Karl Nord: ++++++ (6) Rich Douglas: ++++++++++++++++++++ (20) Herb Wheeler: +++++++ (7) Casey Dodd: +++ (3) Chickenwarlord: ++++ (4) Chief: +++++++ (7) Austin Gelber: ++++++++ (8) Abadoss: ++++++++++++++ (14) ------- Abadoss ++ ------- Karl Nord - My main concern was volume. I suspect that you were using Finale. When you output the audio from Finale, you always need to take it into a secondary program to increase the volume. I personally use Audacity, which has a tool that will amplify the entire piece as far as it will go without peaking. Anyway, the piece itself has some good moments. I think you did a nice job building the energy of the piece up to 3:12, but the next section kind of wasted that forward motion. It's usually not a good idea to go so quickly into something that cadential right after so much dissonance and build. The ending could've used a little more oompf. Rich Douglas - I know that quote, but I'm having the hardest time remembering which movie it's from. Anyway, I really liked your piece. I thought it was very well developed and had quite a professional feel to it. The quote was good, but I would've only liked to hear it once. I really enjoyed the beginning section a lot, with the use of the choir. The following section made me think of Pirates of the Caribbean for a little bit. The piece as a whole is very reminiscent of some of the pieces by StarBLaSt. That's a compliment. Overall, I think you did a wonderful job. Herb Wheeler - This piece is very well written. That said, I'm not entirely sure it fits with the theme all that much. It mostly sounds like it fits more under the term "authentic music" than it does as a piece of programatic or tone poem-esque nature. To me, it feels academic. Casey Dodd - There's a lot of good stuff here. I think you might want to do one of two things, though: close down all other programs as you record or invest in some more memory. The digitization in some spots became a little distracting. The piece itself is very good, though. Very cinematic. I like the build up starting at 1:05 or so. I think the ending could've been a little more integrated, rather than the final stabs. Chickenwarlord - I should've suspected something when the words "fifteen minutes" and "lyrics" were used in your description. I suppose someone's got to be imfamous. Chief - The harmonic work is very good here. I would've loved to hear this with better samples (especially the bells). The arrangement is solid, although some parts are a little stagnate. Austin Gelber - As I suggested to Casey Dodd, close down all other programs as you record or invest in some more memory. That will eliminate the digitization. Anyway, the arrangement is really strong in your piece. I really liked where you took this. 2:30 reminded me of the SNES version of Aladdin. I liked it a lot. First place: Rich Douglas Honorary mentions: Casey Dodd, Chief, and Austin Gelber ------- Chief ++ ------- Karl Nord - This one had some awesome moments in it, but there were too many parts that were just too dull. It had a lot of potential, it just needed a little more. Rich Douglas - Tremendous job. Your descriptions and your music matched almost perfectly. That was certainly an excellent piece. Herb Wheeler - This song is just too bright. When I read your description, I expected to hear a much darker song. This wasn't a bad song, I just felt it wasn't good for this theme. Casey Dodd - Not bad. I'm afraid I don't have much to say about yours, though. Chickenwarlord - Um, yeah...you should have had some background. Austin Gelber - Not too bad. I liked the melody starting at 2:29, although it had a little bit too much of a "comical" feel to it. I liked the song, though. Abadoss - An interesting song. It's kind of strange the way you had a creepy feel in the background, while you have a beautiful melody going. The main problem I had with your song is that the ending just seemed very inconclusive. First place: Rich Douglas Honorary mentions: Karl Nord and Austin Gelber ------- Bundeslang ------- Karl Nord - Calm beginning, too calm in my opinion. Some notes are too long. There are also some weird samples. It like the section after 2:30, the song starts living. I don't like the part around 3:40, the notes are way too long. The ending is horrible. Rich Douglas - I like the beginning. It's exiting and makes me interested in the song. I like the switch to the second part. The vocals are placed good. The switch to the third section is also done very good and it's all interesting. The ending is a bit weird. Herb Wheeler - I like the first part, but after a while it becomes boring. There's not a lot of variation, but the song is done good. Casey Dodd - Nice intro, but some instruments, which I like, are too loud. I like the middle section. Chickenwarlord - I don't like the beginning, it's only a voice. I can't take it, like you said, seriously. Chief - Totally different song description, what makes this contest good. The song is a bit easy, but it's exactly the same as the song description. Austin Gelber - I like the beginning, switching is done very good. There's a lot of variation, done very good. I like the part around 1:44, I get a hopeless feeling. 