I love the down-to-earth and organic vibes at the beginning. It progresses pretty slowly at the beginning, but I love the part at :36 with the flute. At 1:05, the pizzicato-y stringed instrument that comes in and the flute get in each other's way too much IMO. They both sound like they're playing rather dominating melodies, and I'm not sure which one I'm supposed to be absorbing more. The breakdown at 1:33 offered some highly-valued structural relief. You really capitalized on dynamic contrast as you built the texture of the song back up using the tranquil flute melodies from around 2:00 onwards. I think you've really captured a story with this piece, which I love. The melodies at 2:30 are good, but I'm going to have to repeat my comment that occasionally they seem to get in each other's way, especially when they're playing different rhythms. I love how the mood oscillates between calming and adventuresome, though. The coda was also cool. You almost fooled me with the half-fade-out followed by the piercing, loud and conclusive note at 3:38. Either way, this is a job extremely well-done. I really admire your work here. The instruments and moods are incredible, and the melodies are beautiful. Determining the winner of this contest is going to be excruciatingly tough! ;)
9.25/10