i've been working on this show for the past few hours, so far this is the opener i have.......please tell what you think.

theres still some editing thats gonna get done to it.

Very nice. What application do you use for that?

It sounds like Finale.
But it's amazing.

its actually sibelius.....so you guys like the music im assuming?

Is there any way to get a better recording of this, I would love to get a better listen to it, but the soundfont (Sibelius's fault not yours) is really bad. Bunch of distortion etc..

In regards to the composition itself: You may want to consider an extended introduction (before the first drum break) A chord sequence featuring a sustained dissonance before a resolution on a long chord is something often seen. (Sometimes the opposite is done ex. Cavaliers 06')

Also I would consider extending the release of the note at 1:00 by an eighth note (so it is one eighth note in the next bar) so the percussion and winds release at the same time (something hard to evaluate w/o a score). Also after that measure or so of space, I was on the edge of my seat expecting a tutti ensemble impact. Instead, there was a second drum break, you may want to add a snippet of full material before that break so you can release the tension built by breaking at a non-cadence point.

These are just opinions and you don't have to think anything of them. I do think that you have a great start and I would love to hear the final product of it.

thanks for the input.... it really helps...i understand what your saying with the release, by mistake i actually posted the wrong one up, so i remade the file and ill post it up after i post of the Ballad which should be in a few minutes.....

You are an insanely fast writer (good stuff too), kudos to you.

thanks...my goal is to write an entire show in one day...... and i guess im doing it right since you guys seem to like it

While that's an admirable goal to have, I suggest that you try to make the most out of each show you write. Try to make something stand out; something that the audience (and judges) will look at and say is new and exciting.

What you have, as I said, is a great start. However, it still needs much work and many revisions to realize its full potential. (It's also hard to talk about this specific piece due the to recording quality, it's very hard to hear inside the texture)

Always ask yourself what sets this apart from the rest of the pack. Ask why would I pick this show for my band over something from another composer. Strive to make every note worth something and contribute to the musical whole.

No personal offense to you, but if I were to listen to this movement (assuming it was as a part of a show, in it's final form and after being composed in a day) I would nod my head, make a note to look for this composer in future years and put this show in the "no" pile. BUT, if it were to be refined and perfected I might take a second listen, then tag it as a "finalist" to be heard in a meeting with the entire staff.

What I'm trying to tell you is to be weary of composing something in one day. While you material is great, I see it as a diamond in the rough so to speak. Something great that just needs to be refined.

DO NOT let this dissuade you or your goal. You have a future in composition, and I suspect that band directors will be hearing your name soon.

this is the 2nd movement of the show ive been writing

Send the .sibs to me.
I have better samples, and I can make new audios. I promise I won't steal them

I enjoyed the 2nd movement of this, a little concerned about the balance between high trumpets and melodic flutes, but that's something that can easily fixed by staging in the drill design. (Flute in front (not mic'ed!) and brass/battery in the back facing backfield)

Which brings me to another point, it may be useful (or not) to think about staging as you're writing this. This really hasn't caused many issues so far, but it could. If you have a big brass chordal section then follow it up with a woodwind solo, make sure that the drill has enough time to develop to get the brass backfield. (Which you seemed to do just fine)

I liked the tasteful use of battery percussion in this, also the use of "impact" percussion (CBD, Tam-Tam) was really great. Also how the woodwind parts didn't double anything else (pit) was fantastic. It's great to be able to differentiate 3 different musical sections in that instead of the woodwinds doubling something sound that a lot of bands have. If this was marched, this movement would make for a high woodwind caption score.

As a side note it would be great to send things to darfin, the samples really detract from the music, there's almost no tenor or alto sounds in there, I hear a lot of soprano and a lot of bass (more from the percussion than winds). The use of better samples could give a MUCH more accurate depiction of how things really sound.

EDIT: Formatting

thanks, i understand what ur saying about the staging.... ur saying snugglebunny of useful things, which really make sense now (i wish i didnt sleep in theory class!), when i finally go to school im actually going to pay attention...... when i get through all of editing im gonna send it to darfin. cuz my problem is i gotta be in the zone in order to write......this is my 2nd marching band show overall, my first is somewhere on here and that was crap!!!!!

right now i also have to use Fruity Loops in order to actually make this files, because i dont have Kontakt.....do u know anything else i could use that is free?

Well I'm not sure if it's around anymore (or if it even works for Sibelius), but there used to be a free soundfont that had decent wind sounds and drum sounds for Yamaha, Pearl and Dynasty drums.

