mikerippe

I got a 4, with a 3 on the aural and a 5 on the written. I found it extremely hard. But then again, I did an independent study. I worked with my choir director for the last few weeks on the dictations and stuff like that. I definitely dedicated the most time to this test out of all the APs I've ever taken.

So... what happened to this?

This is probably one of my favorite choral pieces that I've ever written. I don't have much to say about this piece; there's no history behind it, really. We read "She Walks in Beauty" by Lord Byron in my English class, and my professor explained that Byron was the "father" of angst in poetry, pointing out that in the poem, the woman is unattainable, and any effort the speaker makes is hopeless. This is the third piece I've posted that is a part of my portfolio for college applications to Music Composition programs, so critique is much appreciated and will be fully considered. She Walks in Beauty

Ahh okay. Yeah, my friend probably misunderstood me. I'll leave the glissandos to the violas, then. Thanks for the info! I tried your suggestion, adding a bass drum roll + middle C on timpani, and it works. The bass drum sounds terrible in MIDI xD. Hopefully the person who reviews my portfolio will realize that? Thanks for all your suggestions. I really appreciate it.

I originally wrote this a few years ago for piano and choir. In November 2010, one of my friends I met in high school emailed me and asked if I could write her a trumpet solo. I immediately set to work, but could not find any inspiration, never having written for a solo instrument before. I was rummaging through old files, and I came upon my piano/SATB version, and immediately I printed it out and began to rewrite it. Two months later, I have the sonata for trumpet and piano. My friend is currently learning this piece, and will be performed within the coming weeks. (:Again, this is part of my college application portfolio for music composition, so feedback is greatly appreciated and will be fully considered. Sonata for Trumpet and Piano

Yeah, I was very "iffy" on adding the tenor sax, but I was writing this for a specific orchestra, and that's why I added it. Do you think it would be better to have an alto or soprano sax? As for the glissandos, I'm getting mixed responses. Some people (including a tenor sax player) are telling me, "yes it's possible," and others are saying "no, it's not." So I'm honestly not sure who to believe haha. I'll look into that, thanks for the suggestion. I found that middle C just didn't have that certain sound I was looking for. It just sounded way too "airy" when I was looking for a strong, deep sound. LOL I'm going to be perfectly honest, I didn't even see that I had did that. I have no idea what was going through my mind. I've fixed this.

This is a rewrite of a piece I wrote last year. The original piece (Tragedy Approaching in Am) was mainly experimental, but upon the rewrite this year, I made it much more "doable." I'm going to be submitting this in my portfolio when I apply to colleges in the coming months for Music Composition. I'm looking for the cold, hard truth. I want this piece to be as best as it can possibly be for applications. (: Ride of the War Horse

Thanks for the comments! I changed it up a bit and here's the outcome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoIShLSgu4o

I wrote this over the course of about a week. I mainly experimented with various sounds (like the viola's glissandos).A friend said it sounds like something's approaching. He said it sounded like an island warned of a tsunami, and the tsunami hits. The island then holds a service to those who lost their lives. I thought it made sense, too. Tragedy Approaching