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This seems cool! I intend to submit something. I'll also be planning on live streaming my composition process on Twitch throughout the week. https://www.twitch.tv/jdevormusic

Yes, this is very helpful. I've actually looked into historical records of Schuman and his mental illness. Some think it was a neurological condition, others not so much. I think politics gets involved too. I've ventured my own educated guess on the matter. For me, it's also a matter of professional interest in some ways. I've heard the stories of Rach and the failure of his first symphony and his come back piano concerto No2. I've heard about the stories of tragedy of Mahler's life, I think his children was killed tragically? I guess maybe I wasn't as specific...I am not really looking at composers who have mental illness. Music can be written by all sorts of people, I don't know that a mental illness is drastically going to alter the music with the possible exception of claiming that music is more authentic (if writing a song about, a mental illness that a composer actually has experienced. I am looking at deliberate depictions of mental illness in music. So, a song specifically written about a diagnosis, like Bipolar Disorder. It could be written by a person who has bipolar disorder, or a person who does not have bipolar disorder...if that makes sense. Thanks for sharing some tidbits on the other composers that I was not aware of. It may interest you that people have looked into the link between mental illness and creativity and there is some strong correlation with mood disorders (depression/bipolar disorder) and increased creativity. My ultimate goal isn't to romanticize or pathology these illnesses...I am trying to write a song to humanize these illnesses and perhaps to get people to understand mental illnesses better, reduce the stigma, maybe talk about it a bit more. So hopefully in this sense, this post is not overly controversial. I am not suggesting that people who compose music are more or less mentally ill than the general population.

Lots of points to address here! I was going for upper Classical era (1775-1799), but I can see a bit of Schubert era in it; perhaps not in the modulations I used but in the texture and techniques. (Modulation: I strictly stayed away from modulation by Chromatic mediant and heavier use of the chromatic scale. That would have occurred decades later. I did, however, stick to borrowed Major-minor and common dim. sevenths; both of which were highly characteristic of Piano Sonatas of the era!). As far as whether my music is absolute or programmatic: one may say it's in a grey area between. I do hope to paint a loose narrative at best. The rest is simply left to be enjoyed for the music it is. Thank you. And, cheers! The MIDI was indeed a little distorted. So, hopefully, that does clear up a lot of any questioning areas that you may have found. Otherwise, I suppose it would behoove me to ask specificallywhere you particularly saw issues with this ensemble's effectiveness. If limited range, as well as the DB playing too fast in its 'Altissimo' range where it wouldn't speak like the Cello, are it, I am completely aware of these issues; and have made revisions to an earlier addition that hopefully address them decently. Though, I am still open to addressing any lingering and persisting issues that may still be there. That aside: It was very much my knowing someone would say this that actually drove me to be a passionate Viola composer; and to develop the Alto Piano Trio ensemble to begin with. 😁 The Viola is, from my understanding, still an under-represented and continually under-appreciated instrument; in the orchestra and in general use. (Though, thanks to the classical movement that I am a part of to promote it, representation has improved since the Classical.) The Double-Bass is not too far from that same boat. And thus, my hope to see ever-changes to that gave birth to this ensemble. (As one Violinist, who actually supports my vision and mission, had light-heartedly told me: "You don't need to write anything more for us. We have enough Piano Trios, Violin/Cello Concertos, Violin/Cello orchestral solos, Violin/Cello Sonatas, Violin/Cello string duos, String Quartets featuring Cello/Violin I, etc. to last [Violinists/Cellists] a lifetime".)

Sometime I enjoy just making a bad song. I was going for a late 80’s early 90’s adult contemporary sound. Bad Pop Rock Song No.3.mp3

Robert Schumann is the most famous one. He was bipolar and was very prolific during his manic periods and produced almost nothing during his depressive states. He of course ended up in an asylum. Tchaikovsky suffered from severe depression and aniexty. He had a fear his head would fall off while conducting and would hold it with one hand. Mahler and Rachmaninov both suffered from clinical depression. While Bruckner had OCD, being famous for having an obsession with counting objects. And finally Arnold Schoenberg had triskaidekaphobia, a severe fear of the number 13.

@ARCMusicPublishings You’re absolutely right in that I did not wish to convey a “dismissive” attitude. When I post feedback on works here, i primarily look for two things: The intentions and approach to the work. If this isn’t provided, I ask to inform my feedback. The score: this helps inform whatever feedback i may have. All of this ties in with the way in which I seek to provide feedback: What is the story being told, here? How is that narrative constructed? What are the strengths and limitations? What recommendations might I have? In this case, I had neither to work with but a 13 minute long audio file, with individual movements at least timestamped. This is why I asked the creator to share this, but unfortunately was not forthcoming with that. Some general advice to those listening: I would really recommend anyone posting content on this forum for constructive feedback to make explicit this kind of important information at the outset, not only in courtesy to the reviewer but also to give your own music the attention it deserves. Otherwise they leave it up to the listener to work it all out, which risks not only to diminish engagement but also misinterpreting or under appreciating the music itself. And while it is true that I have my own musical preferences, I make a lot of effort to keep that out of the foreground. What matters most to me is how effective the narrative is. If there is no narrative, I would seek to justify that, such as your point regarding background music. I don’t feel however that this was purposed as such. There are too many prominent motifs, apparent contrapuntal textures and dissonances, in my estimation.