"From Bits to Bangers" - Young Composers Music Composition Competition

Thanks everyone for your submissions!  The competition is now CLOSED to further entries!

Check out the results and awards here:

Please check out our "From Bits to Bangers" Competition Satisfaction Survey:

Please check out the entries in the submissions thread:

To vote for your favorite submissions go to the popular voting polls thread:

Starting January, 28th, 2023 and running until March, 26th, 2023 (EDIT: the competition has been extended until April 2nd, 2023) Young Composers Forum invites you to participate in another new and unique music composition competition hosted by @Tónskáld, @PeterthePapercomPoser, @Thatguy v2.0, @Omicronrg9, @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu, and @chopin, all of whom will also judge the competition.

In this competition you are given a choice of orchestrating, arranging, re-harmonizing, quoting or writing variations on one of 5 given 8-bit music tracks from old video games which you must listen to in order to extract the musical material relevant to you.  The entries will be judged on a scale of 0 - 8 in 8 relevant categories:

I'm interested in entering this competition! This seems like a great opportunity to help others learn and pick up a thing or two along the way. Some things that would be useful here -

1. What is the game these tracks are from?
   • Some say, some don't. This is important for us to conduct research and find the composition details, MIDI/sheet, discovery where - what - how it is used in game for additional context to spark creativity and create something that really embodies the original work while having our own original twist on it.
   1. This would help people complete #2 if you don't provide the answer!
2. Where can I find a MIDI version of this so I can evaluate the track to remix?
   • For example, #5 actually says it is from Castlevania 2, so I can find the Castlevania 2 MIDI soundtrack here: http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/nintendo/nes/ and, specifically I can find the selected track The Silence of Daylight here: http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/nintendo/nes/c2town.mid
   • Great! Now I can easily import this into a DAW and start arranging my own piece!
   • This is great, but #3 would be even better!
3. Can you just provide the MIDI and maybe the sheet music for each of these tracks?
   • This will allow us to prevent error in finding the wrong MIDI or sheet, or for those composers that might not know to do #2 at all, try to wing it and figure out what the scale, chords, notes, etc etc. 
   • BONUS: if you do all #1, #2, and #3  (you are my hero)!
4. Separate from the above, should we say which track we are entering for on this thread? You mentioned anonym but didn't mention this part.  I'm assuming the answer is "yes, state the track you are entering for", so... my entry will be for "Harvest Moon - T8; Mountain" as it shown in the mp3 player above. 

Excited to hear more and looking forward to participating + seeing the other participants works!

2 hours ago, sswave said:

What is the game these tracks are from?

• Some say, some don't. This is important for us to conduct research and find the composition details, MIDI/sheet, discovery where - what - how it is used in game for additional context to spark creativity and create something that really embodies the original work while having our own original twist on it.

 

All the tracks are labeled.  Track #1 is from Dragon's Lair for the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System).

2 hours ago, sswave said:

Where can I find a MIDI version of this so I can evaluate the track to remix?

How you extract the musical material from the tracks in question is up to you:

On 1/13/2023 at 8:23 PM, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

In this competition you are given a choice of orchestrating, arranging, re-harmonizing, quoting or writing variations on one of 5 given 8-bit music tracks from old video games which you must listen to in order to extract the musical material relevant to you.

2 hours ago, sswave said:

Can you just provide the MIDI and maybe the sheet music for each of these tracks?

No - it is up to each composer/entrant to extract the musical material relevant to them in their own way and according to their skills/strengths.

2 hours ago, sswave said:

Separate from the above, should we say which track we are entering for on this thread? You mentioned anonym but didn't mention this part.  I'm assuming the answer is "yes, state the track you are entering for", so... my entry will be for "Harvest Moon - T8; Mountain" as it shown in the mp3 player above.

Yes - please read this:

On 1/13/2023 at 8:23 PM, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

He will post the submissions anonymously in a special contest thread for everyone to listen to and consider.  Besides attaching a pdf score (without your name in it) and mp3 rendition of your music consider also including a description of your piece for the judges, fellow competitors and young composers at large to better understand your music.  Which 8-bit track did you choose to transform "From Bits to Bangers"?

Thank you for entering.

Track 1 can be found on this YT video at 3:48

I would like to point out that the Castlevania 2 track is just a different arrangement of "Vampire Killer"

I declare entrance

I ENTER

ENTER I SHALL

the force is definitely strong in this one, but I’ll take the challenge(am participating)

When are we suppose to submit our scores and audios?

2 hours ago, Setthavat said:

When are we suppose to submit our scores and audios?

Send them to me before the deadline - Sunday, March 26th!

This sounds fun! And I immediately was inspired by one of the tracks when I checked them out, so I'm in for sure!

Looks like fun. I’m interested to see what I can come up with.

I’m in

You can count me in!

yeah yeah I want in

Just registered to participate :) 

Yep, I'll go in on this one.

I Enter

Enter, I must

Even though I sent mine, I am entering.

Darn, I wish I'd seen this sooner, but I'll give it a try! 

I intend to participate.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to finish in time for the competition. School's been kicking my butt. Good luck to all the other participants!

I'd love to enter this. Thank you!

Hi everyone! Debuting in the forum to participate :D

I'm in!