Month: February 2015

Broadjam Artist: matt taylor
Song: It Doesn't Matter Now Kmix3

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Tirk Wilder (Songwriter, Performer)

Pro General Comments: Okay, Matt,Just to be right up front, I really like your stuff. The music is great, I love the feel. Shows unlimited potential. REALLY.Also, to be a up front, I have written a song called "As If It Matters", which my co-writer and I have been considering changing to "It Doesn't Matter". This is to give you a heads up on the title. I didn't steal it from you, I stole it from someone else many years ago. (Joke!)The bad news is that the better I like your stuff, the harder I have to be on you. Because you are cruising around the rim of writing an unforgettable, I'm going to have to give you some SEROUS criticism to get you there. Note: CL=Casual Listener. This is someone who doesn't know you, someone who's never HEARD of you, who is hearing your song for the first time. It is his/her perception that is most important to you, the songwriter. Your lyrics show flashes of brilliance. There is an almost poetic feel to your conversation. But you are still making rookie mistakes.You are saying pretty much the same thing in all your verses, just with a different set of words. It's all to express the ennui. Yet you don't have a set of circumstances you have shown the CL to cause the CL to care, especially after you've told him/her your feelings in the first verse.You should REALLY consider giving the CL some specific information about why you feel the way this song says you do. If not in the first verse (I would strive to get it in there somehow, maybe a few IMAGES?) then at least have the second verse dedicated to it.So you have to make the CL listen and become involved in your CHORUS. Let's take a look.but it doesn't matter now [I like the sound and the feel of the way you did the hook here]with all the time that's past [but I'm none too crazy about THIS lyric. It's a serious clich, right where you can't have a clich (in the chorus). The CL doesn't know what happened to cause this ennui, so can't possibly identify the amount of time that's PASSED (note spelling), or what that MEANS---hence, the CL is not getting involved emotionally.]It doesn't matter now [Still like the hook here. Kinda sorta background]those dreams were never meant to last [WHAT? How 80's. You can do better than THIS, Matt.]It doesn't matter now [I'll still believe the hook here, but you MIGHT be able to come up with something just to change up the flow the third time around ("Lives are scattered now", for example)]It's all working out for the best with all that life has put me thru it's put me to the test [This is garbage. You're using "it's working out", which is an utterly meaningless clich, in about three different places in this song. And EVERYBODY's life has put them to the test. Cliches. Poisonous].Continued in Artist's Question section

Quote From Pro: This guy has universal potential. Like, NO doubt.

Broadjam Artist: RekLes Studios
Song: Buried Alive

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Serge Durand (A&R/Publisher/Manager)

Pro General Comments: I think this is a good song. I like the fact that it's not the cookie cutter attempt at a club anthem. I like your story telling ability. I like the way you paint pictures with your words. You bring the listener into your world. I also like the lyrics, concept, and hook. It's evident that you're talented and a good rapper. After hearing this, I'd probably like to hear more from you. The only thing that I would suggest is maybe adding a short intro. The song jumped right into the chorus. The chorus is catchy and memorable, so I would add a short instrumental intro then jump into the chorus. It's always refreshing to hear artists rap about real situations and bring the listener into their world. Stay in that lane. Artists like J. Cole, Drake and Kendrick Lamar are winning big in that lane. Even older like Nas has been able to sustain a long career because of their story telling ability. This song doesn't scream a strong first single, but it would be a good song on a project. It's not a traditional club or soulful record. It's a great fuse of rap and rock because of the instrumentation used. I'd like to hear a strong first single from you. Keep up the good work.

Quote From Pro: It's always refreshing to hear an artist that has the ability to write records with substance. After hearing "Buried Alive", I was drawn to his music and I was interested in hearing more from him.

Broadjam Artist: Jim Reeder
Song: I Believe

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Tom Bocci (Music Supervisor, Producer, and Publisher)

Pro General Comments: Greetings Jim,Thanks for submitting this inspirational cover song written in 1953 after the outbreak of the Korean War as a source of hope and faith for people still suffering from the effects of World War II. By using your dramatic background and lovely, clear tenor voice with a slightly different arrangement and production approach, you have the unique opportunity to remake this classic your own for today's media.A suggestion would be to make the song more of a Folk/Hymn by slowing the tempo and finding the "pocket" so that the lyrics can be sung with deeply interpreted,inspiring emotion. Using the acoustic guitar finger-picking by itself in the first verse is a good idea, but without any background harmony. Then in the second verse use harmonies to emphasize important lyrics or phrases especially in the build to the ending.As it stands now, there's way too much overall "reverb" in the mix. Try pulling it back to where it acts as an intimate shadow to your vocal rather than a distracting effect.Also experiment with different bass note inversions to the ones already there that aren't always complimentary. Keep it simple and beautiful. Feel it in your heart and produce it that way.It could be a timely remake for our current troubled world all over again.

Quote From Pro: By using your dramatic background and lovely, clear tenor voice with a slightly different arrangement and production approach, you have the unique opportunity to remake this classic your own for today's media.It could be a timely cover for our current troubled world all over again.

Broadjam Artist: Jim Reeder
Song: I Believe

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
A.J. Gundell (Songwriter, Composer, Music Supervisor, Producer)

Pro General Comments: This is a timeless classic song, recorded by such notables as Elvis Presley and LeAnn Rimes. Jim Reeder covers it with a sincere, heartfelt vocal performance a bit reminiscent of classic Roy Orbison--and a recording that honors the intentions of the original music and lyric: a deep and almost spiritual commitment to believing in the good, simple virtues of life.

Quote From Pro: This is a timeless classic song, recorded by such notables as Elvis Presley and LeAnn Rimes. Jim Reeder covers it with a sincere, heartfelt vocal performance a bit reminiscent of classic Roy Orbison--and a recording that honors the intentions of the original music and lyric: a deep and almost spiritual commitment to believing in the good, simple virtues of life.

Broadjam Artist: sharon gosler
Song: This is life

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
A.J. Gundell (Songwriter, Composer, Music Supervisor, Producer)

Pro General Comments: As a music supervisor and music library owner/creator, I like to say I'm always on the lookout for material that gets what I call 'the holy trinity' (no religion required -): song, singer, and record. All three are needed for successful, professional, broadcast/release-ready work. There is so much to love about Sharon Gosler's "This is life" and almost nothing that comes up short. She's captured the holy trinity. "This is life" is a beautifully crafted, thoughtful song, with some really unexpected but effective turns of phrase lyrically and developments harmonically. Sharon's vocal is pitch perfect: not just technically, but in the way she weaves and sells the emotion of a somewhat philosophical topic she feels it, so as listeners we do too. The recording is world-class: absolutely undeniable performances and sonic textures from all players and programming beautifully arranged and developed as the record builds a perfect mix, setting, and approach for the pop/AC genre of the song and Sharon's vocal.As I say, the musical 'holy trinity' doesn't require any religion. But in "This is life," Sharon makes me a believer--and she'll make you one too.

Quote From Pro: As a music supervisor and music library owner/creator, I like to say I'm always on the lookout for material that gets what I call 'the holy trinity' (no religion required -): song, singer, and record. All three are needed for successful, professional, broadcast/release-ready work. There is so much to love about Sharon Gosler's "This is life" and almost nothing that comes up short. She's captured the holy trinity. And even though there's no religion required, in "This is life," Sharon makes me a believer--and she'll make you one too.