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Hi Great work. I appreciate the colored version, always interesting to learn. I have no objection to make, since in this kind of pieces I put my ears to work and I don't care too much about how it is technically (parallels and all those things, which, in the end, depend on the style). It sounds great. Only one observation: apart from the entries, the texture doesnt' change (4 voices at full); it is normal to see in the Great Composers of this type of music, a little playing with that, so texture is changing a little.

Yeah, I'm gonna stir the pot as I always do in these sort of questions but it's just being honest The goal of a composition is the same of all art: To create something beautiful and great. Rivaling nature and worthy of a God. A secondary goal would be to musically embody some sort of thematic concept or environment. For example, if my goal is to write a sweeping, romantic desert piece, but it fails to convince the listener of this idea, then it has failed in this regard. It's only excusable to fail at the secondary goal provided your not writing to accompany a film or something, but never the first. Everyone who knows me knows that I not only don't accept, but am openly hostile to modernist conceptions of music, art and architecture which instead argue that the goal of these things is to "say something"; i.e., propagandize. Abstract conceptualism which uses political or philosophical "meaning" allegedly reflected by the piece as being more important than the piece itself and certainly more than the actual quality or aesthetics since those things are rejected as "oppressive" by modernists. Which leads me to... Because they're lying. What they were hoping for is that you would gush over their work, but instead pointed out flaws with it. Why do they lash out? Simple, and this is the most taboo subject in the world right now: They're totally brainwashed by the "equality" religion. They simply cannot accept that they are not as good as someone else in some regard. Everywhere you go, at least in the West today, everyone believes in "equality" in all things and people and that everyone is a blank-slate individual all equally-capable. People who have not been indoctrinated by this simply do not believe it. It is not an organic belief. Which is why no person who hasn't been indoctrinated by it genuinely believes that Kandinsky was good a painter as H.J. Draper. When someone gets mad at you pointing out that their melody is incoherent, doesn't work with their chord choices, and the lines are too stale because of lack of vibrato or whatever, the reason they are made is because you have claimed that their piece is inferior to others. That they are not "equal". and you know what? People who are superior, and know that they are, tend to be the most humble and helpful. Musicians and composers who were and are better than I, were only ever helpful to me but every guy making avant-garde noise music that sounded dated in '95 is SURE that I'm a d*ck who doesn't know what he's talking about when I say that music that sounds musical is indeed better than music that doesn't. I have never had a beautiful woman, or attractive people in general be rude to me — but every wicked witch of the west happened to also look like one...and insist they should be "models" too. I think you get the idea. It's the people who don't believe in equality that allow themselves to become the best can be at any given thing, because if you believe everything is equal by default, then you do not believe there is room for improvement...and improve they never shall.

Big fan of this. I would imagine writing for tuba ensemble has to be quite difficult, but you've done a really nice job with this piece (as did the tuba players!) If there's one criticism I have, or maybe just a suggestion, it's that considering the power and emotion in the lowest range of the tuba, you might want to save it. Most of the piece utilizes that ultra-low register, which is fine, but one thing I really like is when composers save a great color like that for big moments--Adams does this really well with the low tuba in Short Ride in a Fast Machine. This would also add some more timbral variety to the piece, which is admittedly quite difficult when you're only working with an ensemble of two instruments if you include the euphonium. Just a suggestion!

Hi there, thank you for sharing your composition! Here are some general comments: Movement 1 - I think the main thing I enjoyed about this was how bold it is compositionally. I really enjoyed reading your story of getting into composing through doing theory exercises. I'm confident studying theory will continue to enhance your compositional skills going forward. There were a lot of very nice moments throughout this movement. To my ear, the opening melody (in measure 2), when it drops down to the low F, it just feels a little odd and unconvincing. Of course, as everyone will tell you, write what you want to write and what sounds good to you. But also, listen carefully to your music and try to distance yourself from the fact that you composed it. Ask yourself, "Does this really sound like I want it to, or could I make a small adjustment to rhythm, melodic contour, or harmony that would bring it even closer to what I want?" It's a real struggle to have this mindset (speaking from experience), but it's worth it when your piece begins improving right before your eyes! Movement 2 - I really like the connectivity of this movement. The times when the piano begins a melodic line as the cello ends one are truly lovely. The dramatic pause in measure 40 (+ the measures leading up to it) is very effective, as well. The delayed piano chords in measures 50-52 are great! I would also delay the big Bb Major chord in measure 53, as having it on the down beat is almost anticlimactic after the excitement of the previous measures. Movement 3 - This is a very exciting sounding movement, and it definitely contrasts the first two. My favorite moment is at measure 105 with that staccato piano line under the legato cello melody; it's a very cool effect. Overall, great job. For being your first composition, I think it is incredible that you composed a whole, three movement sonata. I have no criticism for it. I would suggest that you listen to a lot of music from different styles and composers. I think this piece may have some moments where it isn't very clear where the points of arrival are, or what the "direction" of the music is. There is certainly nothing wrong with writing music that is more ambiguous to listen to, but I just wanted to say it did strike me as being a little bit on the "wandering" side (as opposed to the other extreme, which would be "Point A very clearly goes to Point B"). Again, great job, and best wishes!

My oboe students double on saxophone. This is common also in Musicals

You might want to consider enrolling in some sort of music academy if you can - it's my understanding that the students at these types of schools have many opportunities to have their works played, either at end of year ceremonies by the school or local orchestra or just by students by on the side. This might not be the case everywhere, though.

I find it easier to write a melodic line without any harmony first, this give me more freedom melodically. When the harmony comes first I think the melody it may sound less interesting due to restrictions you might be doing with the harmony and trying the melody to fit in. But everybody works different and everybody gets the things in different ways. I tend to do it in both ways, sometimes I start with harmony and others with melody. Then to find the chord that will fit better to the desire or purpose I have for the melody. But again everybody approach it different and get different results. As I can find easier to write a melodic line first another one can see a world of possible and great melodies in a pattern of harmonies.

IT all depends on what I'm working on. I've even done rhythm first, then harmony. That's how this huge piece I'm working on started - as X's on a sheet of graph paper. I find it easiest to work from a melody though. You can create insane harmonies since you only have one note to work from.