@wo1lvesmusic I love his skill in orchestration now, and this is just as good as now surprisingly

BE YOU.

I like the stereo crackling at the beginning and the cute, minimal melody on the harp. Some of the instruments at the beginning might’ve sounded a tad undecorated, but that changes around quickly after :43. I think the kick drum is a bit heavy for a piece like this, and I would’ve liked to hear some more variety in the harmonies and main melodic line after a while. The part at 1:12 was very minimal, and the drums sound a tad over-compressed. The jazzy stagger in the piano line at 1:35 was a nice touch, although I would’ve liked to see you do something more dynamic with the flute line at 1:41 if you were going to keep the texture that minimal for a solid 30 seconds. I like the string line at 2:10, but the piano part by 2:40 was a little bland. Overall, I appreciate you stepping outside of your comfort zone here, but I think you could’ve done a lot more with the composition, especially towards the end of this piece. Some more gradual transitions and more emphasis on melodic development over the rhythmic components might’ve helped capture the ups and downs of the story you aimed to portray. Still, this is a valiant effort with some refreshing sound design and a solid melodies. Keep at it, PredatorMusic! ^^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.75/10

Suerte!

I admire your courage to make a song outside your comfort zone in ngadm.

I really like the drums. Besides the lack of high end percussion, I think you did a great job in this area.

This is a good start composition-wise, but there is a lot of room for development. You can add more countermelodies, layers, and articulations. Even if you lack realistic instruments, you can make them sound a lot more interesting by using most of the different articulations available to you. As for layering, you probably have enough knowledge to figure out the primary frequency range of orchestral instruments by ear; you might want to consider layering instruments with different timbres and frequency ranges to create a more interesting sound and fill the mix a bit. In the beginning, it's easier to layer instruments from different families, such as a flute and french horn, for example.

I sense many opportunities for adding counter melodies and adorning elements, that will make the composition sound busier and more exciting.

Good luck in the contest and I hope you continue dabbling with orchestral music :)