Leaderboard

Multiple users have inquired about the next competition, so that warrants a new Summer 2026 Competition Poll! The poll will close on Wednesday, July 22nd at 11:59 pm PST. Here are the givens that each competition will maintain: The duration of each piece should once again be between 3 - 7 minutes. Reviewing the entries will once again be spearheaded by the members/competitors at large. You are free to use the Official Competition Reviewing Template or you can review the entries in any way you see fit or create a template of your own making! There will be tiered "Ardent Reviewer" badges given out for this event: Featherweight Reviewer - for reviewing 33% of the entries Welterweight Reviewer - for reviewing 66% of the entries Heavyweight Reviewer - for reviewing 100% of the entries We are instituting a policy of not allowing any AI generated works in the competition. Because of this you will be required to detail how you created your piece and submit a PDF score or midi file for the perusal of the staff and members at large. The musical entries to the competition are final once submitted. This is for the sake of consistency of reviewing (so that each reviewer reviews the same piece of music without any changes). However, there are a few things we'd like the members to help us determine (in the poll): 1) What should the competition be about? To write background music for one of @chopin 's Retry Bro's YouTube videos. Explanation: @chopin has a new YouTube channel! It's called Retry Bros. and consists of him playing Super Mario Maker levels and coming up with entertaining narration from Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser, and other assorted characters. There's also a musical element. So far, Mike has come up with some clever lyrics and used AI to make realistic sounding songs that go along with the video. Now, where you would come in is that you'd be writing background music for one of @chopin 's new videos! To write some kind of autobiographical piece with a paragraph describing how the music portrays the autobiographical material. This one is @UncleRed99 's suggestion. The idea is to "write a piece that simply tells a story about your life, and something meaningful within it. Utilize complex elements to express emotion, tension, or any other desired emotional or mentally relatable expression. Provide a brief summary describing the root of the story being told." @Thatguy v2.0 has bestowed his theme proposal to me. I had another idea for an "Excerpt Exchange". Basically composers entering the competition would send the staff an unfinished excerpt of their music for the ensemble that we'll be writing for in this competition (we'll find out what ensemble from the member voting to question no.2 below). By sending your unfinished excerpt you bestow upon others the right to work on and finish your composition. The composers will be given a random excerpt from a random composer without being told who composed it. Each composer will be tasked with making the best piece they can and finishing it to the best of their ability. The minimum length of the excerpt should be 8 measures. @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu has also bestowed his theme proposal to me so I decided to include another theme in the options: "Sound Mimesis - Acoustic Anatomy". The idea is to use the instruments at your disposal to mimic sounds in your natural environment (although the sounds don't technically have to be created by nature - they could definitely be artificial sounds, but should be mimicked by acoustic instruments). As an example watch this Talking Piano YT Video. Or watch this flute mimicking bird calls. @Omicronrg9 has also bestowed his theme proposal to me. This theme would be called "A Plenty of Persichetti Prompts". The composers would be given a choice to compose music based on prompt(s) inspired by exercises from Vincent Persichetti's "20th Century Harmony". There would be 5 prompts inspired by Persichetti's exercises (but not directly taken from the book) that the composers could use to inspire their music. These prompts would be based around various music theory ideas. I've amassed a document listing various such ideas that could be used in this competition: Musical Composition Prompts. @MK_Piano has proposed the theme - "From Nothing, to Something." What greater challenge of a composer than to take nothing and turn it into something! Your goal is to take the text from Paul Verlaine’s summer poem “Donc, ce sera par un clair jour d'été,” (So, on a bright summer day it shall be) and turn it into a piece! This poem is short, but filled with evoking images of what summer can feel like. Attached is the poem in English: So, on a bright summer day it shall be: The great sun, my partner in joy, Shall make, amid the satin and the silk, Your dear beauty lovelier still; The sky, all blue, like a tall canopy, Shall quiver sumptuously in the long folds Above our two happy brows, grown pale With pleasure and expectancy; And when evening comes, the breeze shall be soft And play caressingly about your veils, And the peaceful stars looking down Shall smile benevolently on man and wife. The poem in French and English @Tónskáld has also bestowed his theme proposal to me. Another idea I had would be called "An Invitation to Dance". The composers would be tasked with writing music in the style of a dance in a modern style, that could actually be danced to and exhibited all the proper characteristics of said dance. The composers could choose from a list of dances including but not limited to the following: Pavane, Galliarde, Tarantella, Saltarello, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue, Minuet, Bourree, Polonaise, Chaconne, Gavotte, Waltz, Mazurka, Tango, Samba, Mambo, Merengue, Rumba, Paso Doble, Cha-Cha-Cha. Note that the composer would be tasked with composing only one of these dances rather than a whole set (such as a Baroque Dance Suite). It would also be expected that the music be "dance-like" meaning that it's not just an instrumental derivation of one of these dances that aren't meant to be danced to. My own idea is for the members to write M&M&M's - Mock-ups, Mash-ups and Medleys. The idea is for the members to take 2 or more preexisting themes from different genres of music and to make mash-ups and medleys with them. The staff and/or members would vote about what pieces/songs to include in the following list of genres and the composers would then choose 2 or more pieces from the list to combine in a medley or mash-up (or both!): A single piece of Film Music A single piece of Video-Game Music A single piece of Early or Ancient Music A single piece of Classical Music (Baroque, Classical or Romantic) A single piece of Pop, Rock or Jazz Music A single piece of Rap or Hip-Hop Music A single piece of Anime Music A single piece of Modern/Avant-Garde Music A single piece of World Music 2) What kind of ensemble should the competitors be free to choose to write for? Solo piano/keyboard or solo polyphonic instrument (such as guitar, harp or accordeon) One monophonic instrument accompanied by one polyphonic instrument Choice of mixed trio/quartet/quintet of individual instruments Other mixed ensemble of more than 5 individual instruments not exceeding 10 Chamber orchestra (string orchestra) Full orchestra 3) How many months should the competition span? (1 month, 2 months or 3 months) Happy voting and let us know what you're happy about or what could be changed about the upcoming competition!

