New Music Release Thread

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

In case you haven't paid a visit to Agony's SoundCloud site, they've also got an EP out - "Echoes of my Screams" - and it's just waiting for you to listen to it. Give it a play, see what you think.

Make sure you have milk and cookies close by. 

https://soundcloud.com/agonysatx210

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

I have finished a piece for Woodwind Quintet, and I'm looking for feedback on it! If you're willing to listen through a MIDI file (and possibly read through a *very* rudimentary PDF score), please download the ZIP file at the following link:

https://we.tl/t-jVQiYz0zkv

There's a readme file in the archive with what you need to know to get started. Just ignore the bits about the Doomworld forum - either reply here, or send me an e-mail at dljcomments AT lbjackson DOT com with your critique.

I'm looking forward to what you have to say!

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

For this forum only, please do not share:

Someone loaded the MIDI file into a notation program, added a few (not all) slurs, and rendered it out to an MP3. So, here's the woodwind quintet #2 in mp3 format:

https://we.tl/t-dDeE11LGbD

Should sound much better. Please comment. Thanks!

[mlooney 3,417]

Sounds very bright and cheerful.  Almost like the end credits of a family friendly movie.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

1 hour ago, mlooney said:

Sounds very bright and cheerful.  Almost like the end credits of a family friendly movie.

How dare.  Seriously, thank you for listening. Anyone else?

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

Anyone? Bueller? Anyone???

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

I am working on another piece, this time an arrangement for Woodwind Quartet (Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon). I'm arranging Beethoven's Piano Sonata #18 in Eb Major, Op.31, No.3. If that title looks familiar, it's because I've arranged the 3rd movement for brass choir before (see YouTube link below). This time I'm going for broke: I'm arranging all four movements, and mister, I can tell you that this is going to be a bitch to play, especially for the bassoon part. I'm finished with the first three movements and only have the last movement left to arrange in Cakewalk, then I need to load it into a notation program like Dorico to get the dynamics, articulations, tempo markings, and so on put into the piece. Easier said than done.

I chose a Woodwind Quartet for an ulterior motive. I want to get this arrangement onto something called the Texas University Interscholastic League Prescribed Music List, or PML for short. The PML governs what students in Texas (and by common adoption, several other states) can perform for band, orchestra, and choir music contests, both region-wide and at the state level. They have categories for everything from Band Ensemble to Violin solo to Flute Trio. Even choral Madrigal ensembles are included. I chose to write for a Woodwind Quartet - and for a difficult class as well - because there is a current lack of repertoire for that category (only 42 titles in the Grade 1 category, the toughest of all). I reckon that a) they could use some more music in the category, and b] the dearth of entries improves my chances of getting onto the list. (I'm not shooting for the low bar, if that's what you're thinking - remember that I've also written two Woodwind Quintets, a vastly more popular category.) If you'd like to browse the PML, go here: https://www.uiltexas.org/pml/ . (Keep in mind that, while grade 1 is the toughest for all of the small ensembles like quartets and quintets, the classification is backward for the large ensembles like Band Ensemble, String Orchestra, and Full Orchestra: there, grade 5 is the toughest, and grade 1 is the easiest.)

I've got some time to kill until the next selection period takes place, which won't be until 2025. No big rush, thankfully.

Here's a link to my arrangement of the 3rd Movement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ElhsuqXx5I (for some reason, it comes out sounding a half-step sharp)

Here's a link to a piano performance of the whole thing: 

 

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

I'm done with the fourth movement of the Beethoven piano sonata. Now, if I can just get myself well enough to get over to the big Music Computer again so I can enter the MIDI files into Dorico.

In the meanwhile, I'm toying with another Woodwind Quartet, this one original. Problem is, I'm not sure if I'm writing a first movement or a third movement. Classical music's weird that way, at least the modern stuff is.

Did anyone mess around with the UIL PML? If you did, what did you think?

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

This year, I have taken advantage of my Recording Academy membership and done something I haven't done since 1998: enter a song for consideration for a GRAMMY® Award. The song in question is from the "Lady Tygress' Suite and Other Commissions" album, and I've chosen to enter track 1, "Lady Tygress' Suite - 1. Intro." I filled out all the online forms and submitted the song today.

The next step in the process is the song gets reviewed by the Awards Committee to see if it meets eligibility requirements (and to see if I filled out everything correctly). If everything is hunky-dory, the song goes onto the list for First Round Voting along with a whole crapload of other songs. I have to clear First Round Voting in order to become Nominated.

The last song I submitted that made the voting list was Lo Wang's Rap, back in 1998. I think it probably got one vote (mine). I'm hoping to get more this time around.

In case you haven't listened to the song I'm submitting this time around, here it is: 

Wish me luck, and watch this space! Thanks!

[mlooney 3,417]

Good luck!

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

Got something for you to listen to if you're bored. Please don't distribute.

