Concerto No1 Cry of a Storm

http://soundcloud.com/aaudiomystiks/cryofastormconcertono1
 
Ok here in OZ The University of Newcastle is running a competition called The Time and Space Concerto competition.  I thought I'd better put up or shut up.
 
This is a three movment peice with a coda.
 
Movement one is almost all classical, except for the devolpment phase which has electric guitar and a 303 synth, there is also the sirens song and some sea sounds.
 
Movement two is music concrete, lots seagull sounds, whale noise, wind, thunder all put through various effect processor's.
 
Movement three is a a Pink Floyd style slow build up, but with strings and more guitar and 303.
 
The Coda is a string quartet and again with some music concrete.
 
All the strings were written in Notion 3 and rewired. 
 
Notion 3 is the bomb.
 
Opinions on this would be good because it is for a competition.
 
Peace Ben

I've enjoyed the eclecticism of your music before, and this doesn't disappoint.  As Chuck said, this sounds very MIDI to me, but I can see your game plan.  I wish you well in this competition.

I listened to the entire composition. My impression was that it was rather long and monotonous with random sounds thrown in. I would suggest that instead of droning so long on the same tones and notes, it should build a story to add interest to the listener.

Thanks for listening James and thanks for not being too judgemental, I know I have been a mad raging egotist on these boards at time.

I really don't know about this peice, I will have to wait and stand back and look at it again later.  You know how it is with art!!.

The good thing is the Time and Space people (the people who are the comp) have sent me a twitter message saying, it's sounding great have I entered yet??  I haven't even finished filling the entry form out, I don't know how they got my twitter account.  I hope they haven't read too much of what I say on twitter.

I won't win but it gave me such heart to get a compilment from the organiser's of the comp.

PP, mate I have to accept your opinion with humility but you are not a nice person and I will refrain from going at you but you are not welcome around here.  There I said it.  I'm not the forum moderator, this forum is free and for everyone but what you have been saying to the people who post songs is not welcome and unforgivable.

For the most part the people on the song forum are good, sensitive artists who could be affected by the negative diatribe you spew forth.  I for one will not stand for it.

If you are angry with the world, or with failure or with whatever, come and take it out on me, I can take it.  I am an angry battle dwarf and I eat people like you for breakfast.

Just rememeber I am on the hunt for your posts and everytime you post I will counter it, I will put you down and use my verbosity, knowledge and intellect to show you up for the mean surly peice of @@@@ you are.

Prove me wrong, post something, join in.  This is a supportive community, if you want to bicker then bicker about techniques in the techniques forum.  I do.

But consider yourself warned.

Sorry friends, I love the song forum and I am amazed at the talent, do I like every peice.  No, that is silly and I tell the truth but PP is a troll and I have always gone into bat for my friends, this is no different for me.

Love Ben

I think this is an interesting Philip Glass like composition. I would work on the instrumentation more, but I like the ambience and feel the the piece. Good work, and good luck.

pistolpete


I listened to the entire composition. My impression was that it was rather long and monotonous with random sounds thrown in. I would suggest that instead of droning so long on the same tones and notes, it should build a story to add interest to the listener.

i can understand how one can try and help by being constructive.
 
i dont know ben,i dont know you,but i didnt find anything constructive about this post,
sure its a free world,but this looks like one of those cases where if your post was all negetive...why even bother posting?
i wouldnt find anything helpful out of a post like this,i cant imagine he would either.
trying to interpt this with an open mind,why would you even post?
 
please dont post on my songs,im not intereseted in your comments.

I know I'm probably the last one you want to hear from Ben, but to be honest, I felt the same way as Pete did when I heard the piece and felt that he really said it the way I would have. I might not have worded it the way he did....but my feelings would be...