Hi all! It's been since the first of the year that I posted here...so sorry for going dark for a while. Life got busy! But I wanted to share this piece I worked on in May and have since finalized. It's called..."The Duel". I leaned heavily into drums and keeping momentum going, trying to use some more articulations and varying techniques that are inspired by some of the music I was listening to at the time. I created this in FL Studio using a variety of VSTs...mostly from Native Instruments' Symphony Series. But including a cimbalom from Spitfire Audio in there also, as well as their Epic Choirs. Hope you enjoy the listen and can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts.

@Alex Weidmann @BlackkBeethoven Thank you for listening and commenting. Yes, virtual instruments do what they can, and well, I prefer to focus on the composition rather than on post-production with a DAW and so on. That’s why I use an editor (Dorico) with NotePerformer. There are indeed orchestral versions of Debussy’s preludes. Some are very famous, such as the arrangements by Colin Matthews or Stokowski. I must say I didn’t listen to them when I was working on my modest version. In fact, I didn’t even know they existed until I started exploring this piece. It’s been an interesting challenge because of the nature of the piece – so colourful, yet harmonically free and daring at the same time. It’s been a slow process, taking about two months, as I was working under the supervision (on a weekly basis) of a composer and teacher. I’m in a small group (four people) learning orchestration with him, and it’s fantastic… We usually work on shorter excerpts from pieces, but this one was the full work. In fact, there have been some subsequent modifications and improvements, but never mind. Soon we’ll be moving on to orchestrating pieces we’ve composed ourselves; we’ll see how it goes…

