April Composition Competition

[charic]

Skol303 returned to glory AGAIN last month with another excellent entry and picked the picture below. Who's going to knock him off his high horse then eh.. eh?! (just kidding Skol, we love you really).



[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]The usual gumph :[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]A picture will be posted by the previous months winner to act as inspiration for that months piece. The piece should be no more than 5 minutes long and should be composed and recorded in the same month as the piece in question.[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]To be clear, any instruments / sounds can be used although copyright should be followed for obvious reasons. Also Basschat T&C's should be followed within the actual recording so :[/font][/color]

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[color=#5A5A5A][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]By using this web site or any service provided, you explicitly agree that you shall comply with any request made by a Moderator or Administrator in regard to your conduct and use of the forum. In the event of any disagreement between you and a Moderator or Administrator, you agree you shall not disclose, discuss, clarify or publicise your disagreement by posting on the forum and restrict your communication to personal message or e-mail.[/size][/font][/color]

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[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]All the boring blurb out of the way but if you have any further questions about the T&C's feel free to message me [/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I'm hoping we can put together a cd once a year of the competition is through with all of the winners throughout the year on it. Voting will be carried out through poll...[/font][/color]


[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]So without further ado... [/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Let the games begin![/font][/color]

[Bilbo]

Here is mine....

The opening 55 seconds were conceptualised to sound like the random 'footsteps' of a moving insect and then the patterns that were created were then used as a melody. The bass parts came next and the others parts built using straight harmonies (e.g. thirds) linked to the melody or bass part. The piccolo part was a conscious counterpoint written specifically to offer variation and what I think of as the 'love theme' All written on Sibelius, transferred to Cubase as a midi file and populated with Miroslav Philharmonik vsts. I am still figuring out how to use the technology and the strings are a little too hot for my tastes but some of the sounds are marvellous (I love the pizzicato strings at the beginning)

https://soundcloud.com/robert-palmer-1/creep

[Skol303]

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1365425249' post='2039328']Skol303 returned to glory AGAIN last month with another excellent entry... Who's going to knock him off his high horse then eh.. eh?! (just kidding Skol, we love you really).[/quote]

[size=5][i]"He didn't think it too many"[/i][/size]

Bonus geek points if you can name the comic strip. The rewards of a more well-balanced life if you can't.



PS: this month's picture is that of the 'romantic' beetles, [b][u]not[/u][/b] the guy with the axe. Just to be clear! (see, I'm trying to confuse y'all as part of my dastardly plan...mwahahahahaharrr!).

Edited April 8, 2013 by Skol303

[urb]

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1365427516' post='2039388']


[size=5][i]"He didn't think it too many"[/i][/size]

Bonus geek points if you can name the comic strip. The rewards of a more well-balanced life if you can't.



PS: this month's picture is that of the 'romantic' beetles, [b][u]not[/u][/b] the guy with the axe. Just to be clear! (see, I'm trying to confuse y'all as part of my dastardly plan...mwahahahahaharrr!).
[/quote]

Er... Slaine? I'm old enough to be a former 2000AD subscriber

*geek*

[bobbass4k]

My entry now stands at [i]4 notes[/i], 4 excellent notes they are too. One's a D.

[Skol303]

[quote name='urb' timestamp='1365446272' post='2039785']Er... Slaine? I'm old enough to be a former 2000AD subscriber*geek*[/quote]
Spot on Mike! Good to know I'm not alone in my geekery.

[quote name='bobbass4k' timestamp='1365446555' post='2039790']My entry now stands at [i]4 notes[/i], 4 excellent notes they are too. One's a D.[/quote]
I've got a D in mine too! We have, like, [i]sooo[/i] much in common

[Elvis Valentine]

I wish you had of picked the Slaine picture for this month Skol lol Slaine RAWKS!

[Dad3353]

[quote name='Elvis Valentine' timestamp='1365471366' post='2040100']
I wish you had of picked the Slaine picture for this month Skol lol Slaine RAWKS!
[/quote]

He's just teasing us; it'll be the pic for the May comp, once he's won April.

[Skol303]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1365479490' post='2040108']
He's just teasing us; it'll be the pic for the May comp, once he's won April.[/quote]

Actually my masterplan for May is an 'exclusive' photo of Beatrice Dalle in the altogether, playing a 60s Fender P. But if you'd rather a photo of a dog wearing sunglasses, or some such, then you can always vote for someone else...

[lurksalot]

Thats a good call , play the next months theme card with this months entry ,mind you, if I can't write, perform or record a decent entry then I probably have little chance of picking a decent theme either


on the minus side , I am not sure if I will get one in this month , my 'music' room is in boxes for a makeover , and I can't get set up , I have an idea or two but circumstances may beat me .

