2014 Autumn Competition

2014 Autumn COMPETITION

September – October – November

Topic: Compose a collection of six (6) to twenty (20) short pieces for a small, unadvanced chamber group. These pieces are not meant to be difficult to play, nor to read. Each piece must be from one (1) to four (4) minutes long. You may compose them for children or for beginners in general (there are many examples of this for solo piano or other solo instruments, but they are rare in chamber configurations). The aim here is to provide beginner chamber groups a collection of easy-to-play pieces, but which have high musical quality. The musical style, however, is up to you.

You may choose from four (4) to ten (10) instruments. That the players are beginners/children, it may be well to use recorders, melodicas, glockenspiels, guitars and other instruments usually used in children’s music studies. You do not need to use the whole group of instruments in every piece: more or less like Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire, you may compose pieces using just some of your chosen instruments at a time; though all of the instruments you choose must be used somewhere. It is a good way to ensure variety throughout the collection.

Scoresheet:

• Musical Quality: 30pts. Please, do not think these are mere exercises: they are music, and may be appreciated as a great symphony may be appreciated.
• Unity and Variety: 25pts. Are all the pieces alike? On the other hand, is your collection of pieces coherent in some way?
• Instrumentation: 15pts. Is each instrument being used in the same way in every piece? are they being used in a variety of ways? Does your instrument selection cohere to the topic of this competition?
• Playability: 15pts. Remember, these must be easy-to-play pieces.
• Score Quality: 15pts. Pieces must be very clearly presented in a standard format. Do not create each piece of music in a different format. If possible, group them all together in a single pdf file.

(Points above [in total out of 100pts per judge] are given at the judges' discretion: eg, for Musical Quality an entry may be given anywhere between 0-30pts. Points below are given in full, per judge, if conditions are satisfied; otherwise no points are given: 30pts in total may be given.)

• Prefatory Description: 10pts. Describe or give a narrative to your pieces. Must be in a separate pdf file from the score or on an introductory page of the score file.

General Rules:

• A score in an independent pdf file and an audio file (not a hyperlink to YouTube, SoundCloud, or any other site but the present one) are required. Without both the entry will be disqualified.
• Only six to twenty short pieces, as per the topic description, will be accepted.
• Only pieces lasting between one and four minutes, with a ten-second leeway deceeding or exceeding this limit, may qualify.
• Only collections that contain, all together, four to ten instruments may qualify.
• Any confusion or misunderstanding may be resolved at the judges' discretion or by moderation.

Deadline: The 30th of November, midnight (12:00pm PST). Pieces not posted by this time will be disqualified.

Signup: Sign up below whether you'd like to be a judge or an entrant; specify which. First come, first served.

Judges (four limit; two minimum required to proceed¹):

1. ChristianPerrotta
2. favi
3. U238
4.  

Entrants (ten limit; three minimum required to proceed²):

1. Aquatunic
2. MuseScience
3. Ink
4. mozartinspiration
5. Dan Wilkinson
6. DirkH
7. James Chatfield
8.  
9.  
10.  

¹The number of judicable entrants may increase or decrease per competition by a unanimous vote of the judges. The number of judges may increase or decrease per competition by a unanimous vote of the judges. In either case, minimums are fixed and may not be changed. By unanimous vote, judges may also alter General Rules and give Deadline leeway per competition viability. No vote may be held until the minimum requirement (2) for competition initiation is met. Votes and the effect of vote outcomes may be subject to moderation and the arbitration of administrators (except when the moderator or administrator is also a judge, an entrant, or otherwise active in the competition).

²Despite an exceeding number of participants, only the first (10) entrants' uploads will be considered. Those listed above after the first (10) entrants may still enter pieces, though they will only be considered after primary entrants either withdraw or are disqualified. Those wishing to re-enter after withdrawing will be placed at the end of the list, and are subject to the preceding rules stated: those re-entering will be considered as new entrants. Entries will only be considered if they are posted by the above stated Deadline and follow under the above stated General Rules.

For Further Information: Go here, message the OP, a reviewer, a moderator, or an administrator (list: here). - Because the Topic, Scoresheet, General Rules, and rules of participation may change as issues come up, it might be well to follow this thread to get updates as they do.

I'll be a judge in this one o/

i'll enter as a contestant. sounds very interesting. i may even try to get it played live. :)

one question. does the topic include beginner groups, such as maybe a woodwind trio that has been playing together fro a year or less, or is it simply for very young kids?

one question. does the topic include beginner groups, such as maybe a woodwind trio that has been playing together fro a year or less, or is it simply for very young kids?

It can be composed for an existing group, or for an imaginary/generic group, or for kids, or for a group of adults learning strings... it can be any beginner group, but you must write it for 4 intruments or more (up to 10). If you want to write to a wind trio, you can't, because it's only three instruments. You can, however, pick four instruments (wind trio + one more instrument) and have SOME pieces written for just 3 of them.

Please, consider reading the Instrumentation topic one more time.

It can be composed for an existing group, or for an imaginary/generic group, or for kids, or for a group of adults learning strings... it can be any beginner group, but you must write it for 4 intruments or more (up to 10). If you want to write to a wind trio, you can't, because it's only three instruments. You can, however, pick four instruments (wind trio + one more instrument) and have SOME pieces written for just 3 of them.

 

Please, consider reading the Instrumentation topic one more time.

i was just using the woodwind trio as an example. but my question was answered. Thanks Christain!  :)

I'll enter as a contestant! One quick question though. The rule states 6 to 20 pieces at 1-4 minutes long. Does that count for say... a set of variations? Like I write 7 to 9 variations on an original theme for a small chamber group (for beginners), would that count, or would that be counted as one piece?