Okay!! Nicely done I will do my best to address your points for feedback as best as I can, but I am not the most experienced composer on the site, so I would keep your eyes out for better feedback later. 1. You have a few spots (really a whole section), starting at m.89 until m.96 where your beat 3 is completely unseen. It's a general rule of thumb to keep your 3rd beat clear, for reading purposes. 2. I enjoy the way your build up the piece, but I'm wondering if it would've been more effective had you established the melody a little sooner. Like even right after you state the iconic canon baseline - the melody starting in m.5 rather than the dotted qtr figure would help establish some familiarity (but disregard if this doesn't align with your vision for the piece). In my opinion, I just think it goes on for a little too long without the melody, especially since you mentioned this will be used in a game, I think having the iconic melody present from an earlier point would be nice. 3.This is just another one of those "in my opinion" things. But I would like if the rhythmic escalations were smoother. Like in m.6, if those 32nds were 8th notes or 8th and 16th notes (which would be 3 notes, but you get the gist). Up until that point you've just had qtr notes and 8th notes. Same thing in m.32, I would just prefer a rhythm that is different from what we've seen so far, but not jumping from qtr notes and 8ths and 16ths to 32nd notes. It's just a little jarring. This is part of what makes your inversion section successful to me. The rhythms are lining up and diverging in a way that seems smooth if that makes sense. By that point we've heard all of the rhythms you will use til the end of the piece and the 16th against the 8th makes sense and doesn't feel jarring. (This may speak to your 6th point above) I would say yes, however some of the times where I get a little lost are probably midi playback things and not issues with what's written. This is getting long-winded lol, so I'll end there. But thank you for sharing your work!! Hope my feedback was helpful.

I see, and thank you for explaining the meaning of each part. Once you finish those parts, feel free to share them! I hope it turns out to be a great piece for you. Best, Lithl.

Hi, Lithl Thanks for the feedback. I am still getting used to both the forum and Musescore so that’s why the storyline wasn’t explicitly there. So far, I have the: Children playing - first part Evil stepmother - second part Banished to the forest - third part Finding the house - fourth part After the huge B chord, at “p subito”, the right hand being eventually joined by the left hand is them seeing the witch. Parts I need to finish: The witch actually trapping them Children fight back The witch gets cooked (literally) and the children escape Finale I’m working on them! Plus, only one school week to go until summer break!!

Hello gooberro! This piece feels like it's portraying mysterious characters. It's a nice work, and each section feels like a different character or a different scene being depicted. Personally, I like how it ends. You mentioned it's unfinished, but which part specifically? As a small piece of advice, I feel like when you post a piece, if you include a bit of the background story or specify what kind of feedback you're looking for, people tend to react to it more. Not everyone is like that, but I think that's generally how it goes. Though I'm not really one to talk. Best, Lithl.

Hello gooberro and welcome to YC! I am honestly surprised that no one has given you feedback yet and this is your second piece, as it has a surprisingly high level of quality with interesting progressions and good themes. I appreciate your work very much.

I pray for the fingers of the pianist who attempts performing this piece lol. It is so fast. But the arpeggios are nice, but I feel as though the piece could benefit overall from a slower tempo. Your progression is very nice.

Hello, I tried to create a symphony from scratch again. Maybe this time I made a better version. It's only 1 movement, so it's quite short, 6:22 min. And I would like a review because I want to start a 2nd movement. Simfonija no 1 1 mov.mp3 Simfonija no 1 1 mov.pdf

Don't undersell yourself! This is quite a good attempt, and you've clearly put a lot of thought in the orchestration. I mentioned the slurs mostly because of the bowing/sound implications. With less bow to use for more notes, string player tend to play softer which in your case helps with the softer dynamics (in addition to the legato articulation). I know software can be finicky so totally understand your workaround. "...when Debussy orchestrated, he didn’t care about the number of instruments – it was all in the service of colour." I'm going to disagree with that somewhat. Yes, he wanted different colors, but he was very conscious about experimenting with different timbres/ranges of different instrument families. The harmonics issue: technically playable, yes...but writing 5th touch artificial harmonics is pretty rare in orchestral music. Unless those violinists have big hands, they'd have to stretch more than normal to play that. That's why 4th touch harmonics are better and the standard (I think you might be able to convert some of those)

Hi everyone! I took a break from composing for a while. Recently, I started composing again, and I would like to present my latest composition, an Impromptu, written between May and July 2026. Writing this piece proved challenging – choosing the right material was an endeavor, and most of the effort was spent on completing the coda section. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it, and I would love to hear your thoughts! Carl Koh Wei Hao

