Suite of Minimalism: Mvt. 2, Amongst the Ocean on a Speedy Sailboat

Hi everyone! I am a 17 year old composer looking to improve and share my music! I love creating music and leaving my footprint on the musical world :).

After a brief hiatus and a sudden burst of inspiration, I completed the second movement of my biggest (yet) composition project - a suite made as an hommage to minimalism. This is turning out to be some of the coolest music I have ever written, and the most proud I have been of my own music yet. If you have not heard the first movement - Groove in 5/8 - yet, check it out on my profile!

I hope you enjoy "Amongst the Ocean on a Speedy Sailboat"! Let me know your thoughts, criticisms, and what you imagine when listening to it, as well as your favorite parts!

It's great! 😃 Which software did you use to make this?

Very much in style although other elements of minimalismo could be used. Perhaps the tutti is long, but the crescendi are good. The first part remienda of Akhnaten by Glass.

3 hours ago, Undoubtedly Strange said:

It's great! 😃 Which software did you use to make this?

 

Thank you so much!! Dorico + Noteperformer is my combo. Thanks for listening 🙂

3 hours ago, Luis Hernández said:

Very much in style although other elements of minimalismo could be used. Perhaps the tutti is long, but the crescendi are good. The first part remienda of Akhnaten by Glass.

 

Each movement is in a little bit different of a style - this movement is certainly less “unique” than the first movement I wrote, but it is cool enough to keep on the project/not scratch.

i think I agree with you about the tutti section, but I always listen to my music with headphones and I think it helps me pay attention to different parts through each listen to not get bored. Without headphones on, I definitely notice this.

Thanks for listening to and commenting on my piece :))

very Nice piece. sounds like it'd fit well within a video game soundtrack. I don't follow much minimalism myself, my pieces are more galant so I guess I'm probably the wrong person to give in-depth advice. but it looks very good from my perspective.

Great second movement! You do an excellent job creating the picture you wish to portray, it was very easy to imagine the ocean riding a speedy boat. The orchestra is very colorful here, at first I was torn about it, but after listening again I think that constant think texture creates wind and ocean swells beautifully. 

I know it's minimalism, but I'd have to say I enjoyed the first movement a bit more. I like the push of sameness in harmony with a driving progressive style rhythmic build up, but the 

G F E D C melody did get a bit tiresome. You did well in layering it throughout, but a counter melody might be nice? I know Adams and Reich and the usual you hear in any music school examples, and aside from progressive metal music that's the extent of what I've heard with the style (I guess lots of film music too...). You obviously know more about minimalism than I do, and your music has shown us how much you've learned in your studies. 

I listened to both movements together and they flow gracefully. The short suite style keeps it all fresh, I'm excited for more! Well done!!

7 hours ago, Thatguy v2.0 said:

Great second movement! You do an excellent job creating the picture you wish to portray, it was very easy to imagine the ocean riding a speedy boat. The orchestra is very colorful here, at first I was torn about it, but after listening again I think that constant think texture creates wind and ocean swells beautifully. 

I know it's minimalism, but I'd have to say I enjoyed the first movement a bit more. I like the push of sameness in harmony with a driving progressive style rhythmic build up, but the 

G F E D C melody did get a bit tiresome. You did well in layering it throughout, but a counter melody might be nice? I know Adams and Reich and the usual you hear in any music school examples, and aside from progressive metal music that's the extent of what I've heard with the style (I guess lots of film music too...). You obviously know more about minimalism than I do, and your music has shown us how much you've learned in your studies. 

I listened to both movements together and they flow gracefully. The short suite style keeps it all fresh, I'm excited for more! Well done!!

 

Thank you so much for listening and for your kind/helpful words!

It is pretty unanimous amongst myself and others so far that this movement is less “unique” than the 5/8, and this is not as special of a listen. I have been pacing back and forth metaphorically these past few days wondering if I would like to expand on this movement or go in to change some things like the melody so it isn’t 100% the same or scrap a section.

In terms of studying you mentioned above, I more just listen to various works by them rather than studying their music closely. I actually could not tell you what makes my music minimalistic compared to others - I am thinking of renaming the suite to “Elements of Minimalism” after I finish.

Third movement is going to be a much calmer piece, being more akin to Hollow Knight’s City of Tears theme. So far, about 32 hours of work has been put into this suite! 
 

Have a good one 🙂

8 hours ago, Eickso said:

It is pretty unanimous amongst myself and others so far that this movement is less “unique” than the 5/8, and this is not as special of a listen. I have been pacing back and forth metaphorically these past few days wondering if I would like to expand on this movement or go in to change some things like the melody so it isn’t 100% the same or scrap a section.

Nah, I wouldn't scrap it, it's great as is. I'd use any criticisms given as advice for the future, it was a lovely piece 

Nice to listen to. It's colourful and exciting. I liked the harmony that you used with the added 6th/7th etc chords.

I agree that a countermelody would be nice - about halfway through the tutti I start to want something different.

One little thing about score engraving: it's better practice to have, say, Flute 1 and 2 on the same staff, with the 4 Horns split between two staves. It makes it easier to read a large score.

Nice work overall!