Frank Normandy

Hello everyone, It sure has been a relatively long time since I visited this forum. Things on my end have been stressful lately. I’m also not sure if this is the right section to post this either, but I believe this is the closest I can get to actually “receiving” advice, namely about relearning the violin after a long break. So over the past few days, I watched some videos on YouTube, and came across some really moving material on violin practice and performance, namely this video from Sophie C. It specifically addressed my situation, and just right after, I recorded my own take on her video: https://youtu.be/PxtByUcP6c8?si=Q3_EtgazyEqIIHKm The main reason that I’m posting this here in the first place is because I feel I won’t get prompt, helpful feedback and advice directly on YouTube (you know what the community is mostly like there🙄). And since the community here is, in my opinion and experience, very responsive and thoughtful, I feel I will take a gander and open up here. I hope you have constructive feedback to give me regarding how to become proficient on the violin again after a long time without touching it, based on what you watched and listened, and hope you don’t cringe at the potentially obvious mistakes I played!😆 ~Frank

Glad to hear you’re already trying out Dorico. Do you mind sharing with us the Steinberg account creation process when accessing the free trial? I checked their website, and at the initial signup page, they asked for my email, password, and country, but I believe after that part, they’ll ask for more personal information like full name, address, phone number, birthday, etc.

I’m absolutely saddened to hear this!!! T_T Finale has always been my fond childhood, since the days of using Finale Notepad 2003 from my Essential Elements DVD as a kid. I have a long history with this software. It has always been my reliable go-to tool for composing music, and the built-in Garritan sounds were really breathtaking the very first moment I heard them (great for hearing my music played back without actual musicians). I know there are far better sample libraries in the music industry than Garritan, but they were revolutionary to my naïve ears. As nostalgic and heartfelt this special music notation software has a place in our hearts, we live in an ever-changing world, so it’s sadly expected that Finale will meet its end in musical heaven. I’m debating whether I should continue using my Finale 2012 (worried about security risks), try Dorico Pro 5 free for 60 days, consider buying Dorico or not (while the discount is still available), or stick with a free option like MuseScore Studio 4. If any of you have some advice, do share it! Who knows we’d all benefit from it in the near future. R.I.P. Finale, you deserve the greatest T_T

The “Salamander” in the title refers to the Salamander Grand Piano SFZ file I used for the piano sound in my audio. Yeah, it’s a bit of an awkward move, but that’s how I organize my composition audio collection in my devices. ~Frank

Hello everyone, So by now, you know I love to compose dance music(: This piece is no exception. Yeah, it leans on the simpler side of compositions, and it’s rather short too, but I aimed to focus on melody and emotion this time around. I actually composed this before my Roses piece, but to be honest, I feel more satisfied with this dance than Roses due to the focus on expression. Ok, I’ve nipped your eyes with my description for long enough, so let’s get listening!:D ~Frank

Ok, I just uploaded the 2nd draft of my composition with the newly modified harp section near the end. Now it plays triplet harmonies instead of the weird glissando runs. Thanks @PeterthePapercomPoser for pointing out my mistake! ~Frank

Hello everyone, I’ve been going through some tough times lately, but recently I overcame some of them, which gave me inspiration to compose a rough draft of this piece for “semi-orchestra” (my personal term for a full/symphony orchestra with some instruments excluded). I’m also happy that this is my first upload on this forum using Muse Sounds (tried it with a few of my other compositions, works really swell!). However, their snare drum sound doesn’t seem to work, so I substituted it with my Garritan version instead. Updates to this piece might come, so stay tuned, plus enjoy!(: ~Frank

This is a Romantic-era styled piano piece with a bit of Bądarzewska-Baranowska's "The Maiden's Prayer," a hint of Paul de Senneville's "Mariage d'Amour," and a dash of Chopin for good measure. This dance depicts two roses, personified as lovers, making a final dance (the title is French for "The Last Dance of the Roses") before departing forever. However, the rose couple finds a last tear of joy as they depart, as if ultimately content to spend their long years together, hence the happy ending.

