Jackson

CONGRATULATIONS TO JOHN FOR BEING A FINALIST IN THE ORLANDO PHIL'S YOUNG COMPOSERS CHALLENGE!! Great job, man. I'm going to try to make the concert in a few weeks. It sounds like quite an exciting event. -Jackson

Okay, I've edited the piece. To change up the melody, I have the same melody in double time thrown in many times during the piece. Sometimes it's alone and sometimes it's put over the regular 8th note melody. Please tell me what you think of this. I've also added a marimba part to the piece which mostly doubles the piano part. I think the marimba came out a little too much in the mix of the MIDI, but I really just want it to reinforce everything else, especially in the end. I've added accents to the brass to make them come out more near the end. I especially want the trumpets to come out when they are the only ones with the 8th notes. I stretched out the ending some and gave all the brass accented 8th notes to keep pushing until the dead stop at the end. The MIDI cuts it off short, but I think you get what I'm trying out. Again, please give me your thoughts. Thanks! :D GetBornv2.pdf Get Bornv2.mid

Yeah, I understand what you mean by arranging it for the instruments. 2nd trumpet does get a beater part, but it can be done. I know this because I have played non-stop parts. It just takes analysis of what else is going on and where the right spot is to breathe. Brass quintet is my favorite kind of ensemble because I think a good group can very effectively imitate an organ. I would not do something like this with a woodwind or string ensemble. Thanks!

I know what you mean about the meter, and I did give that some thought. I didn't take the time, though, to change it to something more effective. I slipped it in a broad x/1 meter because that's the feeling I want as opposed to an x/4 time. I had a pipe organ in mind when composing this piece, and I did give thought to what you're saying. I think it can work with a quintet, though. It would just take work with the ensemble. Thank you for the comments!

Hello, everyone! This piece for brass quintet that I have entitled "pace via organo". It's a piece that is very close to me, and I think it turned out pretty good. The MIDI realization it very good. The only issue is the very last note. It should be a little longer, but the MIDI cuts it short. The score I've included is non-transposed. Should any of you prefer a transposed score, please let me know and I will post one. I look foward to your comments! -Jackson pace via organo.mid pace_via_organo.pdf

Pro'ly my two favorite composers are John [Coolidge] Adams and Philip Glass. I've been liking them a lot more now, because I see their influence in my own compositions. It's just all-around great stuff, to me. Besides those two, I enjoy very much the works of Steve Reich, Richard Wagner, Frank Ticheli, Jerry Goldsmith, Ralph Vaughan-Williams (As a tuba player, I'm required to:D), Charles Ives, Ottorino Respighi, John Williams, Gustav Holst, Giovanni Gabrieli

Thank you for your thoughts! Yes, I understand what you mean about the rhythms and timbre changes. I will check it out today and see how I can develop that. The ending was something I was fighting with myself over. I may very well draw it out and cut off that unison tonic at the end. I especially appreciate your comment about the percussion! I am not a percussionist, but I still try to write parts that "fit" with the rest of the piece. Again, thanks for your time!

Dude, these are awesome! You play very well. One small thing to point out, though. In those runs in Mad Monster Mansion @ 1:06, I think you are relying too much on your right hand. If you use your left hand for more of those runs, you won't have to be darting aroun and working harder than you have it. Still, though, great performances!

I have a nasty habit of peeling the skin on my lips. I also play the tuba. Needless to say, a world of bloody hurt. :(

Hello, all! This is an piece I have entitled "Get Born: Song of Life for orchestra". I very much like it, and I wanted to know what others think of it. Composing is becoming a big part of my life now, and I want to get all the feedback I can. The score I have included is non-transposed. Should any of you feel more comfortable with a transposed score, please tell me and I will put one up. The one issue with the non-transposed with the score with the bass clarinet part getting jumbled up. :P The MIDI realization is more or less what I have in mind for the piece. I wish I had access to a more realistic concert bass drum sound, but I think it's all right how it is. Enjoy! -Jackson GetBorn.pdf Get Born.mid

Oh man, this one piece. I was doing this for almost 5 hours last night. It's a full symphony orchestra piece, and I finished the most of it at 4:30 in the morning, so it's very rough (no markings, etc.). I'm very happy with it's outcome, though, especially since I do not write a whole lot of full orchestra pieces.

I think you'd be surprised... I've done something similar by placing scratch-off lotto tickets under a random car's windshield wipers. The feeling is indescribable! :toothygrin:

I've had the good fortune of playing in a couple of very nice brass quintets this summer (me on tuba). The experience was phenomenal. This came at the time where I had just started to enter the realm of really composing music. Every since then, a brass quintet (Trumpet x2, Horn, Trombone, Tuba) has been my "go-to" ensemble. When I fiddle around on my keyboard, I will usually use the Church Organ setting which resembles a nice pipe organ, so, technically, pretty much all of my brass quintet pieces could be easily playable on a pipe organ (and sound good, too!). If any of you have heard a real pipe organ played, you will know that kind of sound. Many of my compositions have that organ-sound in mind, and I just cannot get enough of it. Did I mention that I love the works of Giovanni Gabrieli and that of Robert King? :toothygrin: