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Db.pdf Here is the score if anyone’s interested

Hi to all! I've recently been asked to write a theme for an unofficial Star Trek podcast. Obviously I'm not allowed to quote any of the original themes, but the brief was: James Horner! Its supposed to evoke "Star Trek", without actually quoting any copyright material. So this is what I came up with. Think my percussion needs a bit of finessing (especially at the end), and I still have some work to do on the balance of the mix, and the mastering. (Sorry about the score: it's designed for midi rendition only, as I don't expect this will ever be played by real life musicians!)

@Henry Ng Tsz Kiu Thank you very much man, I haven't gotten such compliments in a long time wow. 😮 I agree, the tritone leap at the local climax from the start sounds like it comes from a Mahler piece, it has the same type of expressive nature (this choice was intentional). The harmonic exploration I did at the start is something I want to study in detail for future compositions, it feels atonal but grounded in tonal harmonic structures. Thank you! For me the central climax feels like watching a movie scene where a man has lost everything in war, or something similar. The Christ comparison is too much in my opinion haha, but I do try to transform my personal suffering into something people can enjoy. 🙂 @Luis Hernández Thank you! Yes, I used a similar idea, this is achieved by delaying the C# minor resolution for the very last chord of the composition. All the time I avoid a pure C# minor chord like in measures 2, 13 and 20. @Thatguy v2.0 Thank you! I wasn't expecting to express so much in less than two minutes, I guess my body was craving expressing itself after months of creative silence. @PeterthePapercomPoser Thanks. 🙂 Yes, I made some little experiments in this piece and the results seem interesting. I do hope this helps me get the courage to compose a small symphonic poem in the near future.

Thanks 😁

Dang how did I miss this one I know every midi rendition of a piano piece could be enhanced with a live performance, but this especially could. I found myself wanting to hear so much rubato, it would definitely give this piece added life. I forget, do you play? I hear a lot of pain and despair in this, broken up by little rays of sun here and there. I think when you have writer's block, something improvisational is a good move to get out of it, where you kind of forego form and just write. I like the story-arch of this, because it was hard to "expect" anything, and I was just forced to listen. Bar 72 was probably my favorite moment, the high register was a lovely touch in color to your theme. Reminded me of some of Liszt's stuff. 106-108 was really cool too. But I think my favorite thing overall was the fact that nothing really felt forced. If you wanted to be simple, you were. If you wanted to added dynamic depth, you did. Nothing felt like you were trying to break boundaries, you just wrote good music. I took a lesson from a jazz piano player one time, and he asked me how I play my C chord. Not how to play C, but how to play MY C chord. Did I like to add a 6th, or omit the 5th, or whatever. I didn't care for that, because sometimes a plain old C chord is just fine as it is, it just depends on what you're going for. The language in your music is simple yet elegant, and it sounds like you're a wise and mature composer from it. I like Henry's suggestion of small pieces, they are helpful when in a rut. The act of starting something but COMPLETING it too can't be understated for your compositional well-being, and might be an avenue worth pursuing in the future when stuck in your musical ways. Great music as always, it's good to hear something from you again. Excited for more!

@Luis Hernández thank you for your thoughts! I actually thought it was going to be a nocturne at first, but it ended up going a different direction. @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu I agree, I love and appreciate short and sweet. Maybe one if these days, I’ll try my hand at writing a series if preludes, too 🤷🏻‍♂️ but no promises, LOL

Hi @Gwendolyn Przyjazna! I love the modal colors of this piece! I would have made a few different harmonic choices myself though. My ear just yearns for a C# major chord instead of the C# minor you have in measure 5 but I don't know how well it would loop back around if you made that change. But if it doesn't loop well with the major chord in bar 5 you could just write out the second repeat of the material with the minor version and there'd be some unexpected variety. I also really like the mood of the piece - it's melancholic and hopeful at the same time, perhaps contemplative of both good and bad memories. I think the rhythms of the right hand in measure 13 - 15 are as clear as they should be. Since you're using a variety of different durations for the 2nd voice of the right hand it makes sense that you'd display the half note in bar 13 as such since you use a quadruplet dotted quarter note in measure 14 followed by a quadruplet 8th note. And a regular quarter in bar 15. Thanks for sharing this reflective piece! It really is a shame you don't post more often but I remember that when I was in school I didn't compose very much either unless it was for an assignment because I just didn't have the time or mental/emotional resources for creative pursuits.

@PeterthePapercomPoser help me with that!! 🥶 You know how bad my notation was and is right!

Thank you so much, Henry! 🙂 I trust your judgement on the notation. I will be making my final draft in a week and will post it here.

Thank you for this feedback, it gives me a to-do list basically, which will really come in handy, so thank you. I appreciate it very much.

Thanks! I am working on a score at the moment

Hello @Josephine_Maccrimmon, Welcome to our forum! I am not expert myself but lemme give you some feedback. I think the opening flute melody enters in the wrong key as the music is in G major but you have the flute enters in supertonic A minor but have a tonic G major harmony! The piano accompaniment and harmonic pattern can be more varied, as I find out that the piano accompaniment repeats in a ground bass fashion! Also, the texture and accompaniment pattern of the piano can definitey be more varied like using simple patterns like alberti bass or broken chords. Have some melodies for the piano as well! Details would be very important as well. There isn't any dynmaic markings in the score, and no slurs! Slurs are pivotal for fluatist since they indicate their tonguing and how to play their notes! I suggest you viewing our fellow members' work and look for their scoring and details! Thx for joining! Henry

https://app.milanote.com/1TII471vkUth6Z?p=DtciXzL9BNN I wasn't able to upload my mp3 or ss so I've added an invitation link into the post. (Let me know if it doesn't work) I'm currently in Year 11, studying a Year 12 subject, AIF. One of the criteria for this assignment is collecting external feedback from experts (Expert just means someone who has experience in the chosen area). I would appreciate anyone giving me some feedback, and helping to guide me potentially.