Hi @danishali903 I appreciate your comments and will reply to a few in case anyone’s interested I don’t usually write expression slurs (legato) on the strings, except for very short groups of notes. Instead, if I want to do this, I specify ‘legato’ (as an articulation, which the software I use does recognise) and hide the text. Bear in mind that this is an exercise and that the economy of instrumentalists/instruments has not been the priority, although it was not intended to be used indiscriminately either. That is why there is a piccolo alongside the flute and the alto flute, because that line in bar 18 requires three instruments from the same family. The same applies to the four horns and the tuba. Another of the ideas is that, as far as possible, the families should sound harmonically complete, as in the chord in bar 9. As for the harmonics, they have all been checked and are feasible, though I may have made a mistake. I’ve had another look at the ones you mention and they’re fine. In this regard, I recommend this webpage, which lists all the natural and artificial harmonics that can be played (and those that are best avoided). https://conductit.eu/study-room/rehearsal/rehearsal-4/4-6-string-harmonics/ When it comes to orchestration, there are endless possibilities. Probably, by assigning a few lines to other instruments, I could have done without the piccolo or one of the two horns… But then again, let’s be realistic: when Debussy orchestrated, he didn’t care about the number of instruments – it was all in the service of colour. Best. Addendum The issue of legato slurs in the strings is something I’m going to consider writing about (always bearing in mind what they might do, as I understand it). It’s a more specific point. In fact, as I have a few final amendments to make to this orchestration, I’m going to include that point. Thank you. I’m still at 5% in my orchestration skills.

Here's a musical quote from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's Flow - The Psychology of Optimal Experience: And if you've gotten this far, thanks for reading!

This is a very evocative and Debussy-like orchestration! Some minor things: I think you can add slurs in the third measure when strings come in. The articulation is suppose to be legato and smooth, and slurs will help with that. Continue the slurs in the viola/cello/bass melody in bar 5 onwards. Same thing in bar 28...and since the violins are PP, slurs would DEFINITELY help. Probably can consolidate the 3 flute parts to 2, with the 2nd player doubling on alto and piccolo. Probably can remove the tuba too since it's mostly doubling the double basses. You might also be able to consolidate the 4 horns to 2. Play around with mixing bassoons or clarinets with horns. Some of the violin harmonics look suspicious...measure 19 specifically in 1st violins.

HanselandGretel_unfin2.mp3 HanselandGretel_unfin2.pdf

Hello! As other people have mentioned, this is pretty darned good for a second composition ever. Not finished, but plenty of material to work with and plenty of places to go I think.... I read the title of the piece (Hansel and Gretel), I listen and close my eyes and I can imagine Hansel and Gretel. So, I mean, mission accomplished! I played along a bit on the keyboard and there are some nice chord changes that capture the mood changes. It all seems fairly smooth. Transitions seem pretty good to me. There is enough variation to keep things interested. It really tells a story...I'd be interested in hearing/seeing more!!!

Thank you! I will keep this in mind, I am used to a digital so I have little experience with these things! gooberro

Great job!! I really enjoyed your contrast - one thing I would maybe consider is adjusting some of the evil stepmother section. That register of the piano can be very muddy if not approached correctly. I think adding some pedal markings would help ensure a cleaner performance. I also appreciate how you transitioned between sections. They're not abrupt and are very smooth. I don't really have any critiques - thank you for sharing and happy composing!!

Hi layneleefilm! This piece is amazing. The impact of the percussion is powerful and captures the feel of "The Duel." You have wonderful skills in both composition and music production. The composition is excellent, the way it quiets down at 1:14 and creates an atmosphere of something looming. I like the melody lines, too. I’m curious about what kind of music you were listening to when you composed this. I’d love it if you could share that with me! Best, Lithl.

This will be fun competition to partake in. The results will be interesting!

Hello! I come to you with yet another refurbished piece from over a decade ago. I welcome any of your comments, critiques, feedback or observations. Thanks for listening and I hope you enjoy! Edit: I've included a 2nd mp3 rendition of the piece normalized to get rid of clipping. A Scherzo in Bb.mp3 A Scherzo in Bb Print.pdf A Scherzo in Bb 2.mp3

Yes, in previous competitions, when people already had a piece pre-composed WAAAY ahead of time (like years) that fit the instrumentation and other requirements for the competition, they were able to submit it. However, such entries were obvious to the judges and it didn't predispose those entries to being judged favorably as they didn't fit the theme of the competition as nicely. But that doesn't and shouldn't keep the contestants from trying if they wish to do so. To concur with what @MK_Piano mentioned above, I do think we will from now on count the ensemble size by the number of performers/players not instruments. That can include just about any sound that a human being and their available tools at hand is capable of producing (although this can get pretty involved if you care to do so). Also there's a very easy way to get Musescore to only display staves that have events in them (if multiple instruments are played at once like in the case of an involved percussion rack or something).

