Petite Undertaking for String Orchestra

Hi,

Here's string piece written with middle school students in mind. Nothing spectacular ... however, somewhat pleasant I think.

Mark

This music sounds like you found a theme that you harmonized with many parallel chords and tried to develop it until you get my ears tired of listening to it. Also, the rhythmic is so strait and square with no modulation or harmonic surprise. I am sorry but this is how I feel after a painful 4 minutes 10 seconds. Then there is the cheesy strings, which is what we could get 20 years ago on a Roland or Korg keyboard.

I understand that you work with Finale and probably using Garritan Orchestra VST. I have many friends using Finale but they use it to write a score to be played by real musicians and everybody knows that the simulation with Garritan Orchestra is only to check what was done is OK. To my point of view this way of composing music by writing the academic way is out dated and the results always calls for the best musicians to make the music alive. I personally use Logic Pro on a Mac as Protool cost way too much but the real deal is getting the proper virtual instruments and there are so many good ones on the market (Vienna, EastWest, Spitfire Audio, etc.). 

Not that I want to brag about it but listen the the next music composed and produced in 24 hours. You will notice that my theme is as simple as yours at start but then I make things much more interesting by developing it. But then there is the orchestration which makes the theme even more interesting. But then it is always always the same base and it sound always different. Haaa then there are modulations to make you forget it is always the same stupid theme. So why in hell is it good? Because I am telling a story musically. I am bringing you somewhere. May I also say that I did not write a single note on the staff. It is called real time orchestration. I play each track as I imagine them and usually start with the piano or the strings. By trying and error the inspiration comes quickly. I may correct the score manually but many years ago I stopped using the staff and I use the Piano Roll page in Logic because this way I can adjust the note starting and ending point as well as the dynamic, expression, vibrato, articulation, etc. controllers.

https://soundcloud.com/user-461764443/the-final-chapter

May I suggest that you listen carefully to Prokofiev, Ravel and Debussy, which are classics without being pass due like the composers before the 19th century. You will find in those composers an enormous source of inspiration. Start with Ravel's "Boléro", which is a masterpiece of development and harmonization and mostly, his theme seems to last forever. Count how many bars this theme last then try to make a theme as long as the one in the Boléro.

The good thing is that you tried and you learned. We all learn from our mistakes. Hope this will help even though it was a bit raw.

Cheers,

Syrel

31 minutes ago, Syrel said:

I understand that you work with Finale and probably using Garritan Orchestra VST. I have many friends using Finale but they use it to write a score to be played by real musicians and everybody knows that the simulation with Garritan Orchestra is only to check what was done is OK. To my point of view this way of composing music by writing the academic way is out dated and the results always calls for the best musicians to make the music alive. I personally use Logic Pro on a Mac as Protool cost way too much but the real deal is getting the proper virtual instruments and there are so many good ones on the market (Vienna, EastWest, Spitfire Audio, etc.). 

This forum isn't soundcloud or apple music. Have you noticed how many musescore pieces make their way here? Just because you feel notation is outdated doesn't mean everyone has to use a sequencer. In fact, the OP even stated this was for middle school students in mind, who would need a score. Writing the "academic" way is what most people do here, who in return are hopefully given some advice on ways to improve. 

Yes there are adult members and some near or in the professional level here, but most are younger without the access to more pleasing sound samples. It's much easier to critique someone's music when they give a score to view, and as you know sequencers are garbage at producing a readable one. 

So instead of being rude and saying how painful it is to listen to someone's music here, offer advice on the score or don't say anything at all. You even...brag about your own music and link a piece you wrote to this poster? Ugh

We all learn from our mistakes, though. 

I want to complement Syrel on his very kind and sensitive review.   🤪  Just kidding.

Mark