Hey Giacomo @Giacomo925, Thx so much for sharing your detailed and very acute response! I have the same opinion. As the composer for finishing both movements, I feel like the joy in the 1st movement unearned and ungrounded, so that may sound sinister. It’s the naive version of myself who never suffers pain at all so I was naively having positive feelings then. Wow this description is so good! In the Lamentoso, I wanna have myself realised the tragedies in the world happening right now, wars and pandemic, so there’s only room for cruelty but no room for joy or ideals, even though I try to bring it back at the end starting from 9:00 or so. In my original thought I think the fugue is when I objectively evaluate my own emotion, but your view is maybe more accurate than mine! Yup, I was trying to find my inner rhythm of life both in the music and in my personal life. Also, realising your pain is the best way to dissolve it, you can never heal yourself if you never admit yourself that you are in pain and need help. Only by noticing pain, ideals are possible, and that would be a real ideal, not a naive one as in the 1st movement. Haha thx! In fact I think of nothing east and west when composing, I just write what the music would have needed. I am quite Chinese since I am quite practical right? But I do believe all those “contradictions” are meaningless, because humanity is the same for all people from all countries and cultures. The ending is really mixed with joy and sadness, maybe like the ending of the best Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. Thank you! Henry

But here it’s a harpsichord… Sounds very Chinese to me.

This reminds me a Cantonese joke of “Bob Yeah”, which means to have sex in Cantonese lol!

Hi Pabio @Fugax Contrapunctus! That’s the scariest type of fugue: a gigue one! I’m always afraid to play them myself lol! The syncopation of the subject and the answer entering in 2.5 bars later sound funny! The use of the BACH motive ofc is a good tribute to him. The modulation to tritone C sharp minor is lovely too! B. 62-63 would be unplayable for most pianists with 10ths, even though I can play them. The addition of a 4th voice at the end ofc intensified the music. Happy birthday to Bach and thx for sharing! Henry

Hello @Alt. Welcome to the forum! I think you do a good job for keeping it simple by using the beginning rhythmic motive well throughout the whole Bagatelle. I also like the mixolydian sound of the theme! The higher register in 0:40 sounds more ethereal and I like it! You can also provide a pdf score here so that other members can look into the details of your works more easily! Thx for joining and sharing your music! You can also look into other members’ works! Henry

Hi @Gwendolyn Przyjazna! Long time no see! I like this! I love the harmonies in the 1st section, and the contrasting texture between the two sections. First section is darker, more dissonant and heavier in texture, middle section lighter, consonant and thinner texture. Ending on an augmented chord sounds nice too! I love the polyrhythm in b.13 to 17 as well. For me in b.13 you can just write the lower part of RH with a dotted crotchet. Thx for sharing! Henry

Wait... I live in Hong Kong!!

Thought I would share a draft of my final project for a composition course, covering the common practice period and ending with the Impressionist and Expressionist movements. I make use of chord extensions, non-traditional cadences, and modalities such as Dorian and Lydian as well as moments of E Major and E Augmented. Ballade-like accompaniment prevails, and 2:3 or 4:3 polyrhythms are often present. The form consists of a 4-bar introduction, a repeated A section, a repeated contrasting B section, and then a final nod to the intro and the first phrase of the A section. I'm not sure what that form is called. The music came to me before the conceptual title I have attached to it. In retrospect I noticed how the harmony seemed to constantly alternate between dark and bright, which reminded me of clouds passing over the sun. The piece has a quiet, moody opening and closing and lighter, even magical moments in the middle. Any constructive criticism is welcome! Thanks, Gwendolyn

Thanks a lot For so many good vibes from you!

Back from Hong Kong, a jetlag in sight, I discover your message! Thank you Henry, for your always so fine and enthusiastic comments. It's a great pleasure to read. Schubert is indeed always somewhere in my ulterior motives, without necessarily realizing it (it can however be voluntary as in a previous piece where I quote Der Lindenbaum, in "Jeux", in the coda). Here, I admit that I didn't have a Lied in mind in particular, but you're right, as soon as we try to sing a little love and sadness, Schubert is not far away. It is also quite possible that the author of the poem Jules Laforgue, heard Lieder, when he was a French reader for a German empress, in his Berlin castle. We even know that he meets a very renowned young Belgian pianist, with whom he befriends. There is no doubt that Schubert was heard by him in these circumstances. You are also right about the look let's say hopeful during strings. It is also to go with the idea present in the poem of a bitterness, but of the contemplation always amazed before "these beings there" who remain despite these defects and this superficiality (according to the poet of course), which remain in his eyes, despite everything, despite his doubts, his smallness, so adorable... (And as I understand what he means... But it's a very very subjective opinion)...

The One-Night Stand Tango Man - Short Movie main theme. Now on Fetchflix Bob is single but also a sex addict. He learned that women are generally overrepresented in dance classes and therefore it would be an opportunity to meet women. He started with ballet because there are 10 women for every man in these classes, but dancing on pointe didn't suit his slightly overweight body very well. Frankly, it was a disaster. Then he started dancing tango where there are 3 women for every man and then his one-night stand rate started to climb. His hide a bed sofa was always busy with all kind of partners until he met Mistress Noir. A superbly bold tango dancer but also a BDSM fan. Well, there are some risk running for one-night stand constantly. “This story is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental. And for those who did not get it, Fetchflix TV is also fictitious.” Music: Syrel Photography: Syrel, Magazine article about bedding (1989) Musical notes: Catch me if you can by John Williams may be a bit obvious at the begining but after I believe I get more genuine to my style. What do you think?