Fernando Cavalcanti

I think right now you could really gain a lot by having a private composition teacher. Someone that is a classical composer and can point you in the right direction with theory/harmony/counterpoint. Another thing you can do that would really help is listening to a lot of music, but while reading the music score in front of you. Let's say, pick the summer movement of the 4 seasons, and try to study it while listening and reading the score. That really helps to give ideas... write down the parts you love the most and then try to use them (not copy and paste but try to understand them) in your exercise compositions. I think your music could indeed improve a lot, but it wasn't boring at all. It was very interesting in my opinion, and it did have some nice moments to it. I would consider it not classical though, and it sounds very experimental but if you start studying other people's music and studying theory that will give you an edge and might point you in the right direction. Another reason to having a private teacher, is that he/she will go over your music and give suggestions, sometimes based on knowledge sometimes based on experience, that will help your music achieve a much better result than if you just do it by yourself.

Requiem #1: I definitely like the beginning and the part around 1:40. I think that it is indeed a strong work. I think it may have endeed a little bit too soon but that may just mean I wanted to listen to more of it. Requiem #2: Also starts very strongly. It has a nice beat to it and again I wish I could see the Finale file... I am very curious about the harmonization on both pieces, and specially your chorale choices. I wouldn't go as far as saying it is not as good as the first movement, but it is definetely faster. It seems to me almost to be an extension of movement #1. Very nice work you have here, I can't wait to hear the rest of it. Good job!

Wow! I was about to go to sleep, but I decided to check the "non-answered" posts :happy: I really like those pieces... they have a little bit of new and old games to them. I really think of Metal Gear Solid Action while hearing ohc09... its sounds more modern to me. And even in a dungeon, it makes it feel like theres action going on at all times. Your percussion piece, OHC12 is very unusual. It is difficult to pull it off with only using percussions... I think you did it though. Although you are "cheating" by using the xylophone I guess to add melody to it :D OHC14 - You completely captured the sound/feeling of those arcade top-down shooters... I can see myself playing xevious or other games... mostly xevious though! Nicely done! OHC15 - Sounds very eletronic to me, even with the use of normal instruments only. But I think it could also be used with space shooters. OHC17 - I can't really imagine which character is playing the instrument on this song... please do tell me! I know it is not solid snake, and it is not Sephirot! :D OHC20 - Sounds very edgy to me... I would keep expecting something to jump from those ruins and eat my character alive! Overall interesting pieces... I don't know if I would like to have some of them looping over and over for a couple hours, but they do fit well with a game.

Hey nintenboy5, your piece is very creepy! :happy: in a good sense of course... I can totally see it being used for creating atmospheric mood for some horror game. It actually reminds me of some parts on the 7th Guest game... I think it would fit well for background, exploration music (while a player explores a room or map lets say).

I am very impressed by this piece. It is very solid from beginning to end. I think the panning could be a little more centralized (I think that because I hear better on my left ear, so the sounds on the right speaker sound lower to me) but overall its very enjoyable. What is the history behind the piece? I particularly like the strings arpegiatting at the end, and the use of the bells. good work :happy:

1. Techniques used This piece is like my other pieces, staying strictly within one harmonic key (no modulations whatsoever... I guess its boring) and it is an attempt on my part to capture that "feeling" I love so much that you get when listening to Baroque music, specially Vivaldi. 2. How long it took to compose the piece This piece took me 2 months to compose. I first started with the melody on the piano, then moved on to add the other instruments (violin, cello, viola, harpsichord). 3. Structure of your piece Small intro, followed by the theme, then following a nice 4 part choral work. I first have the soprano and alto, then in the repeat of the choral I add the tenor and bass (all with strings). I am not sure which form this could be considered to be... I guess A-B-A. 4. Obstacles when composing Humm... the harpsichord! I got it on my first try (which is very relieving) but it was really scary to compose for it. I have no knowledge of counterpoint and to make sure the harpsichord fit well within the harmony/theme was a little stressful. It took me a period of 3 days composing the small harpsichord line (by itself) until I was happy with it. 5. Summary of overall piece I really love this piece... it brings the required sense of dementia (as the developer of the game mod put it). This music is supposed to be the theme of this "entity" that tricks people. This entity, Jester, is evil at heart and will do everything to destroy you and your life. But by tricking you into it, which I think its worse. The choral part represents the true soul of the demon... its the only part that makes sense within that "playful" feeling of the overall music, but even there you have the introduction mocking you. Jester is not a nice guy... I mean, entity. :P My only regret is that if someone ever performs this music, it has to be for a small audience. The harpsichord would just disappear in other circunstances :D Music - Jester Dementia http://www.cavalcanti.com/underworld/jester-dementia.mp3

It is for this same warcraft modification I am doing some music for... the modder asked me for 15 songs from which I only did 5 so far.

