Reviews for Children's Overture

[SkyeWint]

Here is your personal review for round 2 of the NGADM! Keep in mind, this review will be harsher than the round 1 review! I will be poking at songs more in each consecutive round, because it will naturally be more difficult to advance.

The Good:
-Oh my gosh this reminds me so much of something that I can't remember. It's like the largest feeling of deja vu ever. Mainly the chords and staccato in the woodwinds.
-I love how you build up the piece, it's very nice.
-Personally, I don't think your samples are bad at all. Though since I don't make orchestral music and personally consider soundfonts to be adequate, that might not be the biggest compliment.
-The staccato in the woodwinds is something I don't normally hear in music.
-Mixing is fine by me.

The Not-So-Good:
-The development of the piece, while being a great buildup, really could either use some reiteration of the main melody toward the end or an extension and a drop of tension more than the sudden ending you had.
-The ending of this is... well, I'm sure you already know it - it's not too good. Could have used quite a bit of improvement.

Overall: I really really really like this. I think I'll give it a 8.8/10 if you promise to develop your song more, particularly giving a proper ending to it.

BlazingDragon responds:

I've had two different people tell me it sounds like the music from UP!, so I might have been subconsciously hearing that as I composed! I can't remember the music except from the fact that I loved it, so I'll need to go back and listen...

And yes, I definitely know about the ending. I had this epic idea in mind but could not figure out how to execute it for the life of me. After this contest is over, I plan on going back and giving this piece some TLC.

Thank you for the review! It is much appreciated.

[Krichotomy]

This is a pleasant, well arranged orchestration, light and happy. But it is by far not my favorite of your music. A lot of your pieces carry strong emotions in beautiful, simple ways. Those, to me, are the best. Yearning, Sanctuary, As I Look Into the Black, A Mournful Soul, Sadness and Sorrow, and even ol' Submission #1 are some examples.

BlazingDragon responds:

You make a valid point. Those pieces, much more so than this, were born of intense emotion. Sad music in general tends to have more profound depth. In that sense, those pieces are of a greater quality.

What thrills me about this piece is that it is a breakthrough in style for me. Writing deep, mournful music comes naturally, but I have not to this point written music that exhilarates. This piece is adventurous, exciting, and, hopefully, brimming with the joy of life. Writing it helped me prove to myself that I can flexible in style and be successful in video game and film scoring. It represents a unique step for me, and the piece is also the thickest of orchestration that I've done. Much different than the usual piano/strings combination.

After thinking about it, I'd say that piece is not a personal best but more so a milestone. I'll continue writing more pieces like the ones you mentioned though. :)

Speaking of which, I'm SO happy to know there is someone familiar with my pieces! I didn't think people familiarized themselves with more than a couple. Thank you!

[Ghecko]

It's a swirling wonderland of sparkling, musical pleasure. I can feel my senses filling with cascading sense of comfort and excitement as if I were walking through an enchanted walkway unknown to the adventurous and frivolous journey that lies ahead of me, after a grip of shrooms.

No but really, this is great. Good job!

BlazingDragon responds:

I wouldn't know what that feels like honestly but will try my best to imagine it. Hmmm....That was unusual. :p

Thank you for the kind words!

[Tichondrius12]

The orchestra are the best!

BlazingDragon responds:

I think so too! Thanks. :D

[Bosa]

I enjoyed this piece. I can see Don Quixote de la Mancha riding onwards to some fabricated adventure while listening to this. I really don't have much to say because the song is simple at what it does and its style is obvious, so there's no need for me to tell you something you already know.

I never criticize someone by the programs they use or the quality of their production, but I can't help but point out one simple flaw in this song. At 1:37 and on, the excitement that I'm sure you're wanting to build is cut in half by the quality of the samples used here. I'm pretty sure I know which program you used at this point, so I know the limitations you are restricted to. But don't let such things discourage you. I was furious at the ending of my song (which was non-existent) but the amount of effort and devotion that was poured into the music is what matters the most, whether the listeners/judges are aware of it or not.

As long as you and I continue to do our best to lift other people up instead of ourselves, we will be rewarded greatly. I'm sure you agree that this website could use some direction, and the more your music expresses selfless, devoted, and hard work, the better the reward. People on this site appreciate good quality work, and we can use that to our advantage.

But anyways, I really enjoyed this song. I'll keep in touch.

BlazingDragon responds:

The Don Quixote image fits the piece very well. I hadn't thought of that. :)

Unfortunately, the deadline forced me to write the ending in about ten minutes. It didn't turn out as I had wanted, and the brass samples from EastWest just can't pull off what I hear internally. I'll go back and fix the ending when I finish this piece though.

I agree with your sentiment about hard work and lifting other people up. It is a goal for me to write music that inspires people or otherwise makes them experience emotion and feel more alive.

Thank you, Bosa.