I will let Peter reply officially to this. In the meantime, from what the sentiment was last time regarding percussion ensembles: 1. Ensemble size starts with the amount of persons and performers. NOT instruments. 2. Individuals can swap instruments. 5-10 instruments can also mean 5-10 persons. However, 5 percussionists can play 2-3 instruments depending on the part. This said, in percussion ensemble, you would not have 15 staves to show all instruments played. Instead, 5 staves (in this example) and use written instructions to showcase the performer changing instruments (see below): You use one stave to mark one performer, however, write in the part when they change instruments. So, for your previous submission, you would need to find away to only use 5-10 staves for 5-10 persons and not instruments. Whether or not previous submissions are okay? That is for Peter to answer.

The rhythmic elements reminds of Darius Milhaud. Quite enjoyable. Mark

Wonderful orchestration - lovely, lovely color! I find this orchestration to be incredibly balanced - fresh and innovative, while holding to the character of the original. As @Alex Weidmann said, I also think the flute choir was an excellent idea. Your choices feel very intentional, and I enjoyed listening to your orchestration! I would love to see how you might approach something by Bonds or Price.

Hi Luis, This is a great piece to choose for orchestration! I'm sure I've played this on the piano in the past. It uses one of Debussy's favourite tricks with its harmonic planing, and has some lovely impressionist touches. I wonder, are there any other orchestrated versions; or is yours the first? Using a choir of flutes was a neat idea, and I like your harp harmonics (near the start). Also harp with glockenspiel is an effective combination that I probably wouldn't have thought of. My only wish is that you had slightly better instrument libraries to do justice to your score, as the rendition doesn't always sound fully realistic.

Hello everyone! Today, I am sharing my newest and extensive work for the string orchestra. Set in three movements within the key of G-minor, this work was completed after two years since it's initial creation and has a runtime of 14 minutes. The original first movement was made back in April of 2024, while the rest of the sonata was both created and completed in the summer of 2026. The two years in between these milestones saw an exponential growth in my skill and after a summer of listening to a large sum of chamber music, I felt inspired to finish the set and diversify my collection of works. If you would like to know more about the score, please go to page 2 (or page 4 of the PDF) to view specific information at each movement. Thanks for listening and viewing the score! __________________________ If you have any comments, whether constructive, critical or positive, drop your thoughts on this thread! I will reply when able. G-minString_Sonata_AUDIO.mp3 G-minString_Sonata_SCORE.pdf

Definitely Different than your usual Compositions,the Instrument sounds are of far superior quality ,than Musescore Of course this must be YOU.............However the overall "NEW" orchestration sounds like someone else ?

Hello, L.S Barros! This piece has a medieval musical feel, yet the combination of instruments and sounds gives it a more ethnic atmosphere. This was fun to listen to :) I haven't been with YC for very long, but I'm happy to see you back at YCF! Best, Lithl.

Thank you! I don’t know if there’s a reply button, but this works. I just really tried to capture the kids playfulness with the evil stepmother, and the fog of the forest. For the directions I tried to use detailed ones to enhance the depth of the piece. 😁

Thanks, Mason! I do recognize that this is a lot of music to sift through and it isn't at all an expectation that you go through it all. No doubt that the things you have picked up already will apply generally. You are teaching me important things; for example, I wasn't aware of the 5ths double stopping issue. Also, for some reason I have never mastered use of slurs in my music. I think it is because I have been more focused on the technical aspects of voice leading and structure that I have neglected these performance indications. It is definitely something I need to get better at. The same applies to the page formatting issues you have highlighted. I agree that if this work was ever received by an orchestra to play, these things would be essential! As for the wind instruments - whether they should be divided into two parts as per convention and in the interests of adding depth, this is something else I will look into. At the moment, there are simply four individual parts for the wind instruments. 🙂

Hello again! I found some downtime today and decided to look at the first movement of your work briefly. Here are some annotations: M. Boyd - Symphony in A [ANNOTATED].pdf

Hello, PeterthePapercomPoser. This track is really nice. I did notice some clipping, especially around the 1:24 mark. As for the composition itself, it maintains a consistent atmosphere throughout, yet features unexpected twists that make it enjoyable to listen to. As a remake of a decade-old piece, I wonder if they composed it at a pretty young age? You may have already been skilled at composition back then. Best, Lithl.