Derek: I totally agree that we can and should make high quality game music... I love film/game music because for me it reminds me of great games as well as great music. I still remember tunes of games I played when I was 8... lets start a revolution on this site! :wacko: Spc1st: You made my day! Now that you told me about this randomize feature, I am like flabergasted! I can't believe I didn't know about those features on Sonar... mea culpa because I never read the manual :wacko: Too lazy... but I will try to read the whole thing to become proficient with the tools of my trade :D

Jen, I love the part at 0:56 seconds! It shifts the prelude in another direction... it really surprised me! I like it overall, I am very impressed! I wish I could play or compose for piano like this. At times I wish the left hand would take over some of the melody as its line feels more supportive than a line in itself but I am still amazed at how you shift moods throughout the piece. Keep up the good work!

It is very nice! I like the way it starts with the bells... it has a very good rhythmic feeling to it. I think it must really help your friends magic trick act... I also like the guitar sounds in the end. Lots of layers, always good. Thumbs up!

Hello all! I self-taught myself how to play the piano at age 7. From ages 8-13 I studied piano (*but forced*) and even though I loved to play piano just the fact my mother kept forcing me to study removed all interest I had in that instrument... I moved then to classical guitar, then rock guitar (Steve Vai, Joe Satriani) and I started playing cover of my guitar heroes music (specially Steve Vai which I adore). So I started fiddling a bit with composing for guitar at age 18... but then I got very frustrated with music and went to college for Computer Engineering... At age 26 I got back to study theory at Juilliard (evening division) and just last year I started composition studies with a private teacher. I still have long ways to go, specially because I decided that I want to be a professional composer. So my plan is to go back to a Bachelors in Film music at Berklee or NYU in 5 years. I plan on starting my professional career as a composer at age 40 (11 years from now as I am 29 y/o) which I think is more than enough for me to make up for the lost time away from music. The way I see it, J. Brahms is my favorite composer and he died at 63 years of age. He started his theory and composition studies at age 13, so he had a good 50 year run with music. As I will start my music career at 40 (but I started my theory/composition studies at age 29) If I live to be 90 years old, I will have had 11 years more of composing than Brahms did! So I have no excuses not to do well :D I think age does not matter... all that matters is your passion for music, and the desire to learn. Dedication will always be better than talent, and Dedication and Talent will lead to great music, so time is not my enemy, but my ally.

Thanks Mike! I agree... I need to develop more my ideas throughout my music, being it classical or game or movie soundtrack. It is something I am aware and I can't wait to shake it off so I can have more interesting music! I feel it tough though (at least for me) to develop my ideas better... I need to get more proficient with composing first and then come back to game music... that is why after this project is over I will "retire" temporarily from composing music for anything, and I will concentrate on my harmony/counterpoint studies... Once I finish that and have studied more classical music, I will try my hand again at game music/movie soundtrack. What I most desire is to be able to come up with a theme and then explore and exhaust this theme in so many different ways and variations that will keep the song alive and interesting, and people awake while they listen to it! Thanks again for your comments, I appreciate it! Fernando

Thanks for your reply! I agree, my midi drums suck. The problem becomes very apparent with the dish that keeps "splashing" taking away from the rest of the music... I need to work on my percussion/drum composing skills, and also try to find a better kit (maybe even get good drum samples to use with GigaStudio). I am not sure if I would agree or disagree if the music fits with the map... after all I am just trying to portray in music what the map/game designer desires to hear... but I totally agree with you that if he is happy, then so am I! :D Humm... the velocity variation may be a problem for now... I still need to go over my Sonar manual and find out exactly how to better program MIDI. On the other hand, maybe I should get a midi controller and play all lines myself... that would make it sound even more real. I hope that one day game/movie music will be considered just as good as classical/romantic music... I personally cannot sit through 10+ minutes of music... my attention spam won't stand it. I love game music because you can have a nice tune that runs for 3min, maybe 5min.... Or something that can loop for 5 hours but then is devoid of (much) melody/harmony and is more spatial.

Thank you zephyrclaw :thumbsup:

Hi Jen, I do write classical. I am actually going to "retire" from game music for a while and concentrate on classical only for now... my teacher wants me to concentrate on harmony/counterpoint and classical so I can start building up my profile. I have no classical pieces I can show yet besides a classical composition for guitar. I will post that one in the future soon :P By the way, check the Maen Song, I just posted another song for this game modification I am composing music for. Thanks! Fernando