[Skol303]

Change of tack for me this month... acoustic guitars and song-writy stuff instead of wobbly synths.

Made a brief start on it last night. It's going to be slow going as I'm no guitarist. And my guitar is a difficult beast to tame - was bought for a tenner from a car boot and let's just say it has plenty of, erm, 'character'!

[RockfordStone]

im gonna try and get in on this, i need to really

[bobbass4k]

Well my 4 note idea has gone out of the window, now I'm doing a weird spacious post-rocky sort of thing, but I can't decide whether to do normal drums or program an electronic thing, the electronic thing will probably be better but the idea of programming it makes my teeth itch.

[Bilbo]

Skol.... can you let me have next month's image so I can get an early start?

[urb]

Got something cooking today - I'm thinking love-meets-funk kinda thing - got a fair bit of production tinkering to do - hope the end result sounds good... not sure it will yet

Also going in a different direction to all my previous tunes too

[Skol303]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1365884691' post='2045724']Skol.... can you let me have next month's image so I can get an early start?[/quote]

How about this? Although I'm not counting them myself just yet...

[size=3][i][actually that doesn't make sense as it'd need to be a photo of eggs... "counting chickens [u]before[/u] they're hatched... but you get my gist][/i][/size]

Edited April 14, 2013 by Skol303

[Dad3353]

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1365943809' post='2046241'][i]...[/i][size=3][i]but you get my gist][/i][/size][/quote]

We don't need no stinking 'gist'..!

[attachment=132462:Hens_Eggs.jpg]

[Skol303]

^ Thanks dad. Nice eggs

[urb]

I know I should probably give this 24-hours before posting (as I usually don't) but I don't think I'm going to take this any further - I kind of like it as it is - hope you enjoy:

https://soundcloud.com/munkio/love-buggin

NB - vocal samples used come from the Garage band expansion pack of voice samples... hope that's cool...eveything else played/made by me...

[Skol303]

[quote name='urb' timestamp='1365969260' post='2046761']
I know I should probably give this 24-hours before posting (as I usually don't) but I don't think I'm going to take this any further - I kind of like it as it is - hope you enjoy:

[url="https://soundcloud.com/munkio/love-buggin"]https://soundcloud.c...kio/love-buggin[/url]

NB - vocal samples used come from the Garage band expansion pack of voice samples... hope that's cool...eveything else played/made by me...
[/quote]

Nice one Mike, I look forward to listening to this (no headphones at work ).

I can't see any problem at all with using samples bundled with Garage Band. I'm guessing they'll be copyright-free anyway, so all good.

[urb]

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1366042434' post='2047635']


Nice one Mike, I look forward to listening to this (no headphones at work ).

I can't see any problem at all with using samples bundled with Garage Band. I'm guessing they'll be copyright-free anyway, so all good.
[/quote]

Let me know what you think - this was a fun track to put together - and I'm pretty happy with the end result - which could inevitably be taken further but for now this will do - it's got me wanting to start writing new 'proper' tunes again

Cheers for listening - headphones or big speakers recommended for this one

[lurksalot]

I have some ideas laid down , but again, I need a vocal , this month could be awkward as I have gone toward a distinctive rhythmic style which may need some accent for the voices.

[urb]

[quote name='lurksalot' timestamp='1366242702' post='2050156']
I have some ideas laid down , but again, I need a vocal , this month could be awkward as I have gone toward a distinctive rhythmic style which may need some accent for the voices.
[/quote]

Hey man - just do what you can - this month is looking eerily quiet as it stands - I know it's a lot of effort to do something good but it's really just a bit of fun - would be nice to see others getting involved or failing that giving feedback on some of the tunes posted - it's about getting creative and making mistakes and learning something (I think) - imagination is just as important as technical skill - and hey if you can combine the two - job done!

Anyway hope some other folks are doing something too

Mike

[Skol303]

[quote name='urb' timestamp='1366275993' post='2050319']...it's about getting creative and making mistakes and learning something (I think) - imagination is just as important as technical skill[/quote]

Amen to that, Mike.

I completely forgot to check back on your entry this month - apologies - I'll have a listen to it tonight.

I'll definitely be on board this month - as always! I'm too addicted to these monthly challenges to be able to stop... I find them a really good way of trying out new ideas, especially things I wouldn't normally consider doing. It's also great to hear other people's music and learn from different interpretations of the theme. Plus, working to a deadline means I get things finished! It's all good.

But yeah, the number of entries (and votes) does seem to have dropped off since it started. Still, we have a hardcore of regular participants and it's no less fun with fewer people involved. I'm just surprised that more folks here aren't keen to get stuck in. It is a musicians' forum, after all. "All talk and no trousers", perhaps

[charic]

Just waiting for my new computer to arrive so I can finally set down midi without the best part of half a seconds delay. Should hopefully be here in the next week