JWFan Composers The Composer's Thread

[Desplat13 1]

Here is something I wrote a little while back:

http://www.badongo.com/file/7989258

Colin Thomson

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

JackChapple's back! Can you post that arrangement you did of the theme JW wrote for the Japanese Fan Club way back when? I remember it being great.

[pixie_twinkle 48]

If anyone's going to be in Ohio on Sunday April 6th at 3pm, why not come and hear the premiere of my "Three Nocturnes" for tuba and piano? Tubist John DiCesare and pianist Gerrey Noh will be playing it as part of a recital at Kent State University Recital Hall, Kent, Ohio.

Love to see anyone there!

If you can't get to that my Symphonies of String Instruments is being played by the Euclid Quartet and high school string orchestra in Temperance, Michigan on April 15th. That's a premiere, too!

James

[Next_Spielberg 0]

Here's one of my more recent works.

http://www.screenedmusic.co.uk/track.aspx?TrackID=731

You can listen to more of my pieces at that very same site! It would be interesting to hear what people think influences me! Does it sound like I'm mimicking other compoers, or do I seem to have my own compositional voice?

what happened to it? in sadness and shameless self-promotion, i've restarted the thread!

Here's a listing to the newest song i wrote. Very simple but watever. Hope you like it! i know she did:p.

http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?PID=1090453&t=3031

Wonderful recording!

Jack, I rather enjoyed this piece. It has nice eerie motif with nice development. It doesn't sound particularly like you're mimicking anyone in particular, though it did sound slightly like we were in a minor mode E.T. momenarily because of a similar interval and harmonies at one point. It seems you tend toward short motifs of about four notes and mix them together in new forms and instrumentation as the piece progresses. I think you have action scoring down pretty well. It might be interesting for you to try composing in other genres and with longer melodic lines. Just a few thoughts. I really did enjoy listening to it.

[Bowie 45]

Hi guys. I need help!

Am I wasting my time? I would love to write for games, and below is a selection of Mario-esque pieces, suitable for an expanded edition of Super Mario Galaxy (Wii). Whether you've played the game or not, I would appreciate some support as to whether these are good enough musically, and hopefully appropriate. I will probably have other types of game pieces coming soon (a war game / fighting game cue etc). Please lavish these pieces with praise if they deserve it -- and gently criticise me if they deserve otherwise -- either way I'm really worried about whether I should just do something else before I get too old, and would appreciate some strongheaded, helpful criticism, because I have no concept of the quality of my own work, or rather, as a perfectionist, tend to censure my own writing too harshly...

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

I know I have fairly good responses from YouTubers, but I respect the opinions of you fellow Williams fans more. Are these pieces well-pieced together? Catchy/memorable? Unique/derivative? Well-orchestrated? Enjoyable? Blah blah...

[ChrisAfonso 188]

Hoa, nice work! I've only listened to the "Mushroom Galaxy" clip yet, but it's really good! ^_^ Really catches that Mario vibe, and it's intelligently orchestrated... and you have a good command of your samples, a thing I always struggle with with no satisfactory outcome

Now I'll listen to the other tracks...

[Jacck 23]

http://screenedmusic.co.uk/track.aspx?TrackID=988

Any comments appreciated. I'd be interested to know if it sounds like I'm "imitating" any other composers in particular, or if it sounds MV-esque, etc. ?

Thanks

[MSM 126]

I am really impressed by the quality of everyone's works here.

Here's my profile in myspace where you can listen to some compositions of mine:

Visit My Page

I love the Chairman's Waltz inspired violin theme. If you send me the sheets and an audio file without violin solo, I will record it for you.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

How do you people do it? I cannot translate the music in my head to the piano. Is there a certain method you people use?

[Jacck 23]

How do you people do it? I cannot translate the music in my head to the piano. Is there a certain method you people use?

Many years of improvisation, listening, and practise.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

I was hoping for a method that would not take so long....

[MissPadmé 17]

http://screenedmusic.co.uk/track.aspx?TrackID=988

Any comments appreciated. I'd be interested to know if it sounds like I'm "imitating" any other composers in particular, or if it sounds MV-esque, etc. ?

