What stage are you at? (1 Viewer)

[Eslyssa]

I finished my core composition first draft yesterday - and am so happy. I'm not much of a composition person, really, but the biggest bit is out of the way for me!

Where are you all up to?

 

[Jazz Man Tim]

ha me 2, cept i finished it a week ago. Were going to workshop it this term and polish it up heaps, should be good fun.

 

[Eslyssa]

Awesome, yeah, us too.

Mine's actually over two minutes - two and a half - so that's not so hot, but easier to cut it down than add more, huh?

 

[ur_inner_child]

i actually find it harder to cut down.

make it faster, or make CERTAIN bits faster, ie keep changing the tempo where appropriate

That's always fun.

anyway, keep it up!

 

[Jazz Man Tim]

mayb i should post a copy of my comp up here and you can all tell me how crap it is??

 

[compo^_^guy]

i just finished my first draft for my first extension composition over the holidays, its over 3 minutes, but hey i gotta do another 3 composition still, i just started writing my second piece, ya think i should be further along, i have a feeling i should be...hehe

 

[soulshine]

oh shoosh you tim. i'm sure its soooooooooo crap.

moi: i havent started my core yet. feckbeans. i'm so.... crap *sulks*

 

[ur_inner_child]

oh shut up you all!

i didn't start my core piece till two weeks before the due date

it was the most intricate, most complicated and most successful comp that landed me in the conservatorium i do believe.

just keep the creative juices going!

 

[chepas]

oh shut up you all!

i didn't start my core piece till two weeks before the due date

it was the most intricate, most complicated and most successful comp that landed me in the conservatorium i do believe.

just keep the creative juices going!

Haha yeah I'm sitting hear going "God these people are finishing their drafts hell early!". I never even DID a draft for my core comp. ie, did what you did and started veeery close to handing it in. But cos I did all choral works for all Ext and the Core, it meant I had to rehearse it with those who performed it. So leaving it to the last minute is NOT GOOD if you rely on an ensemble to record it!

But I miss composing under duress. It was fun, and I love(d) it. Does anyone just compose for fun, as in, not for any purpose?

Anyway, good on you all for finishing the drafts early. Still seems really odd to me .

 

[demosthenes]

I have a theme and instrumentation and all...but that first bar is SO HARD TO WRITE! I cant seem to 'begin' the piece, even tho i have ideas about what I want in it
SOOO ANNOYING!

 

[Eslyssa]

Well, I kinda had to finish early. I mean, the way I look at it, it isn't great - I'm really not much of a composer. So the longer I have to work on it, get advice, etc, the better.

Once we get them recorded, we should share them! Make a BoS HSC Composition CD! Heh, very lame.

 

[Phanatical]

I did mine a long time ago for the 2002 HSC. Took me three days.

 

[Zoltan]

I thought I'd pretty much finished mine, but then we workshopped it today, and I practically have to re-write the whole thing (again). But maybe this time I'll write interesting stuff...

 

[soulshine]

yay i kinda have a large chunk of mine done now. needs a bit of tidying up and stuff, but i really like what i've got! hopefully the markers will like it too! haha. i'm worried its not.... contemporary enough though. like, i've experimented heaps with texture, and have an interesting selection of performing media,... its kinda minimalist ... i hope its ok... does that sound right to you?

 

[nemuca]

i finished the first draft of my core comp last night
coz we had to hand in our portfolios today and it's the last viewing of it
i think i only spent a total of 3 - 4 days to finish the comp

mine sounds a bit minimalist as well, i suppose it's alright
i don't think i'm gonna change too much of it after this
since i've still got an elective comp and an extension essay to do
and i'm planning to do live recordings for both compositions as well

 

[Phanatical]

There's nothing wrong with minimalist composition. Just try to keep in mind issues like the ranges of instrumentation (don't write passages for an instrument that are impossible to play). Also, don't write for 10 instruments if you can achieve the same sound in 3. These are the sorts of realities composers have to deal with "in the real world", and if you keep those sorts of things in mind while writing your works (and pointing them out in your score notes), it will reflect highly on your marks.

 

[avalonian]

just a little laugh

hey guys,

you're all gonna hate me, but I'm one of those dicks that did their composition in 2.5 hours. For me it really is just where you get your inspiration, once you have it ur on a roll. What I'm finding difficult is the bloody process diary! So much crap to put in it! Anyone looking at this now who's doing the hsc next year i recommend somehow typing all ur process diary entries so if u loose urs ur not screwed cos u got it on ur computer. I haven't lost mine yet, touch wood, but if I do...

With the minimalist thing be warned: my dad marks compositions for the HSC, gave me the insight that minimalist is good and all but they're not really looking for something that's hugely repetitive. If you have 4 bars, then 4 bars, then 4 bars, then... each time adding a new layer or something that's not ideal... It may work, but you definately need variety and contrast. My piece has some bits like that, but when you least expect it or after a climax or something it does something completely different. If you're doing a minimalist piece i recommend doing something shocking and sudden that was unexpected.

Hope that was a little helpful, ps eslyssa i know where you live, haha c u at school...

 

[soulshine]

shit mine is just like that.. with layers... hmm... *dies*
i do have a bit of contrast where all my layers suddenlydrop out and a new theme enters... and then the layers build uup again... oh man...

 

[demosthenes]

Composition Status: Complete.
Satisfaction Level: Adequate.
Possible Improvements: Many.
Will These Improvements Be Made?: No
Why?: Can't Be Bothered. Composition Complete. Dont want to touch it again.

This is agent demosthenes reporting MISSION COMPLETE



DOOOONNNEEE WOOO HOOOO

 

[Phanatical]

When are the compositions due?