I might have a copy of it if I search around, but in the meantime could you search your Sibelius folder for a file called synthgms.sf2 If it exists (as your default soundfont) then the one I think I have will work, but it will require editing of the drum maps. (If you even have them, I only know finale)

yea it used to be on my old computer, but i dont have it anymore........i only have the generalmidi one

PM sent

I probably wouldn't extend it by the eighth note. It's not noticed in a live performance, especially on the field. All it really does is cause confusion for the winds when you write those. You've got the staff and players worrying about whether you're writing like a British composer where the eighth just marks the release or whether you mean it as an American composer and want the actual eighth played with a release on the up beat. And with the limited time you've got for a marching band (especially in comparison to a drum corps), I'd just use the cheats that most corps do (i.e. eighth hangovers like you're advocating become the mark of the release). If you really think it'll cause a problem in timing, listen to Crown's final notes from most of their movements involving battery. The hornline releases on the downbeat of 1 while the percussion is playing their final note (no eighth note tag), but it doesn't detract or grab the ear at all because the use of impact percussion brings in some white noise that deceives the ear. Plus, it's always easier for the winds to remember "release on the close" than "release on the and after the close."

But yeah, other than that point, I'd really just advocate getting it redone in a soundfont that's not peaking so we can hear what's actually going on instead of a bunch of static with random percussive 'board notes and impacts.

I probably wouldn't extend it by the eighth note. It's not noticed in a live performance, especially on the field. All it really does is cause confusion for the winds when you write those. You've got the staff and players worrying about whether you're writing like a British composer where the eighth just marks the release or whether you mean it as an American composer and want the actual eighth played with a release on the up beat. And with the limited time you've got for a marching band (especially in comparison to a drum corps), I'd just use the cheats that most corps do (i.e. eighth hangovers like you're advocating become the mark of the release). If you really think it'll cause a problem in timing, listen to Crown's final notes from most of their movements involving battery. The hornline releases on the downbeat of 1 while the percussion is playing their final note (no eighth note tag), but it doesn't detract or grab the ear at all because the use of impact percussion brings in some white noise that deceives the ear. Plus, it's always easier for the winds to remember "release on the close" than "release on the and after the close."

But yeah, other than that point, I'd really just advocate getting it redone in a soundfont that's not peaking so we can hear what's actually going on instead of a bunch of static with random percussive 'board notes and impacts.

In my experience I've noted that players (especially high schoolers) will tend to cheat a bit unless reminded, and one of the more effective reminders is to write an eighth note with a tie to the end of whole notes. For college groups a whole note will suffice because they already have been trained to push all the way to the barline.

So I'm usually looking for the sound to cut right off on 1, but write the eighth note to remind the kids to push their all the way to the notes conclusion. If I want that extra eighth note tag I'll usually put a tenuous line over the note or re-articulate the note.

But could you explain in-depth a little more about the "cheats" corps use for releases? Just because something works doesn't mean that it's the best way to teach something. (In reference to the system I'm using)

Considering it's a marching activity, if you teach using the feet as the means of time keeping (I can't count the number of times I heard, "Your feet with my hands. Play to your feet, not to your ear." last summer) until that is drilled in, then simply assign releases to a particular foot in the drill/mark-time, your releases become cleaner almost immediately. Plus, teaching the group to embellish all the way to the end of the phrase will keep the eighth from being needed as well.

It works with both corps and high schools (it's what I was taught in both), and neither group had much trouble with releases except on a couple of occasions. The only possible downside is that it can't be applied in a concert band setting, but it doesn't detract from concert band playing, so it simply means you need a different approach there.

Ah.. I've never really thought of it that way. While I did recognize marching ensemble are a different animal, I tried to keep the concepts of concert band still intact (tone, timbre, balance, blend etc..). I'm one of those sticklers on getting a good characteristic sound out on the field as opposed to just playing as loud as possible, so I always just resorted to what worked in a concert band setting.

I know it's off topic but thanks!!

that was awsome
id love to hear it with the real instruments once it performed (assuming it will be)

Closer out yet? Any changes in how it sounds? Anything?!?

im still on the third song right now......cuz i've decided to go the route of 4 movements. i hope you guys like the third most of all though..... by the way, can u guys picture any themes for this show? I dont want to give it a theme until all of the music is done, so keep it in ur mind, dont tell me until all of it is posted tho!!!

can u guys tell me what u think of this as the beginning of the 3rd song.......i've actually done about 4 different ones, and this is like my 5th concept of it so i decided to ask u all about this to get closer to deciding how to do the 3rd movement. jus tell me what u think of it as the next part in the show.

It's pretty short, but it's a good intro and it seems to follow the theme you established in the first two tunes. I'm definitely interested to hear what comes next