Thanks

in general I really like.. MV? are you kidding? when has MV ever written something like that? I mean.. it is a sample Orchestra (which on by the way?) but it sounds moe like real instruments like any MV score.

I like it it's very moody.. in the beginning I though this might be like "The Happening" by J.N.Howard. In fact it sounds very JN. Howard-esque I think but it transforms shortly in something else

but it's high quality music I say and again I like it.!

[MSM 126]

How do you people do it? I cannot translate the music in my head to the piano. Is there a certain method you people use?

Buy a MIDI program and play around with it might be helpful. It gives ditrect audio feedback on what you notate.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

Ha ha! I just had a musical epiphany! I can do it!

[filmmusic 1,861]

I am really impressed by the quality of everyone's works here.

Here's my profile in myspace where you can listen to some compositions of mine:

Visit My Page

I love the Chairman's Waltz inspired violin theme. If you send me the sheets and an audio file without violin solo, I will record it for you.

Thank you very much MSM! Although it's Schindler's List inspired! As you see i have already recorded it with a great Russian Violinist. But in the future, i'll keep you in mind..

[FattyMcButterpants 1]

These Mario Galaxy cues are really catchy! I'm not into video games anymore (I used to be), but imagining playing a Mario game accompanied by this music really makes my fingers itch

Since this is the composers' thread, I don't know how many of you are into song writing, but I've got this nice text, and maybe one or two of you have some melodic ideas for it that you can post here as MIDIs or something.

I have a few things on my mind, but maybe you're able to push me into the right direction with your ideas ... and if not, nobody gets hurt

I lie on the ground,

and stare into space,

the stars start to move,

into the shape of your face.

I see you there now,

looking down at me,

with that cute little smile,

that I like to see.

I don't think you could ever know

just how truly special you are

that even on the darkest nights

you are my brightest star.

You are my air

The sun in my day

The moon in my night

The spring in my step

You are my everything.

[David Coscina 4]

I just got word that I was the Finalist in the Professional Composer category in this year's NOTION Realize Music Challenge. While I did not win the grand prize (that includes flying to London to have the LSO perform my composition) I won some money and get some promotion via the website. Judges were John Corigliano, Carter Burwell and Lawrence Dillon. I'm totally enthralled with this news. Now if I could only get some orchestra to perform it. I decided to do a suite for orchestra based on a ballet I'm writing on the life of Miyamoto Musashi.

http://www.notionmusic.com/forum/messages....CCAEF94543466A8

[Smeagol 0]

Wow! Congratulations! I'm going to listen to your piece right away. It must have been very exciting to hear the good news! Congratulations again!

[pixie_twinkle 48]

I just got word that I was the Finalist in the Professional Composer category in this year's NOTION Realize Music Challenge. While I did not win the grand prize (that includes flying to London to have the LSO perform my composition) I won some money and get some promotion via the website. Judges were John Corigliano, Carter Burwell and Lawrence Dillon. I'm totally enthralled with this news. Now if I could only get some orchestra to perform it. I decided to do a suite for orchestra based on a ballet I'm writing on the life of Miyamoto Musashi.

Congratulations, that's one hell of an achievement. It'll look great on your CV. How does it feel to have had an oscar-winning score composer listen to (and presumably approve of) your music?

[David Coscina 4]

Wow! Congratulations! I'm going to listen to your piece right away. It must have been very exciting to hear the good news! Congratulations again!

yeah it was. I got this news the day I was going to see the Chicago John Williams concert too which is quite fitting as it was his music that compelled me to go into composing myself way back in my youth.

Even though Williams is my favorite composer (for film at least) I have heard that the piece I composed sounds more Goldsmith which is fine. Honestly, I would rather it sound like me than anyone else. Why be a third rate Williams or Goldsmith when you can be a first rate you?

[David Coscina 4]

I just got word that I was the Finalist in the Professional Composer category in this year's NOTION Realize Music Challenge. While I did not win the grand prize (that includes flying to London to have the LSO perform my composition) I won some money and get some promotion via the website. Judges were John Corigliano, Carter Burwell and Lawrence Dillon. I'm totally enthralled with this news. Now if I could only get some orchestra to perform it. I decided to do a suite for orchestra based on a ballet I'm writing on the life of Miyamoto Musashi.

