Concert Band Piece: Journey to the Isle of Periwinkle

I previously posted this in another thread, but now I'd like to get actual feedback on the piece. Basicallly, I had an orchestral piece in mind, and I started sketching it out in my sequencer, but our school has an absolutely unlistenable orchestra, so before I even started notating the orchestral version, I decided to write it out as a concert band piece. (Here is a link to the original sequenced string verion, if anyone's curious http://lzr.cc/music/newlevel.mp3).

Here is an mp3 of the midi output from the sequencer: http://lzr.cc/music/isle.mp3 (Again, follow the score while you listen to the song, because there's some stuff Finale screws up on especially in the percussion department.)

-Leeran Z. Raphaely

isle.pdf

I like it. For some unknown reason, the marimba reminds me of crabs and their pincers pincing away! :)

The orchestration isn't bad to be honest, and I do like the marimba 'continuo' keeping the whole piece moving along. I even forgive you for some of those discordant chords!

I also liked the variation of percussin instruments, but was surprised to hear sleigh bells - is this journey on water?

The water thing was completely what I had in mind, but the marimba part wasn't really supposed to invoke crab-like emotions... I was more thinking of a journey through a big open ocean or large sea completely alone in a canoe or any other small preferably rowed boat to, um, the Isle of Periwinkle.

Every now and then I get a slight inkling that I gave that piece a completely retarded name.

And what's wrong with a little dissonance? :)

I guess your original title is "A New Level of Disappointment"?

Very nice soothing music and generally achieved your idea of a journey out at the sea.

Just some comments on the orchestration:

I understand that this is a scoring for band, but I not sure if the piccolo solo at section D would work effectively, not so much of in terms of competing with the other instruments in a forte passage, but the presentation of the melody. I feel that it may sound a bit thin. Example 6 Bars before F, you may want to watch out for low flute parts. For that part, I think the 2nd Flute will not be able to contribute much in totality with the other instruments. Maybe you can just give it bars of rest. You have quite a few doubling parts, which I was trying to think (rationalise) the effect. I felt that for some of the cases, it is better to have less.

I really like it! Nothing much to criticize I enjoy your melodies, orchestration, etc. Keep up the great work! And the percussion is amazing! I like your use of cross rhythms within different timbres. (Percussion emphasizing one beat and the WW on another for example. Good effect. I also liked the ending a lot. It reminded me of as if we are zooming out away from the Isle and then the camera was just to fade out. You've painted a great picture here.

Does anyone think the bassoon solo sounds kinda random?

AWSOME! :D:thumbsup:

it like Pc game sound track and i like it

dark

I previously posted this in another thread, but now I'd like to get actual feedback on the piece. Basicallly, I had an orchestral piece in mind, and I started sketching it out in my sequencer, but our school has an absolutely unlistenable orchestra, so before I even started notating the orchestral version, I decided to write it out as a concert band piece. (Here is a link to the original sequenced string verion, if anyone's curious http://lzr.cc/music/newlevel.mp3).

Here is an mp3 of the midi output from the sequencer: http://lzr.cc/music/isle.mp3 (Again, follow the score while you listen to the song, because there's some stuff Finale screws up on especially in the percussion department.)

-Leeran Z. Raphaely

Hi,

I actually really like this I think it has a lot of interesting ideas going on and I particularly like some of the harmonies you use.

Having said that I can see why you would have problems recording it live. I don't think the orchestration is working that well for what you have. Less is more. What you have would have far more impact with a piano, violin and some light percussion. Trying to flesh out your ideas with more instruments on a computer often works really well...who knows why...but when transplanted into the real world everything changes. If I were you I would take what you have an try and adapt it for a chamber ensemble...OR stick with using your computer and record some live instruments and build the rest of your 'sound' around them.

Very nice though :-)

Well, I never even gave it to the school orchestra. They sound unlistenable with just about anything. We're going to spend the last few days of band class working on this piece and a friend of mine's piece, so we'll see if this sounds any good after a little practice

I thought this was absolutely amazing. I loved the marimba part throughout the piece. I could picture myself sailing along on the ocean to a beautiful island.

Edit: Also, what sound library did you use for this? It sounds great.