they had because that’s what the demanded in order to be there.
I asked one A&R guy, how many he had signed in his 20 year career and he said, none. His actual answer was, ‘I can’t get the sack for not signing, only for signing the wrong person’.
I have seen a great singer travel 150 miles with her mum and dad, book into a hotel at London Prices, so as to perform for 2 top Sony A&R who promised to be there.
They sent the secretary instead to report back.You all know what it costs to have professional demos made, and we all know that you need professional demos to even think about pitching songs. (except maybe some very extreme cases). And then it’s a million to 1 shot.
A singer or band or group can go to all the places where industry professionals hang out (or report to hang out) and if the can get a gig, showcase themselves. Maybe someone will be impressed and contact is made.
After all, making contacts is what it’s is all about. I have lost count of the number of times, on this and other sites, where I am told that networking is the way.
Get a relationship going with someone who can move you along. Maybe not today or tomorrow or next week, but at sometime in the future, they may think of you for a particular reason.
One things for sure, lock yourself and your songs in a room, and no one will know about you.
I know that lots here and elsewhere see us lyric only people as bottom of the food chain, and that may be so (I don’t want a debate on it, that’s been done to death on the forums already), however, I do get a lot of people tell me that they love my lyrics and enjoy them. (that for me is a success every time).
As we all know, Its impossible to sell lyrics only, and I believe illegal as well (I could be wrong there), so if I
believe that I write good lyrics and that others like them as well, and I want to at least try to get them to a bigger audience, then I have to put music to them and add a singer to the mix as well.
AND IT HAS TO BE PROFESSIONAL….or least that what I'm told.
That is why I spend money at demo studios and most times I am satisfied with the results. No demo studio offers money back if I don’t like what they do, except as far as I know, Mike Caro, who says that if you don’t like the results, keep the song and don’t pay. And that is not just waffle, he means it.
I have used a few studios, going back 20 years, when I didn’t write county songs at all, and county to me was a day out with the cows. I’m from England in the UK by the way.
My first Nashville demo cost me $500 and the 2nd and the 3rd and so on and so on. One where I wanted extra instruments cost me $600. So far probably about $10,000.
I now have an amazing husband/wife team who do my demos for $150 which is pay-as-you-go and they don’t have a problem with me retaining all rights.
I just had a demo done with Mike Caro and it cost $400 and I have to say, it was the best money I have spent.
Worth every dollar and then some.
Thanks Mike for going the extra mile.That doesn’t mean that those who charged me more scammed me. They did what they said they would do,and me being a grown lad, thought about it and said YES. And I have always been happy with the result and the price.
Enough of my waffling, its all been heard before.. lol.
Back to Blazetrak.
After reading about them way back, when they first appeared in the forums, I made the decision to have a go.
Send some songs in and pay the money.
I thought my songs are good enough for an industry professional to say WOW, where has this writer been hiding, he is fantastic.. lol
YEP, I am a dreamer, and I am not alone.
I had a good look around Blazetrak (this was in the early days) and found maybe 2 or 3 professionals whom I thought would be excited to hear my songs, I know, I know… lol
I can’t wait for Big Jim and niteshift to have a go at me.I have to say that I also looked at some professionals who are not suited to my music and felt that their personal video, that each has as an introduction was laughable.
One chap looks at the camera and says…
‘here I am, go on send me your stuff'. that's it.
Luckily he is at the bottom of the price range… maybe 6 credits.
Those that I was interested in were at or near the top end of the price structure and at the top of food chain
in their category.
The total cost to me for submitting 4 or 5 songs would be the same as one demo that I had made in Nashville.
Ok maybe I did justify the cost to me in a way that many will say it’s me just kidding myself, but we all justify what we spend, in one way or another. A new guitar, a new set of drums, a new computer, etc etc, when what we have already is adequate.
If you don’t know, each professional on Blazetrak has a Bio with all of their credits and experience, and a personal video, where they tell you what they are looking for. (ok, talk is cheap) but sometimes we have to take others at face value.
And yep, I know the sums. I know what these professionals can making from being with Blazetrak.
They can make a fortune and do nothing. But most of these people, at least the ones I dealt with already have a
fortune, and are still making a fortune from their main profession.