Congratulations, that's one hell of an achievement. It'll look great on your CV. How does it feel to have had an oscar-winning score composer listen to (and presumably approve of) your music?

Feels damn great. Truth be told, I always thought my style was either too third stream (too many different genres mixed up in one) or plain not understood by people. Last year I composed an Essay for Orchestra for the first NOTION contest but it was more what I thought judges would want to hear. This year, I decided to write something I would want to listen to. It's a nice validation that Corigliano and Burwell thought the same.

I wonder how close I was to winning the Grand Prize? There were only 1 finalist per division (three divisions: Youth (Under 18), Adult (above 18 but not published) and Professional (over 18 and published). Since I worked on some small films in the '90s that have been aired on CBC, I had to enter the Professional division. Hopefully the publicity I get off of this will allow me to get some orchestra, even community group, to play this thing. I spent the better part of a month (or two) working on this. My wife was super awesome about this whole thing. She's a music teacher so she knows how important music is to me and kept supporting me (listening to the piece as it unfolded). As the subject matter of this piece is Japanese, it didn't hurt to run it by my wife as she is Japanese too.

[FattyMcButterpants 1]

I didn't know I was dwelling amongst such talented folks!

[filmmusic 1,861]

I've recently finished my first professional job as a film composer and I'm very happy! It's the music for the horror film "Cornered!", starring Steve Guttenberg and James Duval.

You can see more info at http://www.corneredmovie.com/.

At the beginning you can listen to a small excerpt from the Main Titles music.

trailer coming soon..

[David Coscina 4]

I've recently finished my first professional job as a film composer and I'm very happy! It's the music for the horror film "Cornered!", starring Steve Guttenberg and James Duval.

You can see more info at http://www.corneredmovie.com/.

At the beginning you can listen to a small excerpt from the Main Titles music.

trailer coming soon..

Nice Alien3 vibe! Sounds like you used a real orchestra too amidst the electronics. Nice! congrats.

[filmmusic 1,861]

I've recently finished my first professional job as a film composer and I'm very happy! It's the music for the horror film "Cornered!", starring Steve Guttenberg and James Duval.

You can see more info at http://www.corneredmovie.com/.

At the beginning you can listen to a small excerpt from the Main Titles music.

trailer coming soon..

Nice Alien3 vibe! Sounds like you used a real orchestra too amidst the electronics. Nice! congrats.

Thank you very much Fiery Angel. It's true that i was a bit inspired by Alien3.

I don't know if you meant that i really used a real orchestra but all the score is pc generated! So, it would be a great compliment if people thought we actually used a symphonic orchestra!

[ConnieR. 0]

Congratulations, Fiery Angel. I entered the first Notion contest but not the last one.

Here is a piece of music I wrote. Its never been performed by a real orchestra but I used Notion to play it. http://www.4shared.com/file/62882262/cdf08938/Excelsior.html

I was wondering if there are other notation programs that are comparable in price to Notion but have better sounding brass. I m not really satisfied with the brass sounds; they don't sound "ringing" enough. (sorry, I couldn't think of a better word at the moment.) LOL Otherwise I really like this program.

[David Coscina 4]

Congratulations, Fiery Angel. I entered the first Notion contest but not the last one.

Here is a piece of music I wrote. Its never been performed by a real orchestra but I used Notion to play it. http://www.4shared.com/file/62882262/cdf08938/Excelsior.html

I was wondering if there are other notation programs that are comparable in price to Notion but have better sounding brass. I m not really satisfied with the brass sounds; they don't sound "ringing" enough. (sorry, I couldn't think of a better word at the moment.) LOL Otherwise I really like this program.

Here is the official link to NOTION with the finalists from this year's competition. They chose the ponderous picture to use of me.

http://www.notionmusic.com/contest/08Others.cfm

[FattyMcButterpants 1]

That other guy's piece, March Of The Ants, seems pretty much influenced by Nicholas Hooper's Fireworks in the beginning.

And Umbridge in the middle.

[David Coscina 4]

That other guy's piece, March Of The Ants, seems pretty much influenced by Nicholas Hooper's Fireworks in the beginning.

And Umbridge in the middle.