This is a nice piece! It would be great for students working on waltz patterns, since the melody, especially in the beginning section is more simplistic and repetitive so they can focus on the LH. However...I would love to see you develop that section a little more. Rhythm, the shape of your line, etc. Just for some variety so it's not so repetitive - repetition is good,but not to the point where listeners are no longer "surprised" by what they're hearing/what they might hear. Your B & C sections do a much better job of applying this - repetition without becoming TOO repetitive. Good job overall, keep composing! I would love to see how your work grows

Hi, TristanTheTristan, This music is enjoyable. It seems tough to play on the piano, but the rhythmic feel of the arpeggios is great. Personally, though, I felt the ending after 1:06 wasn't really necessary. It might feel more natural for a miniature if the arpeggios just slowed down to a smooth close. Overall, it’s a nice arpeggio miniature Best, Lithl.

@interlect is "Contemporary Composers Sector" supposed to be a competition theme proposal? How would it work?

Hello It has a very classical sound. First of all, I find it strange that there are no cellos. Or is it the double bass line that’s written an octave higher? Apart from that, it all sounds rather ‘homophonic’ to me; in other words, although there’s a certain degree of counterpoint here and there, the melody is played on all the instruments for much of the time, either doubled or in octaves. Given that the rhythmic motif appears constantly, it does end up sounding a bit monotonous. I think that in a classical orchestration of this kind, there need to be some basic orchestral layers: a bass line (usually reinforced), a purer melodic line—not overwhelmed by too many instruments at once—and harmonic support. And then you can add counter-melodies, transitions, ‘riffs’ and ornamentation. All of this serves to emphasise the climactic moments.

Very Nice........ i really like the waltz style, and you've achieved a high level of professionalism the Melody is instantly recognized as a Melody, and stands above the rest of the composition well done.

Hey y’all! I hope you are doing great. A couple of months ago, I was asked to write a string quartet for the University of Michigan to perform. Though many other composers also premiered their own works, I could tell in rehearsal with these string players that there was so much fun to looking into something more conceptual, though I tried as not to make it too contemporary. I also got to speak with the composition director at University of Michigan Dr. Roshane Etezady, who’s a wonderful sweet person as well as some conductors and composers. It took about a month to write, and with only 6 minutes to write I had to shorten a lot because I was so captivated by this opportunity. Thank you for listening and feel free to check out any files or anything! I have a YouTube and an Audio.com, but I would keep to the YouTube, I upload more often. YouTube Link: File: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zsbitZUELu9KCGlhchJqwqhDEUSNZvEv/view?usp=drivesdk

Hello! *disclaimer, I know nothing about Polkas I listened to the entire thing and on first impression is that ending seems a bit too abrupt. With all the nice loud right hand chords...just kinda feels like it's needs another punch in the right direction at the end. Maybe it's because you modulate to Bb and end on the F, which feels like ending on the dominant? Maybe just do the last note with both right hand an left hand? I don't know, but yeah, if that's the not fully resolved sound that you were going for then, mission accomplished I think. Listened to a second time, ending still felt weird. Then I tried to play along with the piece on the keyboard Sometimes, the chords just kinda clash with the melody and the harmony feels a bit off. Like in measure 6/7. Bb, C D in the right hand, and F root triad going to D octaves in the left hand. You end up with this sort of weird class between the A in the left hand and the Bb in the right hand and this sort of "power chord" without any thirds in in the beginning of measure 7. Maybe instead of a F root triad, gotta throw in a first inversion C7 chord. And instead of the D octaves, adding a third somewhere in there. For the nice big loud part (around measure 25), personal preference for my ears...I'd add a F to nice big G chord in the right hand in measure 25, play the G/F with my thumb to make it all sound a bit thicker and maybe transition from the Bb chord nicer. It sounds nice enough the way you had it, so more of a preference thing for my ears. The title is amazing, do all Polkas have funny song titles?