I personally don’t think they need the money, and when you consider that they have to go through listening to an awful lot of unsuitable material, and still get in front of that camera and give a PERSONAL response, then I suspect that at times, some will say, why the hell am I doing this, at whatever cost.
So I hoped that they were genuinely looking for that amazing song or songwriter as they claimed in there personal
introduction videos.
The two professionals that I decided to submit myself to were Wally Wilson & Paul Worley.
After a bit of research on the net, I realised that they work together on a daily basis with their Skyville Records
company that they jointly own, so I determined to send them different songs.
Wally Wilson was first and I sent him my first song…
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One thing to be aware of when submitting, is that you have a limit of 150 words to
write about the song, so don’t waste them. (as well as your bio, which is also limited in size).
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Anyway after 30 days (often it is a last minute response), I got back my appraisal.
I can’t show the video responses for copyright reasons and also I feel that would be an infringement on their
personal privacy, but I will put into writing what was said, and the points given as they were directed to me.
Please remember that a lot can be said in a minute on video.
I leave it for each of you to decide if they were true fair responses. Personally I think they all were.
This is the first song I submitted:
‘We'll Play The Hand Your Dealt’--------------------------------------------------------
Song 1. Wally Wilson ‘We'll Play The Hand Your Dealt’ --------------------------------------------------------
Category Star Rating out of 5 stars Lyrics 2
Melody 2
Magic 1
Overall 1.67
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Optional Comments from the Professional---------------------------------------------------------
been there, heard this a thousand zillion times before.......you have talent but ..... be bold.....
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Video response. Time taken: 1min 23sec----------------------------------------------------------------
Good Morning Roy, I was looking down here and it says that the hardest job you had, was to think of which song.
You know this is a little bit hard for me too. I must tell you, I think you have talent. If that’s also you playing, you
are a good musician, and the song is a very well written song, but its one I’ve heard zillions of times before.
There’s nothing about it, that I feel is particularly out of the ordinary.
Having said that, again I think, and I will write this on my notes as well, I believe that what you should do is be a
little bit braver and bolder in making a statement.
Whatever’s running inside, and what you think may be a little left of centre, go ahead and put that down.
That’s what we need here, in Nashville.
We need songwriters that are brave enough to let their own uniqueness come out.
I would like to hear some more stuff at sometime if you have something that is a little bit more unique that way.
But just carry that with you.
‘Red Lion’ used to say, he’s a great old songwriter, he used to say, ‘Be Clever’, and I would add, be bold.
Thanks a lot.
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In this instance, Marc’s story’s about listening to dozens of singer/songwriters performing original songs in
Nashville was like listening to the same story over and over came back to haunt me lol.
Heard it before a hundred times is the expression I think that applies.
To me Wally Wilson looked and sounded quite genuine, and as I said we have to judge sometimes on just that.
So I decided to send another song to Wally Wilson that I felt was left to centre as he suggested.
After waiting for 35 days I had no response and Blazetrak refunded my money.
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At that time you got the actual money back but they now use a credit system, so that if you don’t get a response
from the professional you submitted to, you get Blazetrak credits back to use with someone else.
Personally I find that unacceptable, because I may only find one person whom I want to submit to, and
should that person fail me, credits to me are no good at all.
Sure I can waste those credits on unsuitable professionals, but for me, that is not getting my cash back.
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Because I had no response from Wally Wilson on my second song, I decided to send that one to Paul Worley.
I submitted my song about the Kentucky Tragedy of 1825.
The 'Kentucky Tragedy' of 1825 The true story of Anna Cooke and Jeroboam Beauchamp.
Below is the appraisal that I got back Just before the 30 days ran out.
I think it was a fair appraisal, but you decide for yourselves.
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Song 2. Paul Worley 'The Kentucky Tragedy of 1825' ----------------------------------------------------------------
Category Star Rating out of 5 stars Lyrics 3
Melody 2
Magic 2
Overall 2.33
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Optional Comments from the Professional----------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Roy. This IS an interesting story, but I think you have to put more poetic craft into the lyric.
It seems like you are just reading the story to me out of a history book.
It doesn't help much that it sounds as if none of the musicians were listening to any of the lyrics - just
playing the chord changes.
Go back and re-write this like a folk ballad.