Not that I'm petty or anything but the Grand Prize piece sounds a lot like Stravinsky's Firebird. I guess because it is public domain it's fair game....who knows, maybe my piece comes off as second rate Goldsmith. You never know.

[Smeagol 0]

I was looking through some old music files and I found some pieces that I wrote a couple of years ago. I thought I'd share them just for fun. Most of the scores are written on paper so I might upload more stuff whenever I have time to copy them into Finale.

My prof is pretty much a hard core 20th century-I love everything avant garde-I hate tonal music and John Williams and film music sucks kind of guy so he got us to write, atonal, serial and 12-tone pieces and all that pretty much from the beginning. So most of these are in that kind of style.

More detailed descriptions when you click on the links.

I. The Calm II. Before III. The Storm

http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?PID=1176343&t=3696

Embrujo

http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?PID=1176333&t=7595

Electronic

http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?PID=1176350&T=2110

Melody

http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?PID=1176355&T=1273

[Nick Parker 3,040]

That must have been terrible. I would love to listen to your work, but I am afraid that my computer will not let me....

[Smeagol 0]

It wasn't that bad actually. By the time I started taking classes with him I had already been brainwashed into liking more... "modern" music, hehe so I was having fun writing this kind of stuff.

[ChrisAfonso 188]

I listened to the calm before the storm, good work It has a concept the listener can follow when listening to it, which is an important thing. No matter how modern a work may sound, it should have some level on which the average (openminded) listener can connect to it, as to not leave him completely bewildered

[Smeagol 0]

I listened to the calm before the storm, good work It has a concept the listener can follow when listening to it, which is an important thing. No matter how modern a work may sound, it should have some level on which the average (openminded) listener can connect to it, as to not leave him completely bewildered

Agreed. That's something I try to incorporate whenever I can, especially when writing in that style. Otherwise most people not familiar with that style will just dismiss it as "noise" or because it's "weird".

I just noticed that you're from Buxtehude, hehe no idea there was a place called that, I only knew about the composer. Wrote a small paper about him during my first year in university.

[ChrisAfonso 188]

Cool But the composer has nothing to to with the town

[filmmusic 1,861]

here's the trailer of the first feature film I scored (Starring Steve Guttenberg and James Duval)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00eNVn0TQPg

I also scored the trailer (except for 0.25-0.33'' which is source music by another composer)

[bigjimwilson 260]

konstantinos, that's some nice work you're doing there!! And great to see Mr Guttenberg!!

I thought I would share this with you. It's a theme tune I was asked to write for a friend's series of Podcasts for his website. That was a while ago now, and I don't know if the podcasts will be happening anytime soon, so I figured someone might as well hear it!!

It came out rather David Arnoldy I think!

http://files.filefront.com/Jim+Wilson+Wond...;/fileinfo.html

The name is a bit silly, but it made sense with the website!!

[Bowie 45]

My latest piece: "Force of Mario (End Credits)" -- an alternate end credits suite for Super Mario Galaxy (using all my own original themes which are also on my youtube site).

YouTube (with credits video):

HQ: http://www.zshare.net/audio/551125898813eb20/

Hope you like, and see if you can pick out the different themes and how they've been altered (different time signatures, modalities etc )

[Bowie 45]

Another Super Mario Galaxy piece,

[Nick Parker 3,040]

Not bad, not bad at all. I do agree with the sentiment that it is more befitting a Final Fantasy game.

[Henry B 50]

Nifty stuff. The end credits piece reminds me of Super Mario RPG, so I guess you've got the Mario aesthetic down pat.

[Bowie 45]

Not bad, not bad at all. I do agree with the sentiment that it is more befitting a Final Fantasy game.

Yeah I definitely took a musical departure for it, so it was kind of a gamble, but meh. Thanks

Nifty stuff. The end credits piece reminds me of Super Mario RPG, so I guess you've got the Mario aesthetic down pat.

Oh true, definitely a compliment, thanks for the comments

Now I've gotta leave this game music sound so I can get a bloody job. Game companies don't seem to be hiring composers without any other industry experience lmao.

[filmmusic 1,861]

2 tracks from the latest feature film I scored: " A Time for the heart" - a romantic fantasy drama..