I helped out a friend with an Industrial rhythm track he was writing. Once he was done, I asked him for the stems so I could play around with the track a bit. I wound up adding a minimalistic bass line and three more minimalist "melodic" layers on the top. The end result is up on WeTransfer for your listening pleasure. Here's the link:

https://we.tl/t-1uwwfkoBT1

Like I said, please don't distribute this, since the piece has not been publicly released yet.

I would appreciate it if you would let me know what you think of this pseudo-Industrial track. Thanks in advance!

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

I finally have a copy of Dorico Pro 5 on my laptop! No more waiting for my legs to get better before I can use a notation program. Hopefully this means that my woodwind quintets will get put out to the real world soon!

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

Dorico Pro is a gem, despite its proclivity to crash upon closing at times. I've managed to crank out full scores and parts for both Woodwind Quintet No.1 and "Theme and Tangents," plus I've got a full three-movement recording of Woodwind Quintet No.1 as rendered by Dorico Pro! It has all the proper instruments, slurs, articulations, dynamics, and so on. Still, it's not 100% perfect, but it's a real-ish recording nonetheless. If you'd like to hear it, here's the WeTransfer link:

https://we.tl/t-aS9fZkZlAx

Please let me know what you think. Thank you!

[Pharaoh RutinTutin 1,586]

21 hours ago, ProfessorTomoe said:

Dorico Pro is a gem

Had to read that 3 times.  I thought you said "Disco Porn". 

I case you can't tell, I know nothing of the Music Business. 

 

[mlooney 3,417]

1 hour ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

Had to read that 3 times.  I thought you said "Disco Porn". 

While the "golden age of porn" was in the 70's most of the sound tracks were "smooth jazz".  

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

I've put up another Disco Porn...erm, I mean, Dorico Pro rendering of one of my works. The work is a woodwind quartet (not quintet - no french horn) arrangement of a Beethoven piano sonata (#18, opus 31 no. 3 in Eb). I've arranged the whole ball of wax - all four movements, all 23 minutes worth (whew!) - and I'm looking to get someone to try and perform it in Real Life. If you'd like to hear what Dorico thinks it's supposed to sound like (it's not bad, actually), here's a WeTransfer link to the MP3:

https://we.tl/t-3ocNr7egjX

Please let me know what you think, and whether or not you listened through the entire composition. Thanks!

[Don Edwards 548]

17 hours ago, ProfessorTomoe said:

IThe work is a woodwind quartet (not quintet - no french horn)

I'm stumbling over the thought of a french horn in a woodwind quintet.

...there was a poster here advertising a performance by a (presumably vocal) quartet, and the picture of the group had 5 guys. Apparently either they can't count, or I can't.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

11 hours ago, Don Edwards said:

I'm stumbling over the thought of a french horn in a woodwind quintet.

Music world logic is a wreath of pretty flowers that smell bad.

[Darth Fluffy 302]

7 hours ago, ProfessorTomoe said:

Music world logic is a wreath of pretty flowers that smell bad.

Peter Schickele built a career in this.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

On 8/22/2023 at 9:48 AM, Darth Fluffy said:

Peter Schickele built a career in this.

I know. I played some of PDQ Bach's music. I even constructed and played a tromboon once. Too bad that it was my band director's trombone that I used for the trom part of the rig - he didn't appreciate my sense of humor.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

Work in Disco Porn...erm, Dorico Pro continues. I'm in the process of arranging a civil war-era brass band "gallop"-style march into a form that a modern concert band can play. I've already finished the brass and woodwind arrangement. All that remains, aside from tweaking the music itself, is to enter the percussion parts. I've left that for last because I don't yet know how to input percussion using Dorico Pro. Time to buckle down and open up the help file. The percussion parts aren't going to be anything complex, so this is a good piece on which to learn.

Watch this space for more updates and mp3s.

[Darth Fluffy 302]

Worthy of Peter Schickele

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

There is a high probability that my second woodwind quintet, "Theme and Tangents," will be played during a rehearsal by an honest-to-"Bob" live woodwind ensemble tomorrow (Friday, Sept. 1, 2023). I am crossing as many body parts as I can manage to cross in hopes that this doesn't turn out to be a dud. Please wish me luck, folks - I'm interacting with the real world here, I think.

[Darth Fluffy 302]

26 minutes ago, ProfessorTomoe said:

There is a high probability that my second woodwind quintet, "Theme and Tangents," will be played during a rehearsal by an honest-to-"Bob" live woodwind ensemble tomorrow (Friday, Sept. 1, 2023). I am crossing as many body parts as I can manage to cross in hopes that this doesn't turn out to be a dud. Please wish me luck, folks - I'm interacting with the real world here, I think.

Yes, good fortune.

[mlooney 3,417]

4 hours ago, ProfessorTomoe said:

There is a high probability that my second woodwind quintet, "Theme and Tangents," will be played during a rehearsal by an honest-to-"Bob" live woodwind ensemble tomorrow (Friday, Sept. 1, 2023). I am crossing as many body parts as I can manage to cross in hopes that this doesn't turn out to be a dud. Please wish me luck, folks - I'm interacting with the real world here, I think.

Good luck!