MissionTrainer

Thanks, @ilv for putting your critiques a little more simply so I can understand them--and for the encouragement! I've basically put those pieces on the back burner (they were the kind of thing where I had a glimpse of an idea, started on it, and before I got far thought of another idea and started a different piece so I would remember it). I posted them to kind of see where I was relative to where I want to be, and to get some ideas on how I could improve. I've been working on another piece that's a little more complete than the rest, and I thought I'd post it here for more feedback. I figured out how to use some more of the features on MuseScore (slurs, double bar lines, dynamic marks, etc.), but it's not finished. I'm putting a disclaimer here that I know I've missed several things in terms of remembering to put all the extra stuff in, so if a few details are missing, let me know where they are and I'll fix them. Also, I took the advice I've been getting everywhere and started simple, with the instrument I'm familiar with. It's an Italian-style waltz for piano only, based off a piece that I like to play called Un Giorno de Roma, and Michael Giacchino's theme for Ellie in the movie Up. Could you tell me if I've gotten better at least or where I could improve?

Wow-that's a lot of questions! Let's see how many I can answer. First of all, I should have said right off that I'm a homeschooled senior looking to send in college applications in a couple months. I have a very limited budget (like if I have to pay for it, I probably can't do it kind of limited budget) and will probably be existing on scholarships and a job or two if I get into college. Because I'm homeschooled, I have had no access to orchestras, ensembles, good quality choirs (I'm in my church's choir, but we're unfortunately not very good musically). I listen to film music constantly with a little pop, country, Celtic, classical, and Broadway interspersed through it. The only instrument I actually have a lot of experience with is piano, and I haven't taken private lessons for almost a year because my grandma couldn't pay for my lessons anymore (she has paid for them since I was five). I managed to get a couple months of guitar lessons a few years ago, but I only know a few chords and I don't think that qualifies as being able to play it. I can play the keyboard part of the organ at my church but have no idea how to work all the stops and buttons. My mom has a viola she played in high school, but I had just taught myself to play a basic scale on it when the bow came unstrung. I have a good voice and can sing very well. I have played piano during service at my church almost every week for the past 3 years and I seem to have turned into the go-to girl for picking out parts during choir practice, so I've learned a small amount of improvisation, but it's not very good. So that's basically my music experience as far as playing goes. I haven't checked around for local churches, but the "thing" around here seems to be a lot of CCM during service (but we do old-fashioned hymns at my church) so even though I personally know the worship leader at one church I don't think that would work. I live in the Treasure Valley, Idaho, so Boise State University is pretty close by. I was thinking of maybe taking a class or two there (like one of those where you can sit and listen, but don't get the credit, so you don't have to pay for it) next semester but that will be too late for November early action deadlines for the colleges I'm applying for. I'll look up composers in my area and try to see if anyone would tutor me or at least review my scores for super cheap or free. I'm not afraid of hard work (in fact, I enjoy it), so 3 jobs would be busy, but doable. I'm afraid if my goal was still music, though, I'd get frustrated because I'd never have time to do what I really want to do. If I had to have a job that wasn't in music, ideally it would be an outdoor job, but with my grades and test scores (SAT: 1350; ACT: 30) I've been told I could probably do whatever I put my mind to. I've been dual enrolled at a local community college and taken English, Math, Humanities, Communications, and this semester am taking Spanish and Microbiology, so there are a lot of classes I could probably transfer. I just got a job at a local farm-turned-theme-park that has 2 corn mazes, a pumpkin patch, hay rides, petting zoo, bounce houses, merchandise, concessions, etc. and I think it'll be a lot of fun. I'm people oriented and I enjoy working with people, but I work really well by myself, too. I was going for nursing before I decided I loved music too much but I decided that I'm not a science/math person and would not enjoy working in an office or in a lab. I like variety, and creativity, so I would probably do best in an entertainment/adventure type setting. But if I could have my druthers I'd rather be in music than anything else. Hope that helps answer some of your questions! Thanks so much for encouraging me!

Thanks Monarcheon--I really appreciate it!

Thanks for telling me the truth, guys, even though it's making me kind of depressed. I thought I had a good grasp on basic theory, but I knew there was a lot I don't know yet. I needed to hear opinions from people already in the field instead of just those of the nonprofessional friends and family around me. I guess I should tell you (if you weren't able to guess)that my main musical influences are film composers, specifically Harry Gregson-Williams, Hans Zimmer, Alan Silvestri, Howard Shore and others. I've been trying to compose music that gives the same impression that the music I love to listen to does, but I've been floundering because I have no idea where to start. Do you think if I took a free online course on theory, that I could apply it to my pieces, so I can make them better? In fact, do I even have any good ideas, or should I just scrap everything and start over?

Thank you both for replying! Wow-this seems like it's going to be much harder than I anticipated, and you're right, Monarcheon, I didn't understand half of your critiques. My main reason for going to college for composition is to learn this stuff--but I'm finding out more and more you basically have to be an expert before you can even get in (which seems like a catch-22, in my opinion)! Is there anything I can do to learn some of this information and apply it to my pieces before I attempt college? One thing I do know is that music is my passion, and I'm not about to give up when I've barely started just because I don't know how to do it. (By the way, some of the critiques that I did understand are not really in my control because I don't know how to fix it in MuseScore. My handwritten copy doesn't have some of the things that you pointed out. And some of the left-hand notes are meant to be an octave lower, I just forgot to put that in there.) Maarten Bauer, I was thinking of six different colleges: Oberlin (the hardest to get into, I know), Whitworth University, Biola University, Liberty University, Texas Christian College, and Belmont University. I am not financially able to visit any except a slight chance at visiting Whitworth. Also, I have been researching this for a long time and I have heard that it's almost impossible to make a living out of composing, but I've also read that the only ones who manage to make it work are the ones that hang their entire career on composition with no plan B. I'm not saying that I honestly have no plan B--I have very good grades and I could do virtually anything--but film music is the only thing I'm really passionate about. Do either of you have suggestions on how to turn these ideas into something good enough to submit?

Here you go! Thanks for replying!

Hi! I'm a seventeen-year-old aspiring film composer really hoping to be able to get into a college for Music Composition. However, I know virtually nothing about composing and I have to have finished compositions to send in. Background: I am proficient at piano (had private lessons for 12 years), and fell in love with film music a few years ago. Now I desperately want to become a film composer but I'm not sure how to start and I currently feel like I'm drowning in everything I don't know at the moment. : ) I'm using MuseScore and I'm hoping you guys can tell me what you think about these ideas and how to improve them. None of them are finished, but they're literally all I have at the moment. Thanks! Theme_Practice.xml Rhapsody for String Orchestra.xml College_Application_Piece.xml Test.xml