March in 10-8

I began writing this piece a long time ago, and have recently pulled it back out of my incomplete works archive to attempt to finish it. I would like comments, critiques, or suggestions (basically anything you want to say) about what I have so far.

The opening is what gives it the feel of a march. Bright, loud, and jovial, it has a simple melody with a simple background. The melody is stated, then repeated, first in the low winds and saxophone, then in the trumpets and clarinets. After that statement, the introduction is repeated, but switches to minor. Solo trumpet and solo horn play a duet over a pedal. The next section has a sort of "battling rhythms" background, which would challenge each section's ability to focus on their part and play it correctly, while still feeling the beat of the whole ensemble. Then, after the background is stated and settled, an oboe solo floats over the rest of the band.

That's as far as I've gotten. I will try to upload a .wav file of the piece, but if I can't get it to load, I will just upload the score (.mus) and a midi.

10-8 March.mus

10-8 March.wav

As I see you are a pretty new member, welcome to the forums! Please continue to post the work of others and help the interaction on the forum by critiquing other's works as well. For some strange reason I can't open your finale file. It is always a good idea to create a pdf of your score as a general rule before posting here. If you use a mac, this is as simple as going to the print dialogue and on the bottom left corner hitting pdf-create. I'm not sure of the process on windows but you need to get a program (free) that does it. (I don't know the names of them, I want to say cutepdf but I could be making that up).

Without the score, I will just give my impression of the music itself. This is for whole concert band correct? Do you intend it to be in marching band or concert band use?

I think this piece is pretty catchy and will be found as attractive to many directors to perform. The opening is exciting even though it is a little standard "band" in sound. The slow section following the opening has a nice melody, but could use some more interest in the harmonic part than just one held note in the low instrument. I like the interplay in the following section between the instruments but would like to see you build this a little more with more intense instrumentation and maybe putting a melody over it that is very exciting. The way it ends right now, you have some kind of transition material that is not that strong, indicating you want to go somewhere else next where I feel you should keep developing that section more as it was starting to get exciting, but some well placed percussion, higher octave harmonies, and a stirring melody would really make the piece.

Hope this helps,

Ben

Hi, Ben!

Thanks for your response. I will be sure to try and find a program to make a .pdf with as soon as I can, and I will post it on here with the sound file. As for the piece, I am still working on the opening to give it a slightly less cheesy feel and a little more interplay between parts. The same goes for the slow section: I was intending to put in some percussion parts in the trumpet-horn duet section, as well as in the oboe solo section. Again, thanks for your input, and I would love to hear from you again once I have posted a new update of this piece.

MC