Heartfelt

This is one of two demos I recently made for a prospective video game company.  They wanted Japanese anime-styled music for their game set in a hot-spring/onsen.  The game is supposed to have romantic undertones.  I made this one in Musescore 4 with Musesounds piano and strings.  Then I imported it into reaper, changed the guitar to harp (BBCSO harp) and added Spitfire Labs Percussion.  I made the percussion sound lo-fi with a hi-pass and lo-pass filter.  I'd appreciate any of your suggestions, comments or critiques!  Thanks for listening.

Hey Peter, 

So, you and I go way back, right? Well, at least three or so years. You know I love your style, and really admire your compositional talent. I look up to your craftsmanship. You're truly one of the best composers on this site. I don't know how many know this, but your username is literal. You write, by hand mind you, most of your ideas and music on paper first, even drawing your own staff lines and not using prepared staff paper like the rest of us. You have a love and bond with music many will never know, and knowing your back story with the unfortunate and unfair predicaments you've been in with our country, it's even more profound and uniquely you that you write music the way you do. 

I listened to both of the pieces you posted today, and am choosing to comment directly on this one rather than both. I could copy and paste what I'm saying here, but alas, you'll get the drift of my critique with this singular comment. 

They're wonderful, and great, and superb, and so well crafted I would have very little to say as far as a critique should be. Your style is immensely you, there's no one else that sounds like you. These game companies would be head over heels ecstatic to have your music be involved in their projects, as you always value the composition and content first. That's the most important thing when writing music, imo. 

But...

Unfortunately, that's not how the game works. You're competing against noobs who have gobs of money to buy the best sound samples to let them carry their abysmal and amateur craftsmanship to the top, reaping all the reward because their music "sounds" the best. You have such a great gift competing against them, but if only you had quality sound samples that let your music be heard the way you desire it to be heard. 

Musescore 4 sounds like a great upgrade to it's previous version, but it isn't enough. I wish I was uber-wealthy and could gift you all the materials and tools needed to compete, but I'm just a grindy musician bumbling my way across various towns in Colorado trying to make a living. I want you to know, when your musical endeavors fail, it's not because your music is lackluster; it's because your samples unfortunately don't compete with the competition out there. If the merit was solely based on compositional prowess, you'd be composer in residence of the entire country. But this world sucks, and money wins. 

So here's my temporary solution. Keeps writing in this style to develop a bunch of pieces you can showcase whenever needed, and when you're done with your schooling and can afford the proper tools (and a comfortable chair), you'll start to slay the competition when you render your music with updated and luscious samples bringing the notes you jot down on paper to life. Don't give up, even when it seems like you failed. Your hard work will surely pay off once you've equipped yourself with better tools at your disposal. 

Lovely music, and very idiomatic to what you're portraying. Well done, and I can't wait to hear when success comes your way with your music. 

I'd go along with what Thatguy 2 has said about 'temporary solution' - sample libraries and influence; and also the importance of building up a portfolio.

I liked this piece which had a vague flavour of Mystic Moods - well composed, very nice piano part and a relaxed entry of the strings (which sounded as if they were muted even though the score doesn't show that. I presume they weren't if the parts were created by musescore. Probably just the effect of the sustain). The guitar part seemed lost under the rest of the ensemble. However, you know your mixing and that could be intentional.

I'll leave it at that. A most pleasant listen. Left me feeling too lazy to make lunch!

Hi @PeterthePapercomPoser,

I really don't know much about your background and your back story, but your talent is undoubtedly and unequivocally great. For me, being a talented but unlucky composer is much better than a lucky but untalented one. I don't know if you have felt disappointed or discouraged or not, but at least in your music I have never felt any negative emotions in it. I believe it's your optimist in your heart showing everytime in your music. There are some down moments, but it's never defeated and always positive like Beethoven for me. On the solution I cannot give you any advice since I am much less experienced than you, but you can be sure I am your fan!

Regarding the music I love your overall balance: piano in the forefront, strings in middle and guitar/harp in the background. A little bit bitter flavour for the harmony but not too bitter, which is well suited for a BGM!

Thanks for sharing as always

Henry

Hi Peter. I'm sure I still have to review another piece of yours but this one just happened to show earlier in my feed. It's very "anime-like" indeed, Musesounds didn't perform as good as I expected them to do; at least in my end, the sound is perhaps too wet and dense in the background strings, but all in all this is just secondary to me (not sure if the people for which you made this demanded you high production value or not). In any case, perhaps a bit of equalizing could add more "sharpness" to the result.

The score has little dynamics and phrasing indications, though I didn't feel this piece needed any of that in particular so we're good.

The final is 👌, you nailed it in my opinion.

Kind regards,
Daniel–Ømicrón.