UncleRed99

So, I shared this work in progress a few weeks ago... In the meantime between then and now, I discovered my best friend (my pet) lying in the back yard, unmoving... Tragically, I'd determined that he was killed by my neighbor's dogs... This has struck me very firmly in the chest, and has been difficult to cope with. The little guy was my shadow. Every time I would be composing music, working on a car, doing yard work, or simply sitting outside in the sun, he was always right there, in my lap or somewhere not too far off beside me, supervising or just simply exercising his need to exist in the same space with me. I don't have many people in my life, not anyone who I can physically spend any time with, anyway.. He filled that void. So.. I've decided that I'll dedicate this new score as a way to tell his short life's story instrumentally. The prologue section represents his life before I ever met him. Telling a story of confusion, misplacement, and abandonment, as he was a kitten on his own in the city streets without a family, without his siblings or his mother. My sister found him on a particularly wet and rainy afternoon in september of 2020, near her home, running across the road during heavy traffic. This prompted her to retrieve him in order to prevent him from being hurt, beginning his journey into my care. I don't have a name for the second section, quite yet, but the beginning of the section begins with a light, heartfelt, but careful explanation of the time that we first met, after I adopted him. At that time, I was a bit worse for wear, in the mental department due to the circumstances in my life at the time. He was a gift to me to assist in easing the pain of abandonment that I was feeling in that point in time. We were both careful of one another and learning who each other were. Later in that section, the orchestration demonstrates a bit of playfulness, representing when we became comfortable with one another. From there... I haven't gotten much further. I hope the back-story context is able to shed some light on the composition and the choices made, thus far, in it's writing. Please, let me know what you all think. I appreciate the feedback in advance, and I apologize for not being too conversational, as of late, as I am in the process of mourning his passing, especially given that it was so sudden and tragic... Please bear with me. 🙂New(2).pdf New(2).mp3

@Churchcantor Figured I’d nudge ya regarding your thoughts on this score and what could’ve been done to improve it 🙂 Life gets ahead of all of us, as I’m aware. I’m sure this post went to the back of your mind after some time. No rush! Just didn’t want ya to forget about me!

Needing suggestions on potentially what to begin with, moving forward, in terms of what Chapter 1 of this story will be... and How to incorporate elements from the current "Prologue" into it? Never really wrote one in this format before. Figure I'd try something new. The story is mostly paying Homage to the person I used to be, highlighting the turmoil within the circumstances that molded me as the man I am today. So, think in terms of life's traumatic experiences, with that hopefulness intermixed within the chords being the representation of the moments we live for. I'm unsure of what to name this score, at this moment. But I wanted to provide context moving forward for anyone who might have some ideas to put on paper. 🙂

No hurry! 🙂

Oh, i almost forgot to mention, I'll give credit to @MK_Piano for his idea to throw that E Natural in there in the bigger sections, for more dramatic emphasis on the chord progression there. Marvelous Idea, I thought

Would you be willing to elaborate on this point? (meaning, if you would, explain your thoughts on this, by quoting bar numbers or specific phrases where I could improve upon this idea?)

Now that you mention it, I can see where I got a bit zealous in the writing as it pertains to what the playback sounded like 😅 And since it was a while ago that I actually wrote this score, I didn't change much from how I had it originally. I may go back and rework those sections now that you say that, because I would happen to agree with those notions. Thanks for your feedback Henry! It's always appreciated 🙂

Thank you thank you ❤️ I may post periodic updates as things progress, especially if I find myself lost on where to go. That tends to happen quite often.. lol but since I do this on my down time, It helps to be forced to take breaks from writing, on a consistent basis, so I have to go deaf to what I wrote a few hours ago. That helps come back at it fresh again. But right now, I'm struggling with how to progress the cello section, into a transition towards an A' or B' section again...

Yes, ideas that I've brewed as well. I'm glad that the ideas are not lonely, here. lol I also just wanted to share this because c'mon... Why wouldn't I show these chords off for others to enjoy as well 😭 They're gorgeous, I think

Thoughts on my current rough-drafted ideas / progress on a new symphony orchestral score I'm working on? I've updated the structure of it in it's entirety, and have decided to take a different approach on it's design flow... Haven't really come up with much else beyond this point. But I'd like to hear some feedback regarding the current feel of it. There are still some areas where the notation hasn't been filled in all the way, for some measures/chords. So disregard anywhere that feels "thin" :) Thanks in advance 😉 New(2).pdf New(2).mp3

Hey Peter. Sorry I ended up missing out these last few days of the month. Personal-side issues, on quite a severe level, have had my focus diverted on them rather than here. Since Music is more of a Hobby for me, I'm unable to prioritize it often. I will still go through and provide feedback for the pieces I missed, as time permits, for the sake of integrity and following through with what I helped to plan for the forum with you all. 🙂

Ah, I caught that Toccata and Fugue in D minor Reference lol Subjectively, I feel this piece could've been made much more enjoyable to listen through all the way, had you made different choices with harmony, in this work! While I understand the goal is to capture "Halloween" as a theme, every bar in this score seems to have some level of dissonance. Especially in the "F" section. You begin with a nice, but lonely piano texture, then comes in the strings, like nails on a chalkboard, much like most of the piece presents itself, in the strings. In my humble opinion, I feel when it comes to music, even the music that's meant to elicit a feeling of unrest, suspense, or thrill such as the Halloween theme should represent, finding a way to balance out dissonance with consonance is a very important aspect in creating something that can be enjoyed by everyone, or utilized within other works of art such as film for example. Telling a clear story using melodic textures that are able to be naturally resonated with is Important, if you were to ask me. Otherwise, the score had interesting ideas that should be commended. I will have to agree with much of the feedback that Daniel @Omicronrg9 has left behind for you to review. Thank you for sharing! Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 4 2 5 5 8 8 8 2 Average Score: 5.25

Quite a unique ensemble... 2x Pianos & 1x Violinist? Interesting... lol Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 7 7 4 10 5 0 4 5 Average Score: 5.25 😉 I will try to return and elaborate on this score tally when I have time to do so. Thanks for sharing!!!

Melodies Themes Motives Harmony Chords Textures Form Development Structure Time Originality Creativity Score Presentation Instrumentation Orchestration Playability Execution of Given Challenge Taste 3 3 7 8 5 9 7 4 Average Score: 5.75 😉 I will try to come back here, when I have time to, to provide a more thorough explanation of my reasoning with this score tally. Thanks for sharing!!!

Fair enough. I suppose I didn't catch the underlying meaning or intent behind the notation. As you know, I was always a wind instrumentalist, not classically trained. So my interpretation of sheet music may differ from those who are classically trained. Although, I did mention that I can't see that as a "problem" and more so viewed it as a technicality. Which had no bearing on my final scoring of the piece! But thank you for clarifying that point 😉