I'll enter as a contestant! One quick question though. The rule states 6 to 20 pieces at 1-4 minutes long. Does that count for say... a set of variations? Like I write 7 to 9 variations on an original theme for a small chamber group (for beginners), would that count, or would that be counted as one piece?

A set of variations on a theme will be considered 1 piece for this contest. You may compose variations only if they fit within the 4 minutes limit.

I'll jump in as a participant for this one.

Sounds exciting! Mini Chamber pieces? Cool! I would like to compete!

I'd like to compete in this one :)

I'll complete!:)

I'll judge.

I'll compete for this one :D

Having created a competition like this myself (rock based, no notation) about a month ago, Iam very interested but Iam afraid there might be some implicit characteristics to this that I might not be aware of... not wanting to make a total fool of myself, can someone please show me an example or two of a possible output for this challenge?

I feel this might help me learn more towards the path I've been heading to lately (started using notation, experimenting with different "dogmas").

So.. any youtube link for a possible/expected result of a challenge like this?

Thanks!

Having created a competition like this myself (rock based, no notation) about a month ago, Iam very interested but Iam afraid there might be some implicit characteristics to this that I might not be aware of... not wanting to make a total fool of myself, can someone please show me an example or two of a possible output for this challenge?

 

I feel this might help me learn more towards the path I've been heading to lately (started using notation, experimenting with different "dogmas").

 

 

So.. any youtube link for a possible/expected result of a challenge like this?

 

 

Thanks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecx0hXw3pE8 

this is an old favorite of mine. it uses only two instruments, you would have to use 4. because the piece he is playing is easy enough for beginner, i feel like it kind of has the same idea as our challenge. if this still didn't get the point across you could always just look up string quartets or recorder ensembles.

if you're into rock music you may be able to make a rock ensemble with a guitar, bass, drumset, and keyboard. you may have to clear it with the judges though.

@Aquatunic 

Thanks for confusing me even further  :D

Here's what I understood so far... I have to think of composing for a group of people, from 4 to 10, each with his own instrument. How do I know which instruments I could choose besides those with funny names on the first post? Is there something I absolutely have to do in order to make it chamber music? Do I have to put all the staves for each instrument even on the pieces that don't use them?

I also feel that Iam missing something regarding length... the total minimum is 6 minutes, the maximum is almost an hour and a half.. Sorry, Iam not used to this kind of rules so Iam really feeling that something escapes me.  :veryunsure:

I didn't understand the last rule, "prefatory description"... what is this? A mini review of what I did/tried to do?

@Aquatunic 

 

Thanks for confusing me even further  :D

 

 

 

Here's what I understood so far... I have to think of composing for a group of people, from 4 to 10, each with his own instrument. How do I know which instruments I could choose besides those with funny names on the first post? Is there something I absolutely have to do in order to make it chamber music? Do I have to put all the staves for each instrument even on the pieces that don't use them?

 

I also feel that Iam missing something regarding length... the total minimum is 6 minutes, the maximum is almost an hour and a half.. Sorry, Iam not used to this kind of rules so Iam really feeling that something escapes me.  :veryunsure:

 

I didn't understand the last rule, "prefatory description"... what is this? A mini review of what I did/tried to do?

Answering some questions:

- You can chose ANY instrument you want, but keep in mind that the pieces are supposed to be played by beginners/children. Is there any kind of instrument not applicable in this situation? If you think so, just don't chose them. If you think some instruments don't fit, don't pick. You can chose guitars, keyboard, electric bass as well as violins, harps, harmonicas, dizi, shakuhachi, berimbau, and any other instrument. (do remember, however, that you must submit an audio file of this... it can be MIDI).

- You don't need to put all the staves for instruments not being played in that piece. Use them only when they feature. It would be very good to list them in first place, though.

- "Prefatory description" is just a fancy name for an introduction, a preface, a prologue or anything like it that you put before the pieces of music in order to explain a little bit about them. There you can write about the target of the work (beginners, children, adults, starting bands etc.) and any other thing you may want to say about the works (some inspiration? some story behind them? pedagogical features?) It's up to you, just have a text presenting the whole work.

Now, one important thing: if you are not that familiar with this kind of competition, just do it and learn with the results. Don't give up because you don't know. Participating is a very effective way of learning, so you'll have many doubts taken by reading the judges' comments and checking other competitos' submitions.

I'll do this  :nod:

I have a question. while reading through the rules to make sure i've done everything correctly, i noticed that at the top it states that we must have at least 4 instruments, but then later under "general rules" it says that we must have 6-10 instruments. which one of these is right?

(I would really appreciate it if you said 4 instruments was right because i've already just about finished a series of flute quartets) :P

I have a question. while reading through the rules to make sure i've done everything correctly, i noticed that at the top it states that we must have at least 4 instruments, but then later under "general rules" it says that we must have 6-10 instruments. which one of these is right?

 

 

(I would really appreciate it if you said 4 instruments was right because i've already just about finished a series of flute quartets) :P

The answer is FOUR. I've just changed the main post.

http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/listen/7108/Flute%20Quartets%20for%20Your%20Students Then it that case i'll post my entry. sorry i couldn't put everything in one PDF.

So i'm confused right now. Did anyone else post for the competition? were we supposed to put the compositions somewhere else? was the deadline changed? I just don't understand what the situation is. Is the competition off?