It's the first time i had to do a full orchestral score of large duration (about 60 minutes)..

http://www.reverbnation.com/konstantinoszacharopoulos

-End Credits Suite

-The Kiss

More about the film and trailers here:

http://www.racsofilms.com/TFTH-progress.htm

[Smeagol 0]

After a long time of not posting anything here, I'll put up some stuff I have been working on.

This is called "Sketches for Flute, Bassoon, Harp and Strings" and as the name indicates, they are three very short pieces. I wrote them basically cause I had sketched some of the ideas a while ago and needed to kind of get them out of my head, and to keep practicing mixing and what not with Finale and GPO.

I. Maria's Theme

II. Chasing Butterflies

III. Mom's Advice

Comments are welcome

[pixie_twinkle 48]

I posted this to the main message board, completely forgetting we had a composers thread too! You've probably already saw this in my "Freeze Paris" thread, but just so I've covered all my bases here it is. A friend of mine asked me for some music to accompany a short film he made outside the Louvre in Paris last month. I gave him a piece I'd already composed called "Parisian Rain", which fits so perfectly it might as well have been composed for the event!

Comments are welcome

Chasing Butterflies is lovely!

[Smeagol 0]

I posted this to the main message board, completely forgetting we had a composers thread too! You've probably already saw this in my "Freeze Paris" thread, but just so I've covered all my bases here it is. A friend of mine asked me for some music to accompany a short film he made outside the Louvre in Paris last month. I gave him a piece I'd already composed called "Parisian Rain", which fits so perfectly it might as well have been composed for the event!

Comments are welcome

Chasing Butterflies is lovely!

I had not seen it! Wow! I like it! who are the players? Sounds pretty nice!

Love how the pizz. with the strings just makes perfect sense with the rainy weather in the pictuers! cooool!

[pixie_twinkle 48]

2 tracks from the latest feature film I scored: " A Time for the heart" - a romantic fantasy drama..

It's the first time i had to do a full orchestral score of large duration (about 60 minutes)..

http://www.reverbnation.com/konstantinoszacharopoulos

-End Credits Suite

-The Kiss

More about the film and trailers here:

http://www.racsofilms.com/TFTH-progress.htm

Your music is excellent! Very assured and confident writing. You have a marvelous grasp of orchestration, too. Bravo, Sir!

I posted this to the main message board, completely forgetting we had a composers thread too! You've probably already saw this in my "Freeze Paris" thread, but just so I've covered all my bases here it is. A friend of mine asked me for some music to accompany a short film he made outside the Louvre in Paris last month. I gave him a piece I'd already composed called "Parisian Rain", which fits so perfectly it might as well have been composed for the event!

Comments are welcome

Chasing Butterflies is lovely!

I had not seen it! Wow! I like it! who are the players? Sounds pretty nice!

Love how the pizz. with the strings just makes perfect sense with the rainy weather in the pictuers! cooool!

They are a professional quartet who originally commissioned the set of pieces. They wanted something for their outreach program for them to play with various youth string ensembles so I wrote a set of 6 movements for quartet and 4 different orchestra levels. It was a challenge writing something that was simple to play but didn't sound childish. I had a blast doing it.

[Smeagol 0]

Very nice! Where can I listen to more pieces from you?

[filmmusic 1,861]

2 tracks from the latest feature film I scored: " A Time for the heart" - a romantic fantasy drama..

It's the first time i had to do a full orchestral score of large duration (about 60 minutes)..

http://www.reverbnation.com/konstantinoszacharopoulos

-End Credits Suite

-The Kiss

More about the film and trailers here:

http://www.racsofilms.com/TFTH-progress.htm

Your music is excellent! Very assured and confident writing. You have a marvelous grasp of orchestration, too. Bravo, Sir!

Thank you very much for your good words! You have an excellent piece there too! Congratulations!! And great performance too!

[MSM 126]

konstantinos, that's some nice work you're doing there!! And great to see Mr Guttenberg!!

I thought I would share this with you. It's a theme tune I was asked to write for a friend's series of Podcasts for his website. That was a while ago now, and I don't know if the podcasts will be happening anytime soon, so I figured someone might as well hear it!!

It came out rather David Arnoldy I think!

http://files.filefront.com/Jim+Wilson+Wond...;/fileinfo.html

The name is a bit silly, but it made sense with the website!!

Nice.