Hey! I am wondering if there can be a concert band option, or if I check chamber or full orchestra, if that counts as concert band?

thanks for all the replies as again I think going by ensemble size is much better. This will also prevent people from pulling a fast one with making “string orchestra”stuff. (a moment, including me that I’m not proud of.). But basically taking something that is meant for five instruments in treating it using patches for a section.

I wrote a trombone solo based on sounds I heard while out bar-hopping with one of my bandmates. The audio and score are attached. LasChicasLocasFriend.mp3 Las Chicas Locas.pdf

This is one of my first orchestrations, and I would really like some feedback. "Where did all the time go?" is an emotional, mentally exposing, orchestrated piece meant to connect with everyone. The story behind this piece is to represent how priceless time is and how time flies by so fast, and we sometimes never take the time to enjoy it. It reflects our lives—from our first steps to the defining milestones of maturity. This composition demands total emotional transparency from the performer; the music flourishes only when the performer fully commits to that emotional truth. Throughout the score, recurring motifs serve as a narrative engine, guiding the listener through the distinct and shifting phases of a life well-lived. Where did all the time go

Another wonderful piece!! I love the changes in character and how you developed the piece throughout, while still keeping a very cohesive sound. Well done! I really don't have any critiques, other than to edit the orientation to make it more suited for printing it and playing it.

@TristanTheTristan It's interesting that you would mention the influence of Prokefiev and Rachmaninoff on this one. It's certainly there with this one, but I don't feel like it shines through quite like it usually does--I take a lot of inspiration from the late 19th and early 20th century composers for most of my work, especially the Russian ones (I <3 Stravinsky).

I decided to not waste my life and compose something*. Sibelius crashed so I used musescore. This song is meant to sound not evil or phonk. I spent around idk like maybe 30-40 hours on this piece in total? I tried to use some "counterpoint" but since I am not good at music theory I have no idea whether I did it correctly. I used caesura's 3 times in total. Again I don't know if that's correct or not. Also, some voice crossings are in there, but I couldn't find it. I honestly have no clue how polished the piece is, it's one of my first 10 pieces. I started it in like 8th grade and finished it this summer (going into 9th grade) in case anyone decides to comment on how dogwater my skills are. Also, first time using tremolo in any piece. I play violin well, CM'd like 2 years so I'm PRETTY sure the violin portion is playable and well, but I have 0 clue about the other parts because I don't play any of the other string instruments. Most of the song is in the last part.... another issue probobly That said, well, I would like some feedback. ESPECIALLY in these spots: 1. Middle section, I don't know why I wrote it but, is it fitting? It's slow and not very "elaborate" and also it's placed weirdly IMO cause it's like supposed to be in the middle, but it's also not really centered. the part after it is MUCH more than the first portion. It's like centered but not centered but also centered but technically not centered but also IG kind of centered, but like it's not really centered. 2. Whole notes. I know like barber do it often especially in adagio but a bunch of people I saw in like online threads saying like that whole notes are generally not good? IDK I personally don't mind it too much but yeah. 3. counterpoint, I feel like I messed it up bad, but then I don't know how to improve it 4. dynamics. I know there is MASSIVE room for improvement because, yeah, it's really bad Structure. I never studied structure before, so I have no idea what is what. I TRIED to use like ABA but the second A portion is very off balanced. So the structure is trash and could use much improvement Thank you for your critique in advance, and thank you for your time. *I'm composing because I broke my nvidia rtx 5090 and now I can't play games at 1000 fps so I quit entirely dawn-and-nightfall.mp3 Dawn-and-nightfall.pdf

Hello! Over the last few days, I’ve listened and looked at the score quite a lot. I felt it within my interest to analyze the score. The attached PDF is culmination of my annotations and comments. If you have any questions, I’ll do my best to answer! Good work! A. Ko - Poem for Orchestra [ANNOTATED].pdf

Thank you, Mason. I will amend the score layout this morning. I appreciate this will make it easier to scrutinize for those having a deep dive. The current view and lack of repeats is intention for my own eyes and there is often no point having repeats during this phase of work. But yet, with the repeats the first movement will be at least 10 minutes once I am done with it. You seem to be a guy who knows his stuff. Very much looking forward to your comments. Will check out your stuff too!