August Monthly Competition

September 5th. And Judging done by Sept. 10.

I'd join, but I'd end up using an emotion that calls for a more tonal piece. And then I'd lose to some meaningless shrieks of modern serialism that someone says is despair.

I guess skill in tonality no longer has the upper hand.

May I join in? What emotion could I use, if so? Sadness, perhaps?

May I join in? What emotion could I use, if so? Sadness, perhaps?

Go ahead! Sadness is fine! That's what you want?

Go ahead! Sadness is fine! That's what you want?

:nod: Yesindeedydo!

I'll give it a shot! I'll take apprehension

Morivou - great how do you compare a piano solo (unprepared) with a 40 piece orchestra and 50 voice choir aside from purely technical matters? Oh, and maybe you could define for Creativity and Passion? Sounds like it is more a competition for who can guess the judges musical aesthetics for the particular emotion.

Well, good luck to you all. At least you get to practice your composition chops and meet a deadline. That'll help you in any case.

Morivou - great how do you compare a piano solo (unprepared) with a 40 piece orchestra and 50 voice choir aside from purely technical matters? Oh, and maybe you could define for Creativity and Passion? Sounds like it is more a competition for who can guess the judges musical aesthetics for the particular emotion.

Well, good luck to you all. At least you get to practice your composition chops and meet a deadline. That'll help you in any case.

CO. It's not a competition about WHO can compose the best piece... it's the piece that communicates the best to the three person audience. The one that pierces the soul and gives you that feeling of music that PURE technical appointment cannot give.

Think about it this way... how was I able to judge a Solo Piano from a Solo Bassoon in the last competition... the ratio of notes is VASTLY different. The Piano has more range, has more freedom, and can provide a bit more variety... but I scored a Bassoon solo higher than some of the piano pieces. Why? Well, I did it because it was more creative... more ingenious. More idiomatic to the instrument.

It doesn't MATTER what you put on that page. If you wanted to give the feeling of natural/apathetic you could, perhaps, write 4'34". haha. I mean, it wouldn't get ANY creativity points... but that I what I am talking about. Pure emotional composition.

Creativity and Passion are subjective definitions, it's impossible to define them. That seems to be a common thread lately here at the website... I don't think we need to look that DEEP. I have recently been finding myself more effective the SIMPLER I make my pieces. People I know in the everyday world enjoy my music. And nothing could make me happier knowing my friend wants to listen to one of my pieces OVER and over again. And, when I dealt only in the technical aspect of composing, I couldn't reach anybody... my music was cold. But, I guess once I started TRYING to evoke an emotion from my audience through my music... I started getting a lot better.

the purpose of this competition is to EXPOSE people to emotional composition while not letting their brain get in the way. I am judging IN MY OPINION (yeah, that's how ALL competitions are... to some extent), who comes up with the most original and satisfying view of their emotion. And, if you don't enjoy that type of thinking/judging, then don't participate. We have plenty of competitors already.

If it is about communication then your parameters are still way too broad for your judgment to be of value because as you IMPLY the composers have to determine your aesthetic as well as two judges to communicate. Well, is creativity this guessing game of reading your audience? Is Passion how diligently you worked to read the judge/audiences? Or, as you suggest, you should not care and write SIMPLY. What happens if it doesn't score well? Does that mean the composer lacks creativity and passion in your view and the judges? What happens if they win? In either case what use is your judgment to their development aside from the practice of composing? You don't provide a summary of your comments - just a score for the top placers. What use is that for them?

Can I change mine to sadness... I'm not really feeling the whole fear thing. lol...

CO, be ye not bitter. Every competition is based upon the opinion of the judges. Unless it's the votes of the majority. When you enter a competition, you are trying to impress the judges, it the same for every group that ever goes before an adjudicator. It's pointless to near impossible to guess what will suit a judge the best. Dealing with emotive compositions, with so many different choices, how is it even possible to begin guessing what the judges will like most. Considering this is about emotions, my favorite piece could have to do with my mood that day. The competition is about writing a piece that you think best conveys your chosen emotion. The winner (as in any competition) will be the one who best does so, by judges opinion. People are aware of this going in. Had there been different judges, 3 judges from top universities, with the same rule guidelines, the results may have been the same.

Because the compositional subject is so free, it almost demands very free parameters. If you ask someone to best convey an emotion, then they must best convey that emotion. If you force someone to best convey the emotion 'anger' while sticking to a strict sonata form, they might think that it is too confined for a true 'angry' piece. I think it's a relatively simple concept. Materialize an emotion.

The competition is about the composer exploring his interpretation of a mood or emotion, as with every competition on this site. The winner gets nothing but some kudos, and a recognition on the home page. Nothing more. But the experience of tapping into a though process not often tapped into is worth so much more. Entrants are able, in fact encouraged to post their pieces in their respective forums for feedback, it's done all the time. More than likely, though I'm a judge, I'll run into some of them and certainly give my feedback in each forum as I come across them.

Hey, are you allowed two people on the same emotion? Then I'd like to switch to pensive please!

Bachian- you can do sadness!

Impresario- you may do pensive.

OMBAY -

Well, I still stick to my opinion your parameters are far too broad. But we agree the practice of such an exercise does impart some benefit. I think I'll set up the next competition for September or October if that is allowed.

Go for it! You can have both months if you want 'em. I'll take November though.

September ORGAN COMPETITION!!!! I'm so there.

Hey, are you allowed two people on the same emotion? Then I'd like to switch to pensive please!

>:[ Rawr!

Go for it! You can have both months if you want 'em. I'll take November though.

I'd like to organize October if no one else will...:D

Wondering- can I change over to serenity?

Wondering- can I change over to serenity?

Yes... haha.

>:[ Rawr!

Lawl don't worry, I'm still figuring out if it can pensive and sad at the same time ;P

Yes... haha.

This must be funny somehow..? :P

How many times have you changed now?

How many times have you changed now?

Um... once :P

If no one has applied for the third judgeship, I'll do it!