On a bright summer afternoon, a wasp flew in through the window.

I've recently been selecting instrument combinations and general musical styles for my pieces with the help of a random number generator and Google search. For this piece, the random process required that I write music in the style of the Romantic period with two performers playing the hang (drum). It was quite challenging but also really fun, especially to learn a little bit more about an instrument that I had never heard of before. The piece is written for two performers each playing two hanghang; and, in a style of the period, the piece is programmatic: the narrative is that of a wasp entering through an open window and surprising the composer (...something that happened to me while researching for this piece...). Perhaps ironically, I listened to a lot of Brahms to familiarize myself with the period. :-D I hope you enjoy! Please let me know your thoughts.

On a bright summer afternoon, a wasp flew in through the window.

This is certainly a very interesting compostion.

The nature of the instrument makes it difficult to hear harmonies or melodies, however, I found that your narrative still carried through.

Your opening theme (and therefore also closing theme) is quite memorable. During the "wasp's interruption", I found myself wanting to hear the return of the original theme, which probably suits the nature of the narrative; the composer would want to the wasp to leave too!

Good work on this piece! It must have been a difficult ensemble to write for!

this piece could be good for a film with this sound

Really excellent work! I had never heard of the hang before this piece, and I think it's fantastic that you're writing for such a new instrument. And you have a beautiful score! Keep up the great work.

Fantastic! I heard the score and it was too cute. It's impossible not to smile :)

I enjoy the hang a lot.. such a cool instrument. Then again, all gamelan instruments are. I believe this is one of them from Bali? Correct me if I'm wrong...

The melody is perfect. I love how you made a hang sound like a wasp. The slower melody contrasts nicely with the fast, energetic one.

The lyrics are a bit confusing. Celebration because the wasp left? Only thing I'm not sure about.

Great job overall though! I have to ask, this doesn't sound like something an adult would right... it's very good, but not adultish, so to speak. Why did you chose to write it in this way?

Hekla

Interesting...it actually has a refreshing sound while using an overdone style...not easy to do. The hangdrum sound works really neatly in this setting. Great work!

I like what you've done here, Comma:

--I like the warm, lackadaisical feel of the start of the piece, and it fits with what you want, just like the lead-in into the wasp flitting around the room :)

--As Andrea said, this would would very well with a short film. A Pixar "silent" (no-dialogue) short comes to mind. In this light, I kind of wish you'd been a bit more...dramatic and over-wrought in some of your interpretations. When you get "grave", it still sounds kind of happy-go-lucky, and it's not a big, noticable change in tone. For the feel of the piece, you may want to try over-doing it for the whimsical, comic effect you seem to be after :thumbsup:

This is fun :cool: I'll give it a 7.5...but I'll round up! :P

Thanks for sharing! :D