From Ukraine with Sorrow

Hi everyone! I’m a newbie here

I’m from Ukraine, Kyiv.

I'm the composer & National Music Academy student,

Dima Kravets (dersounder).

Have experience in music since 5 years old, firstly as a professional pianist, and as a composer later (few years ago).

I’m expired by classical, cinematic and contemporary music, playing and composing both.

Since Russian-Ukrainian war begun, I feel extremely pain about my Country and our people, about inhuman war we should live with. And it is impossible to imagine our future now without tears on the eyes.

I decided to write an orchestral piece about my feelings and what we are living for last month - Freedom and Independence of Ukraine. 

Honestly, I composed only piano and chamber music pieces before this work (that was a mix of classical-romantic-modern style). Now, as I have no instruments in bomb shelter, I’m trying to Use Logic Pro X to sound my Musical Ideas. 

Sharing with YOU demo-version of my music musical composition. It is almost complete, but I have some troubles with Mixing and Mastering. I feel this is what I’m not quite good at. 

Is in unmastered and no-mixed version. 

So, it will be better to listen it with headphones.

Need any of your suggestions, professional advices (both composition and music production), your opinion or just a short comment.

I will be grateful for your attention!

Link to my music: The Orc Invasion of Kyiv


UPD: added a score, generated by Logic Pro. The score is without Drums (as an audio file) and Sound Effects (have no idea how to write down it easily).

Nice work - and its effectiveness lies in its simplicity even if it gets baleful at times. Not difficult to follow, easy to listen to. Starts to get more tense at around the 3 1/2 minute mark. I can feel the weight of the war from here and at various points like about 5 minute, the ominous basses, to the end. The work's last minute is particularly saddening: a build up to what seems a big climax only to fade away in the "smorzando" of the last few bars.

Your instrumentation works well mixing traditional instruments with other sounds. We're given the obvious impression of war thanks to the air-raid sirens.

A score might have helped but no matter.

It is horrifying indeed what your people must be going through and I think right-minded people would pray or at least hope for peace very soon. Bereavement on such a huge scale is utterly heart-breaking.

So, hoping that in spite of the situation you're able to continue with your music and studies. and you and those around you can stay safe and well. 

Quinn.

Well done. You made good use of the percussion. It sounds similar to the 'Conan the Barbarian' soundtrack in the middle. Your interweaving of the woodwinds with the strings is nicely done near the end. I hope you post more music. 

Stay safe. 

On 3/30/2022 at 12:19 PM, Quinn said:

Nice work - and its effectiveness lies in its simplicity even if it gets baleful at times. Not difficult to follow, easy to listen to. Starts to get more tense at around the 3 1/2 minute mark. I can feel the weight of the war from here and at various points like about 5 minute, the ominous basses, to the end. The work's last minute is particularly saddening: a build up to what seems a big climax only to fade away in the "smorzando" of the last few bars.

I am highly glad to get such a highmark feedback from you. Thank you!

To be honest, you are my first professional musical critic, though I had an experience as a performer, I was worried about quality of my composer skills and never published my works before. Your words motivate me to finish all my other works and share them here! 🙂

On 3/30/2022 at 12:19 PM, Quinn said:

Your instrumentation works well mixing traditional instruments with other sounds. We're given the obvious impression of war thanks to the air-raid sirens.

Thank you again! Btw, instrumentation is another thing I was worried for. I find it interesting to mix traditional instruments with new sounds we can produce.

My dream is to mix traditional big symphony orchestra with computer-synthesized sounds at the one stage) It would be wonderful, I hope it will.

On 3/30/2022 at 12:19 PM, Quinn said:

A score might have helped but no matter.

Sorry me, please, I haven't attached it with the post. Added it now.

On 3/30/2022 at 12:19 PM, Quinn said:

It is horrifying indeed what your people must be going through and I think right-minded people would pray or at least hope for peace very soon. Bereavement on such a huge scale is utterly heart-breaking.

So, hoping that in spite of the situation you're able to continue with your music and studies. and you and those around you can stay safe and well.

Thank you for these words, it is the most important for Ukrainian people to know we are not alone, apparently all world is now spectating this. I pray for the piece in Europe and sanity of politics to make EVERYTHING to stop the Eastern Machine of Militarism. 

And finally, I cannot stop composing and practicing even during a war. These things what I really feel passion about. Especially while the most tragic period History of Ukraine we live in. 

Thank you for taking the time to listen and write your feedback here. It weights so much for me now, as for beginner.

Dersounder.

On 3/31/2022 at 2:48 AM, Atlantis_ said:

Well done. You made good use of the percussion. It sounds similar to the 'Conan the Barbarian' soundtrack in the middle. Your interweaving of the woodwinds with the strings is nicely done near the end. I hope you post more music. 

Thank you for your positive feedback! Being compared with an author of "Conan the Barbarian's" OST is a huge compliment to me. Thank you! 🙂 

Extremely glad I've found this amazing community of professionals I can share my music with. So, I will post more soon.

Dersounder

I really like the overall texture here. There's a bleakness and emptiness in the orchestration which I think captures the obvious mood you were portraying. I also like how you have instruments coming out of nowhere and delivering short lines before giving way to other soloists. The percussion and harp really kept everything together, giving this piece a tense drive. 

Well done! Good luck with everything, I'm looking forward to hearing updates and more music from you.