*Update to "WIP" Score. Name is; "The Life of Joji"...

So, I shared this work in progress a few weeks ago... In the meantime between then and now, I discovered my best friend (my pet) lying in the back yard, unmoving... Tragically, I'd determined that he was killed by my neighbor's dogs... 

This has struck me very firmly in the chest, and has been difficult to cope with. The little guy was my shadow. Every time I would be composing music, working on a car, doing yard work, or simply sitting outside in the sun, he was always right there, in my lap or somewhere not too far off beside me, supervising or just simply exercising his need to exist in the same space with me. I don't have many people in my life, not anyone who I can physically spend any time with, anyway.. He filled that void. So.. I've decided that I'll dedicate this new score as a way to tell his short life's story instrumentally. The prologue section represents his life before I ever met him. Telling a story of confusion, misplacement, and abandonment, as he was a kitten on his own in the city streets without a family, without his siblings or his mother. My sister found him on a particularly wet and rainy afternoon in september of 2020, near her home, running across the road during heavy traffic. This prompted her to retrieve him in order to prevent him from being hurt, beginning his journey into my care. 

I don't have a name for the second section, quite yet, but the beginning of the section begins with a light, heartfelt, but careful explanation of the time that we first met, after I adopted him. At that time, I was a bit worse for wear, in the mental department due to the circumstances in my life at the time. He was a gift to me to assist in easing the pain of abandonment that I was feeling in that point in time. We were both careful of one another and learning who each other were. Later in that section, the orchestration demonstrates a bit of playfulness, representing when we became comfortable with one another. 

From there... I haven't gotten much further. 

I hope the back-story context is able to shed some light on the composition and the choices made, thus far, in it's writing. Please, let me know what you all think. I appreciate the feedback in advance, and I apologize for not being too conversational, as of late, as I am in the process of mourning his passing, especially given that it was so sudden and tragic... Please bear with me. 🙂

Hi @UncleRed99

I can hear with this piece could lead to.  Your A section is slow.  You have homophonic textures and short piano section that creates interest. This is not half bad. Also, the percussion, chimes to add color. 

I feel that middle section (B) could be faster and have different thematic material and textures. 

Romeo and Juilet overture does this well: it starts with chorale section. Then slowly builds to A section that leads B section. ABA is the overal structure. 🙂 

On 12/11/2025 at 6:53 PM, Kvothe said:

Hi @UncleRed99

I can hear with this piece could lead to.  Your A section is slow.  You have homophonic textures and short piano section that creates interest. This is not half bad. Also, the percussion, chimes to add color. 

I feel that middle section (B) could be faster and have different thematic material and textures. 

Romeo and Juilet overture does this well: it starts with chorale section. Then slowly builds to A section that leads B section. ABA is the overal structure. 🙂 

 

I'm sorry that I'm only just now seeing this. It has been a wild December for me this year... 

I've just added what little work I've done to it, most recently, above in the post. Duration wise, I hadn't gone much further but I believe you'll notice that it's much more fleshed out than it was previously, in what was already there. The playback has also (mostly) been balanced in regards to gain / volume of each part, based on their significance for each section. 

Hey Kyle @UncleRed99,

That’s a very sad background story and I am sorry to hear this, hope you are better now.

Speaking of the music, I like the sparseness of it with those chords which sounds reflective and therapeutic to me. I like the sul ponticello at the beginning, maybe at some point you can add some tremolos to it too. The whole first movement displays your sadness. For the 2nd movement to me it begins with a calmer but still sad mood, and then yo start recollecting the happy past. I like the pizzicato passages depicting those happy memories and how lively your pet was (and is in your memory of him). For the end of the movement, will you get back to the sad mood, maintain the lively mood or reach a new mood? Thx for sharing!

Henry

50 minutes ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

Hey Kyle @UncleRed99,

That’s a very sad background story and I am sorry to hear this, hope you are better now.

Speaking of the music, I like the sparseness of it with those chords which sounds reflective and therapeutic to me. I like the sul ponticello at the beginning, maybe at some point you can add some tremolos to it too. The whole first movement displays your sadness. For the 2nd movement to me it begins with a calmer but still sad mood, and then yo start recollecting the happy past. I like the pizzicato passages depicting those happy memories and how lively your pet was (and is in your memory of him). For the end of the movement, will you get back to the sad mood, maintain the lively mood or reach a new mood? Thx for sharing!

Henry

 

I'm still unsure of where to go now, where it's currently left off at. I believe I would like to take it to another mood / scene, and have been toying with ideas based on my memories of the past with him. Thinking maybe to just follow the timeline chronologically, but at the same time, other emotions would like to be expressed as well. This has placed me at a stalemate within myself. 😅

And regarding the story; 
I am taking it day by day. I know it seems simple, just a little cat,  making this grown man with a brawny stature and thick fuzzy beard all down in the dumps and grieving, but despite my tough outward appearance, I still cherish those little things in my life. I cherished his place as my companion for the last 5 years, most definitely. I am, despite this, doing better than I was when I wrote the post above. I've had him cremated, and he is in a personalized container, for now. I feel that he is at peace. And I will make my peace with it as well, soon enough 🙂