Glenn Simonelli

I tried combining the winds and horns in pairs and squashed the drums. Hopefully it will be easier to read now.

Nice. I like how you work all the dissonant intervals into what is essentially a calm, pleasant piece. It creates a lot of mini tension/resolution moments--almost like ripples--within the overall structure.

That's a great idea. Maybe I'll go back and try combining the different instruments on 1 or 2 tracks (and squashing the drums down to one track) to improve readability.

I've attached the score. Before all you trumpeters and trombonists start attacking me, allow me to explain something. I've tried for years, mostly unsuccessfully, to get people to perform my music. Eventually, I got tired of writing music that no one will ever hear. So a couple of years ago I gave up worrying about all the nuances of making a piece playable and decided to concentrate on just getting the best-sounding electronic example of the piece possible (using the fairly limited electronic resources that I had at my disposal). This way, I could at least post them to the internet. The synth solo, for example, was originally a trombone solo. I changed it to synth because the trombone sounds on Sibelius are not very good. And yes, I know that the trumpet and trombone parts would be pretty annoying to have to play, and I would never write parts like that if I thought anyone would ever have to perform them. But since I no longer worry about people having to play these parts, I just write what I think sounds good coming over the speakers and don't worry about the musicians. Lame, yes. But if no one has to play them then there's no harm done. I hope. Also, you'll notice that I write each element of the drum set separately. That's so that I can get a better balance during the mix down. All that said, here's a pdf of the score.

Thanks, markstyles. I'll try to post the score when I get home tonight.

I've just finished a new song for large jazz ensemble called "Fear No Fifth." After mucking about in the 1950s/early 60s for my last couple of songs, I think I've finally graduated into the mid-1970s with a Tower of Power-type big-band something-or-other. I guess it's basically a blues with an extended vamp during the solos, the type of song that Count Basie or Duke Ellington could have knocked off in about a day and a half; I've been working on it since March. Anyway, I hope you like it. I can post the score if anyone's interested.

I think Chopin's Prelude in e minor (Op.28 No.4) evokes feelings of shame. But maybe that's because I'm such a sloppy piano player.

Thanks for he tip. I just checked it out. Looks interesting. At $129, the price seems very reasonable if it improves my horn and string sounds. My composing computer isn't connected to the internet, so I've written to technical support to see if I can download the software to an external hard drive and then upload it from there. I know the 30 day free trail needs an internet connection, but I'm hoping that if I purchase it outright it will work without being connected.

Thank you for responding to my questions. I appreciate your advice, and someday I will look into booking a professional orchestra. I have to admit that I'm a little jealous that you can do this professionally, but the piece clearly shows your talents, so it's no surprise. Is this piece going to appear in a movie or video production soon? If so, I have two more questions. 1) What guidelines were you given; were you shown any part of the production or video clips before you started composing? 2) How long did it take from first receiving the assignment to completing the recording?

You might check out Pro Tools. It's designed to work with Sibelius, which you already own.

I use Sibelius 7. I noticed that there's a new version 8. Have any Sibelius 7 users upgraded to 8? Are you pleased with the upgrade? I'm satisfied with Sibelius 7 for composing. My only reason for wanting to upgrade is to get better sounds when I render the songs. In particular, I'd like to get more realistic-sounding strings and better solo trumpets and trombones (although brass sections as a whole seem okay). Also, the piano on Sibelius 7 sounds a little bit muddy to my ears. Does version 8 offer any improvements in these areas?

Thanks for the information. I'm not familiar with MixCraft 8. I'll have to look into it.

How do we add a video to this list? I have one I'd like to add:

One more piece of advice: Dedicate half your working time to composing, the other half to self-promotion. Sorry if this sounds cynical, but that's the way things are--you have to get people to hear your music.

Bandcamp probably pays the best royalties for recordings, Really Good Music for scores. Of course, the problem with these or any other sites is getting your music heard when you're competing with thousands of other composers for listeners' ears. Like you, I've also put videos of my music on Youtube, some of which have been viewed by literally dozens of people around the world. Hope to break 100 someday . . . Anyway, good luck with your piano pieces. Hope you can get some takers.