Hello @PeterthePapercomPoser, Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback. My composition could use a change of pace when the bunnies cranked up their energy. I was likely too caught up with expressing their innocence and playful side. I like your suggested way of composing the piece; it sounds like a great idea. Regarding "The Tortoise and the Hare" composition, it does sound interesting. I'll check it out. Thank you again for your thoughts! ~Frank

Thanks @UrKr for your comments! I’m happy that I achieved what I set out to do. And agreed, midi is often off like that, I have to admit. ~Frank

Hello everyone, One day while I was surfing YouTube, I came across this video of two bunnies hopping: https://youtu.be/RlveKVGw0fY?si=1irFlw3BCY59XTAb I was so moved by the cuteness and playfulness of the scene that I had an idea to write this composition. My original version was for solo piano, but I finished this version for woodwinds first, so I decided to upload it first. Enjoy, and feedback is welcome!:)

Thank you @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu! Yeah, I originally aimed for simplicity in my dance. I felt that melody and emotion are the important parts. However, I’ll consider what you and @Jqh73o suggested to make my piece and future ones use multiple keys and overall sound more interesting. It’ll take some creativity in my part to add more complexity in my music, but I’ll try my best;) ~Frank

Hello, just stopping by, and I find what you have so far really well-written!(: Really dramatic all the way, reminiscent of Beethoven’s (and possibly other prolific classical ensemble composers’) symphonies. As for advice, which you specifically asked for, I’ll give you whatever I can suggest off my limited experience, me being a self-taught composer with very little formal training. You could experiment with brass (e.g. trumpets, tubas), as in my experience, they tend to have high dynamic range compared with the other instrument families, except probably percussion. The brass would surely add to the already dramatic feeling evoked, and will most likely make the listening experience more intense. Speaking of percussion, maybe you can also try using a triangle at select parts or the song to add contrasting timbre. If I remember right, triangle sounds are a bit playful and gentle. Each of the strings has some interesting rhythms. Maybe you can streamline and combine those rhythms, so each string doesn’t seem to be off in its separate planet. The contrabasses can be given a more elaborate part too. I believe you shouldn’t worry too much about the woodwinds. They don’t have to play for most of your symphony. In fact, having them play at unexpected times can grab the listeners’ attention. Now for the non-orchestration thoughts: Sonata-allegro form (I assume you’re familiar with it since you’re writing a symphony, but I’ll mention it anyway) is your friend. You can get a lot going if you experiment with multiple themes, transitions, and momentary changes in keys. Then again, it doesn’t have to be that complex. The 4 single contrabass notes in the end of your excerpt could already spark some inspiration leading to something ear-catching, like slowly adding more instruments in for stacking harmonies. And lastly, maybe you can come up with a more tangible melody, since during my listening and sheet music studying, I find it to be mostly chords and arpeggios. I’m not trying to say your current material is lacking (it actually sounds pretty good), just suggesting ways to make your symphony more memorable. Hope this helps, and hope my explanations are not confusing, ~Frank

Thanks @Jqh73o for your thorough lesson on chromatic mediants, and sorry for taking lots of your time. Either way, you’re really helpful, and I’m awed by your sheer knowledge on music theory. I’ll take some time to digest this information, and hopefully use it to improve my compositional skills in the near future. Thank you again! ~Frank

Thank you. I’m glad I achieved the feel I was aiming for in my piece. To be honest, I don’t really know what to call it either, but I wanted a change of pace in that part, so I’m glad about that too. Good idea, I could try to implement some more complexity in my theme. Maybe it will make the listeners more engaged. I’m a bit familiar with Neapolitan chords; I will consider it. And sorry for asking this, do you mind explaining me what chromatic mediant relationships are? I’d love to learn more about these more advanced theory topics to improve my compositional skills in the near future. Lastly, thank you for your thoughtful feedback!(: