Hello everybody!

I you look on my profile, you can see that I joined mid-2007, but I never have uploaded a piece to here for two reasons: lack of a good program, and I was also afraid of what you guys might think.:blush:

But now, I have a great (demo, lol. have to love them demos) program called Notion. I'm getting the less costly version: Prodige, on my birthday in april.

My first piece is actually a variation to the widely known song named "You raise Me Up". It's just the main part (beginning), and I don't really intend to add on to it, just change it. It was made in about 1 hour, so cut me a little slack! Here it is: You Raise Me Up -Var.

The second piece is called Majestic March, and you can't hear it right now because Box.net doesn't allow me to upload files larger than 10mb. =[ I will compress it, and you will eventually hear it! MM took me about 2 hours.

Comments and suggestions appreciated!!

~V!olaplayer416

1 Hour, no posts?

It's not that bad..

Very nice! I particurly like some of the harmonies you had going there!

One quick tip... before the cymbals come in you could start the timpani roll a few beats ealier and have it cresendo into the climax. Perhaps add some woodwind in to add more interst to the melody. I can see where this piece is going it just needs some more texture work.

great start!

I have always preferred original compositions as you have more freedom, so I look forward greatly to 'Majestic March'!

Definitely.

I actually noticed that right when I posted this! I'm gonna work on it later, mainly because the bowling alley doesn't have computers with this software. =P

Woodwind and brass are most likely to be added later, when I found out how to add more instruments, lol.

Me too, and I love to compose naturally, but I was itching to do the variation for a long time!

A quick question, how do YOU compress music files?? I googled many things, but only some software that I downloaded popped up, and those don't even work. T__T

what do you want to compress into what? mpeg to avi or....

Oh, sorry for the lack of specifications! But wait, isn't compressing just decreasing the file size while keeping its contents? The file format is fine, I just need the size of the file to decrease. Hope it helps! I want you guys to hear the song, but barely anyone uses Notion, so it would not be productive.

WOW!!!!!! I'm loving those lush chords and sounds... good orchestration really

-romanticist

Ok i ment converting. That's how i downzise my files. I don't know how to compress files though

@Romanticist-Wow to you too!! Thank you for the nice comment. I didn't know someone like you would like it so much!

@Gijs Van Beusekom-I see. How do you downsize them?

As for an update for Majestic March, I haven't been able to find a good program to do what I want it to (to put it so basic!). If anyone knows of one, please post it!! Many others may want to listen to MM!! =P

~V!olaplayer416 =]

well an mp3 is considerably smaller as is a wav-file of the same piece/song/whatever per example. So if i have a wav that's to big, i make it a mp3 for the purpouse of uploading. Are you still having trouble with compressing then?

I'll have to try that, thanks!

(Off topic PS: My MPA is tomorrow!!! You should already know my music ensemble's name [orchestra for you smart ones] =D)

Hey,

I just listened to your track and I honestly think it need's quite a bit of work. You're basically writing for a string orchestra there, so you need to consider certain things. You have a lot of octave unison which is a good idea in a complete orchestral context to get a rich and lush string melody, but the problem your piece has, that it almost completey lacks a harmonic fundament in these passages which is a really big problem there. The first 7 seconds are kinda okay but after that you basically have a bass and a melody.

Also I think you're heavily overdoing the cymbal/timpani-roll thingy. It's like "yeah, here's a climax, no wait, here's another one, ohhhh wait, another one right there..." It may sound paradox but by overusing this effect you're weakening its impact. It would be way cooler if you had a long and intense buildup, making the audience longing for minutes for a release of the built-up tension and put that effect on top of the final and big climax only once.

I mean, this track is like 40 seconds and I got tired of this effect after the first 2 times already. Basically every book on orchestration strongly recommends to save certain things for certain moments instead of overusing them.

Also, I don't really get that "gap" at 0:29. I guess you intended it as a tension break, but the way you wrote it simply doesn't work too well. The break is too long and the "releasing bang" is not strong enough to justify this break. Apart from that you loose every kind of rhythmical activity there which causes the energy level of this track to drop dramatically without any plausible reason.

Also you might want to consider re-checking the harmonic concept you have there. I honestly don't know the original tune but I have the strong feeling that it's definately not so heavy on the tonic as yours. You harmonically hardly move at all which makes this track quite static even tho you obviously want a lush string setting.

This all might sound a bit like quite harsh criticism, but I think, one can learn more from such words than from people only saying "Wow, that was cool."

All the best

Robin

Thank. You. So. Much. =D

I rewrote the entire song in Finale mainly because *ahem* my trial ended in Notion and I got Printmusic really cheap from a friend, and also because... Oh well. That's it, hehe.

I know this topic's old, but I wanted to update it to tell what happened.

Expect a new version of it somewhat soon, because I'm on a school break. =]

Again, thanks Robin. That really helped and my new pieces are longer and I take much more attention to detail, now especially that I write, too. And make roller coasters on NoLimits. =P

V!ola Player