0:30 later I have the feeling there's still hope. The parts are too different. Abadoss - Nice sampling. The switch to the calm part is a bit strange placed, maybe that should be the beginning. There's not much variation in the song, except the last part. That part is weird and doesn't belong to this song. First place: Rich Douglas Honorary mentions: Chief and Austin Gelber ------- Casey Dodd ++ ------- First place: Abadoss Honorary mentions: Karl Nord and Herb Wheeler ------- TheMeaningofLIfe (Karl Nord) ++ ------- Rich Douglas - Wonderful, I love ambience. Herb Wheeler - You had me in the beggining... kinda. I never really felt the anger or despair part. You need to give everyone some b9's to listen to. Casey Dodd - I think you did a good job trying to show what you said was going on. Chickenwarlord - THIS WAS VERY REFRESHING. :) That is all. Chief - I wasn't really feeling the intro. The piano gave to much of a femy feel. It didn't strike me as very "Our hero is wandering the streets as an outcast." The rest of it was wonderful though it made me feel as if they were REALLY coming together. Bravo on the back 9. Austin Gelber - I think yours was absolutey wonderful. The running part at the end sounded more like a dark circus to me than a running tense part though. Abadoss - I really enjoy your intro it makes me feel very like he is in hiding looking out upon the world. The bells and marimba(is it?) are wonderful. I feel that you didn't really take the story anywhere though. I didn't feel the "unholy" or really feel the step back into the light. First place: Rich Douglas Honorary mentions: Herb Wheeler, Casey Dodd, Chickenwarlord, Chief, Austin Gelber, and Abadoss ------- Gallizzia ------- Rich Douglas - It's the most powerful and the most solid track of all. I specially like choir line, but complete arrangement is very good too. Austin Gelber - Good idea, nice themes but weird bridges between themes... Anyways, good orchestral but could be better! Abadoss - Beautiful and interesting orchestral and good solos! First place: Rich Douglas Honorary mentions: Abadoss and Austin Gelber ------- X ------- First place: Rich Douglas Honorary mentions: Abadoss and Chief ------- Chickenwarlord ++ ------- Karl Nord - So very, very soft at the beginning. The subdued dynamics make it almost impossible to get the sense of urgency that have been placed in the arrangement. Ugh... Dissonance. It's well used dissonance, mind you, but I have this quarrel with my ears and drawn out dissonances. The slower section near the end needs more going on; or a less repetitive harmony part. Rich Douglas - The beginning is appropriately dark. But the transition from the war drums is a bit abrupt. Delicious guitar minimalism. Using the voice clip twice makes it seem more gimmicky than an actual strong statement. The main gripe I have here is that nothing much seems to happen after the beginning and the switch from war drums to the other part of the piece. Herb Wheeler - The duet just isn't quite giving me the 'in the dark and missing my soulmate' vibe. It's a tad too playful (like my entry) for it's own good. Casey Dodd - The piece is just somber enough to cut the emotional aspect. I wished it had been a little bit 'darker'. Those ending stabs kinda jumped out at me as unnecessary and a bit offputting. Chief - That cut-off bell sample is really distracting. In fact at any time everything stops and restarts is very distracting. Austin Gelber - The story and the sections match up very well. Abadoss - I don't really like the sample for the string section, and it may have jaded me towards this entire song. Other little gripes include not enough low range and dynamics shifts seeming a bit on the rough side. First place: Austin Gelber Honorary mentions: Chief and Casey Dodd ------- Euler (Herb Wheeler) ++ ------- Karl Nord - I thought the entry had a "battle scene" section which to my mind is off theme. But this piece is well constructed and stands up well to repeated listening. With a different theme, I would have picked this as winner. Rich Douglas - I liked the opening of the entry, although I thought it became a bit repetitious later - the use of the voice was interesting. Casey Dodd - To my ears, the entry was very much pleasant background music. I thought the mp3 audio was breaking up in places making it hard to judge but it seemed to lack intensity. Not on the given theme. Chickenwarlord - On this song, I thought the words were not as good at the end. Needs work but both on theme and an interesting idea. It there was an award for audacity, I would give it to this entry. I think a simple accompaniment, say arpeggios on a guitar, would have helped. Chief - I found the electronic sounds in the latter parts of the entry were more annoying than musical. Not on theme. Austin Gelber - I thought the entry had some great parts but had too much variety and lacked an overall structure. Not on theme. Abadoss - I thought the entry was well constructed and, even if it didn't quite capture the intensity of despair, it was on a single theme. First place: Abadoss Honorary mentions: Rich Douglas and Karl Nord ------- Maddrummer ------- Abadoss - Sounds like "Marimba Spiritual" at the beginning. First place: Abadoss Honorary mentions: Rich Douglas and Chickenwarlord ------- Amethyst ------- Herb Wheeler - I found the fugue form to be very suitable to the theme, as the different voices seem to express the conflicting thoughts and longings of the character as memories float up from his subconscious. The use of "Long, long ago" as a theme also seems particularly appropriate. The only thing I would quibble with is the ending, which I find a bit too "unfinished". First place: Herb Wheeler