YC Collaborative Indoor Percussion Ensemble

Originally Posted by Dev

I'd really like for you to elaborate on what you mean by "hold on to rhythmwise" - I can definitely feel a beat in there, and I can't see how it would be arranged differently (for instance, you can't play a multi-tonal bass run on a snare).

Let me try to elaborate, but I pretty much thought of the term I used as being the only way to describe how I felt...

In simplest- It sounds like a lot of noise to me. I don't feel just a driving, singular rhythm that I can follow and enjoy. It's just like a melody- You have to have something that you can "hold onto." That's where I got that from... Did that make sense?

I know exactly what Alan means by saying there is nothing to hold on to. There's nothing that really sticks out individually, and what our saxy French friend said back there is right, it is very drumline cadence-esque, that was my first thought when I saw and heard it, but I forgot to mention that. It would make a good filler though, if we come into it at the right angle, if you know what I mean. It has a great beat, but no 'catchy factor.'

I'm putting all the ideas in one post so we can listen and decide which is best for our main theme and to keep track of everything. We still haven't received anything from Jamie Whitmarsh, but he doesn't have to give an idea if he doesn't want to. Are you still interested, Jamie?

Alan's (or He-Who-Holds-the-Pen and goes, "HaHa")
http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/...7246-theme.mid

Pricewalden's (is it okay if we call you Price?)
http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/...n-ensemble.mid

Virtualshock's
http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/...7-ipe-idea.mid

Enigmus'
http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/...perc.-idea.mid

Spectrum's
http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/...5-ipe-idea.mid

Dev's
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Hey guys. I've been out of town for a few days, but tomorrow I will be at the building and I'll jot some ideas down, and concepts for the show overall (if we're at any point to discuss those, or if I'm in any position to suggest,) and whatever else I come up with.

Also, just to clarify, I am male.

My thoughts on everyones submissions (Forgive me if I am out of line with this; I just wish to contribute in some way, and since I presently have no tangible music...):

Alans theme sounds like a good penultimate line, something to sum up the show prior to the final climactic "tag-like" ending.

Price's submission sounds like it might possibly function well as an interruption of another section. Alternatively, it could be a good opening build, perhaps starting with some non-pitched stuff like triangles and such.

Virtual Shocks idea sounds like it might work well as a battery feature, with this stuff underneath. Certainly once all the parts are in, it gels quite well.

Enigmus' idea is somewhat in the same vein as prices, it sounds. It definitely feels like its moving forward, and that we're about to head somewhere.

Spectrum, your idea kind of is similar to Virtual Shocks, in the building of layers, though yours is more direct. This seems to me like a good change of pace from whatever would come before it. It's fairly rhythmic, and the rhythmic idea might transfer well to drums.

Dev, your idea stands out in that it's the only non-pitch one so far. I think you have a good grasp of drums, or maybe it's just the samples you use (I jest.) I think that if this were louder it would have more impact, but I think it has groovage, for sho. I definitely like the stick clicks.


Again, I hope I have not offended anyone with my opinion, I think they're all worthwhile concepts to explore, and these are just my impressions. No doubt, some of you disagree, which is good, as we can get multiple perspectives on the same material.
And with that, to bed.

Originally Posted by Jamie Whitmarsh

Also, just to clarify, I am male.

I knew I should have asked first... My apologies. (earlier pronouns reassigned )
I just get it mixed up with Jaime.... the "i" moves around and I forget which is which.
Adding the avatar was a good move.

Glad to have you on the 'team'.

Thanks for your imput, Jamie!

I won't comment on my little melody (AKA crap), so no one will think I have a bias against it.

Price's idea is an arrangement of mine...? I remember hearing it.

If Virtualshock's tidbit had a strict melody inside (I could fix that in a jiffy), it could be really cool!

Enigmus has a nice intro! Very strong and triumphant. It ends at about the right area to introduce a new melody, too.

Spectrum's could also use a definite melody, but it could also be turned into accomapniment by simplifying it somewhat... that's what I think.

I think Dev's little tidbit could be used to develop a motif of some sort... IE, four notes of fanfare, drum solo, fanfare again, drum solo, which then gets layered on top of by various other drums, and an older melody is reintroduced (or the recent melody is repeated in different orchestration).

I hope I made a difference!

Basically what you're all saying about my bit is what I intended it to be - a short battery-only break, or at the very least, a battery feature, which is why (going back to the "nothing to hold on to") there isn't just one singular beat (or "melody" if we want to think in those terms) to follow, but three different grooves all stacked on top of each other. I guess that's really what I'm the best at out of all the indoor ensemble intruments, but I can try writing some battery parts to go under pit parts to see if I can contribute in that way as well. First of course, I'll need the pit parts. So I'll just let you all go nuts for awhile and check back in later.

Oh, we'll give you plenty of feature, don't worry. The battery are the ones out there marching and doing all the work, it would be a ruin to have them playing boring backup parts the whole time. I'd be nice if the battery was rather angered, or irritated. Maybe at the pit. So, then we'd get some attitude.

And that one beat alone, just the nature of it, it sounds like the first four bars of a drumline cadence by itself, so that's why I'm wondering how worthwhile it is for the piece. But we can throw it in somewhere and decide if we like it or not. It is a pretty cool groove anyhow.

so should we vote on wether to use the themes or not? Or come up with some more?

Originally Posted by IHoldThePenHaHa

If Virtualshock's tidbit had a strict melody inside (I could fix that in a jiffy), it could be really cool!

feel free to put a melody in there or add a drumline!!!!!!!

Maybe we should come up with a general concept for the show? It doesn't have to be mega programmatic, just maybe a unifying force for us to draw upon?

An actual theme would be nice.

I threw together mine on Finale Notepad, and on my actual Finale copy it wouldn't let me change any of my instruments.

What he's saying rhythmically is that its hard to follow on all of the instruments. Just from a marching perspective.