Ever heard of a writer named Billy Edd Wheeler (Reverend Mr Black, Coward of the County, Jackson, Coal Tattoo).
Check him out. Good luck!!!
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Video response. Time taken: 1min 20sec----------------------------------------------------------------
Hey Roy and Helen, nice to meet you. I love songs like this that are great stories.
Whether they are made up or are true. It’s probably more interesting that there is some truth behind a lot of them.
A friend of mine, Billy Edd Wheeler, writes in this vain a lot. You may have heard of him, he’s an older gentleman,
than I am. Laugh…
I think that you can read from my notes, that you need to be more poetic, to put more poetry and more of the
craft of ballad singing lyrics to the way you wrote this story.
It seems to me that you wrote this story, but its more for reporting or reading than what you would do as a song writer.
Then again, the demo doesn’t help me.
Sounds like you had it made down in Nashville.
The guys are all good players, but I don’t think any of them are connected to the song. Maybe they had to hurry through.
Next time, don’t bother with so many musicians, just get the thing down with a couple of musicians and let the song
be the thing that does the job or doesn’t.
Anyway good luck to you and please send me some more.
Thank you
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Interesting what Paul Worley said above about demo quality. I found that Paul Worley looked and sounded quite genuine.
So I decided to send another song off to Paul Worley taking into account what had been said on both submissions.
I remembered what everyone keeps telling me, get to know some one and build a relationship.
Yep, I was paying to get my stuff heard, but I do believe in my songs and I thought that by steadily improving
what I submit, I would build some sort of relationship and hopefully open that elusive door.
The third song that I sent was the song that I co-wrote with Glynda about ‘Jackson Kelly’.
'Jackson Kelly' Fiddle Player - Before He Died' Again, below is the appraisal that I got back just before the 30 days ran out.
Again I think it was a fair appraisal, but you decide for yourselves.
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Song 3. Paul Worley 'Jackson Kelly' Fiddle Player Before He Died--------------------------------------------------------------
Category Star Rating out of 5 stars Lyrics 4
Melody 4
Magic 3
Overall 3.67
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Optional Comments from the Professional-----------------------------------------------------------------
I like this one, Roy. It's a good story, and the lyrics are well crafted. kind of song that Josh Turner
would do.
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Video response. Time taken: 46sec-------------------------------------------------------------
Hey Roy and Helen, how you all doing. I really enjoyed this song. I made some good comments.
I like the lyrics to this, I like the story, It’s a good honest country story, and It’s really well written.
It’s the kind of thing that Josh Turner would do.
So I will keep it, and put it in favourite pile, and maybe I’ll have a chance to show it to somebody along the way.
We have a couple of budding young artistes that write story songs like this and they might enjoy it.
This is much much better. I wonder, who does your music, Let me know.
So thank you and it’s good to hear from you.
See you soon
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Again I think it was a fair appraisal, but you decide for yourselves.
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The forth song that I sent was the song that I wrote.
Where The Devil LurkedAgain, below is the appraisal that I got back just before the 30 days ran out.
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Song 4. Paul Worley ‘ Where The Devil Lurked’--------------------------------------------------------------
Category Star Rating out of 5 stars ----------------------------------------------------------------
Lyrics 4
Melody 4
Magic 4
Overall 4
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Optional Comments from the Professional--------------------------------------------------------------
what an inspiring story, Roy and Helen. It make me want to keep trying to raise myself up from
this mundane life. Thank you for inspiring me with this.
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Video response. Time taken: 41sec-----------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Roy, I’m being befuddled by technology at the moment, so if you get two responses, but I am
gonna say once again.
Thank you so much, that’s a wonderful story. I don’t know where you found it, but I’m gonna Google
‘John Newton’ and learn more.
Thank you once again, that’s very beautifully written and it’s lifted me up.
We all need lifting up, and thank you for sharing it and I will share it with my friends, and I appreciate
you sending it to me, and if I can find an artist for it I will do that.
Thank you once again.
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Well folks that’s all I have to say.
Would I submit again.
YES if I had a real killer song, and I mean a top top story.
I felt that both where genuine and was looking for that something special.
You make up your own minds.
Ps. I wonder who Paul Worley lists as his friends whom he shared my song with. God Bless Roy and Helen