The Healing Process

Hi Everyone.

This is a new orchestral piece I have entitled "The Healing Process." It is a bittersweet testament to the chronic illnesses and health problems I have endured this year, (so please pardon the over sentimental dramaticism.) :D I'd love to know everyone's opinion!

Thanks a bunch

Jared

Here's the link!

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=639078&content=songinfo&songID=6016884

The main theme sort of reminds me of the opening of the OST to "The Day After Tomorrow".

It's pretty, but just a tiny bit too limited harmonically. It doesn't seem to break away from its tonic for long, nor break away to anywhere too far. There's a brief moment of chromaticism that implies there will be more distant movement, yet it again returs to the tonic.

I don't think that's a fault in itself, but it's one reason I found this piece less interesting.

Sorry to hear about your health problems. I can commiserate, I know what that's like.

Thank you for your comments! I see what you mean about the opening of "The Day After Tomorrow." I also see what you mean about the harmonic limitations of the piece, however, I appreiciate your willingness to disregard that as a fault.

I'm sorry to hear that you have had health problems as well! It's a real pain isn't it?

Once again, thank you for your comments and kind words.

Jared

By the way, just so you know, this is a bit of a "guilty pleasure" of mine... I often will put The Day After Tomorrow DVD into my player just for the opening credits.

I think there's still some very good material in your piece, you could certainly rework it substantially into something fuller. Maybe the insertion of a more characteristically marked second theme might allow you to treat this as an actualy symphonic movement? There is definately room for development, so it's not out of the question that this could be a very good starting point for a symphonic movement.

Not having seen the score, I don't know what your starting orchestration was. I get the feeling, however, that it does not use the full complement of an orchestra?

By the way, just so you know, this is a bit of a "guilty pleasure" of mine... I often will put The Day After Tomorrow DVD into my player just for the opening credits.

Same here :toothygrin:

But then I also like to watch the rest of the film as well (just can't turn it off when Jake's on screen). :blush:

But yeah I really liked this piece of music. Harmonic Minor 6ths are wonderful as are the sounds, what did you use?

Also enjoyed the orchestration as well, a very nice piece.

Thanks guys! Yes, Kloser did a wonderful job with "The Day After Tomorrow," and I am indeed flattered to have reminded you of his work.

Once again, thank you for the critique and compliments.

Fan

You seem to be leading us somewhere with this , so I assume that it is not complete. If it is completed, then you begin to leads us somewhere and we do not arrive. It is a sad and searching piece that can turn into something wonderful.

Ron

You sense much... : ) This piece represents a yet unresolved time of my life, only after some things are resolved will I feel truly compelled to finish it. As it stands it is incomplete and begging for more development.

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment on my piece, it means a lot to me.

Jared

Hey I like it straight away. Very movie-like and I can see people commenting about how similar it is with the day after tomorrow. It would be cool to see you compose for movie =P (or are you already).

Whatever the sickness is, is it healed now? I hope so =)

(btw, I'm also a John Williams fan)

ST

Hi Steven

Thank you for your compliment! I would LOVE to compose music for films. It is, in fact, my main aspiration in life, and I'm very excited about going for it in the future! : )

My sickness is also going away, (thank you for asking.) : )

A mutual John Williams fan.

Jared Kraft

if you were to stray away from your home tone you may also stray too far away from your point.

Michael

Fan

You seem to be leading us somewhere with this , so I assume that it is not complete. If it is completed, then you begin to leads us somewhere and we do not arrive.

Ron

You know what; I think, whether you consider this finished or not, the way it does end would be a perfect ending for it anyway. It'd be a shame for it to end on the tonic. A fading string chord not related in any way way to the home key seems a perfect ending for this piece.

Rather than ending with a full stop, it ends with a question mark or a comma, a feeling that there is something more but it's dissolved into the ether...

I agree, to not end on the tonic is very appropriate for this piece.

I'd love to see you develop this piece, maybe once stray from your original key for a more major climax. But as I see this is emotionally connected to real life experience my feelings on the matter aren't really relevant. :)

These same thoughts have crossed my mind lately. I'm starting to like the way the end just drops off into nothingness... there's a certain personality to it. It would be interesting to expand it a bit more, but we'll see. : ) Thank you all for your continued comments on the piece!

Jared

Great work, Jared. I think that what some are considering to be a "limited" use of harmony is actually what makes this piece. Simplicity is something that academic types tend to be scared of, sometimes you just have to sit down and write beautiful music! Thank you for doing just that.

All the best,

Casey

Great work, Jared. I think that what some are considering to be a "limited" use of harmony is actually what makes this piece. Simplicity is something that academic types tend to be scared of, sometimes you just have to sit down and write beautiful music! Thank you for doing just that.

Bull.

"Academic types" (which sure as hell sounds like you're lobbing an insult there) are not "afraid" of simplicity. If you knew anything about academia, you would know this, and know it is patently false.

I, for one, liked the piece but found its limited harmony boring. Writing "beautiful music" does not mean you cannot write something that is a bit more complex than three chords.

There is no inherant beauty in simplicity. Beauty is beauty, whether rendered through simplicity or through complexity.

By your logic, the best books would be written like "See spot run. Run, spot, run!"

Do not confuse "slimplicity" and "banality". Ordinary chord progressions, and particularly ones that do not move away from their tonic for more than a few moments (as was my particular critique of this peice) are banal. Not "Simple.

Beauty is the careful balance of tension and release. Using a very limited harmonic vocabulary likewise limits the amount of tension and release you can create in your music. That is part of the formal training that "academia" brings to your musical pallette: the tools to select just which moments require complexity and which require a return to simplicity. They also give you the ability to see the difference between banality and simplicity.

You might think I'm being harsh. I can tell you that I AM annoyed at the constant return to comments extolling simplicity and yet others demeaning academia, as though each are somehow exclusive concepts. And most of the time, these comments come from people with very little actual first-hand knowledge of academia.

I know that Johnwilliamsfan here is capable of excellent music. I think it is far better to push him to be what he can really be, rather than allow him to stagnate in a false sense of security and complacency with the "facile".

Hmm. I don't mean disrespect on anybody's part, but I feel this thread has gotten a little out of hand. I see what Qccowboy is saying about my banal harmonies, however I am also flattered by the kind words Casey. I'm nearly positive Casey's words on academics weren't aimed towards Qccowboy, however his opinions differed. Perhaps the diplomatic thing to do would be to all give each other the benefit of the doubt and move on?

Thank you all for the comments and suggestions.

Your Faithful Musical Friend

Jared (Johnwilliamsfan)

PS

I apologize for any conflict this piece of music has stirred among users.

PS (To Qccowboy)

Thank you for always looking at my pieces constructively, your comments are what thrust me onward.

(To Casey) Your words were very kind, and I apprieciate them. Thank you!