I felt the song has potential. I felt it was a little repetitive and some of the things that I heard sort of sounded like maybe they WERE thrown in just to be there. Like I couldn't find a "cause and effect" reason...if that makes sense? Like the random sounds didn't do anything to make the piece better...they just were sort of there, know what I mean? I too would have liked a bit more of a story behind it. You know, beginning, middle, climax and an end sort of thing. Sure that's not always a formula that needs to be used, but I felt it could have possibly been a nice enhancement to what you already had.

So in a sense, as you can see, my opinion is a lot like Pete's...it's just not worded the same way. I have to say, I felt his comments to you were the best I've seen him give anyone. Maybe a bit blunt, but I didn't feel it was negative enough to where it would upset you the way I hope my comments here are not upsetting to you. Honest that is not my intent.

At any rate, good song with potential here. I'm also glad you're giving Pete the benefit of the doubt. I'm all for sticking up for people when someone may come on too harsh or may just be a bit mean in what they say on here....but I honestly didn't feel he did that in this instance. I've not shared many of his feelings on other peoples material due to me just not feeling the same and feeling his delivery was definitely in need of some work. But in this case, I think he was spot on. I hope that doesn't offend you once again.

-Danny

Hey Ben i enjoyed the fusion parts more than the straight classical stuff. i think you were obviously more comfortable there too. wondering what this is a concerto for though? a concerto is a showcase for a particular instrument against an orchestral background (usually - for example Bartok and Lutoslawski have produced Concertos for Strings) whereas this seems to be mostly legato strings. minimalistic/repetetive motifs and nature sounds are quite common in modern classical (Part et al) and link in a lot to prog/60s stuff, and this is where your skills lie; however here i think you haven't quite done yourself justice as we know you can. oh, and the second part is definitely NOT musique concrete!

I was nice and did not mention the lack of an instrumental showcase. But I am now asking myself, what was so innovative about 13 minutes or so of music that doesn't go anywhere?

With all the storms and rolling ships, I feel like I am getting sea sick  Ah! So that's why I felt like puking when I listened to to the song.   

The thing the remember about Pete is he is from Brentwood, TN. When reading his posts, I first apply a thick, inbred, redneck, bubba accent and then its all just funny (and makes sense). You all know why he is called Pistol Pete right? Cuz like most bubbas he has a gun, and like most bubbas with a gun, tends to shoot off his toes every now and then. But, Maybe I am being too harsh... to bubbas.

Yeah, a bit mis-judged that, Shad. PP is a troll, doesn't matter where he comes from. He likes to latch onto someone and pick at them to get an argument going, that's what trolls do. My advice is just ignore him, he'll go away again eventually.

see danny.

i thought your post was honest and thoughtful.
you even took the time to explain why you didnt care for certain things.

but its obvious the true colors of this guy are comming out.

he's a troll.
 
@shad, i didnt take your post to leteraly,i took it as you were trying to lighten the situation up a bit.
it was ment to be funny guys...

Hi Ben, 

I like the composition overall.  I realize that I'm nit picking, but I thought I should mention two spots that you may want to look at.  They're technical rather than artistic in nature, but they're the kind of things that the judges of the contest might notice.  I'm sure they're easily fixed, if you think they're worth doing.  

At the beginning of the second movement, there's a brief silence as the music does a quick fade-in, I thought I heard an artifact of some sort that didn't sound like it was part of the music.  It's the kind of sound an old real-to-real would make if you moved the real by hand.  It's very low and may not be worth the trouble, but I thought I'd mention it so you could decide.  
In a similar vein, as you fade out the "sea gull" sounds at the end of the piece, I can hear some looping artifacts.  They're faint clicks.  

Otherwise, well done.  

Good luck with the contest,
Jan

Thanks so much guys, apart from deadbeat pete.

We'll leave Pete to his bitterness, it doesn't fuss me what he says.  It's the rest of you guys who put heart into your opinions that count.  It doesn't matter if you like something or not.  It's the constructive way you guys critique a song that is the importent and I appreicate Danny you listening and putting all the crap behind us.  It means a lot.  Ps I'm listening to what your saying.

Peace Neb