I'm heartbroken... *sob* *sniff*

[SEDstar]

I'm heartbroken... about GarageBand going down.

MAN, that was the place for me. I make long classical tracks, and its rough getting much on them, here or anywhere else, in the way of critique.

thats not a statement on this site, its a statement on a lot of music sites.

AW, it was a rush while it lasted a couple years. If I waited several months, blind reviews from other peopel would come in. A regular "joe" telling me its not good enough, THATS cool... it clearly needs to get more exciting. When a few people said it sounded in places like a soundtrack, that was neat.

Managers or famous musicians (I googled some of them, and was surprised...) giving me a good review made me feel warm and fuzzy all over, and kept me going.

The CORRESPONDENCE was thrilling too. One band was produced by the hired gun keyboardist from smashing pumpkins, and the piano playing I highly praised in my review, was HIM. The guitar player wanted to send me an advance copy of their new CD.

I heard a spanish singer, that had that "scorch" in her vocals, and we corresponded a few times.

I had ONE guy that just felt compelled to write me, and tell me how much he liked the track, and rather gushed. I was so elated, my first fan! ever!

Some of the reviews were from peopl teaching classical music at big schools in europe, and their critiques were very specific, with reccomendations. There was nothing I didnt like about it, it was the BEST thing for me. My classical exercises took a quantum leap up in those 2 years, and people around me listening occasionally could HEAR it.

Christ, I'm actually heartbroken, I dont know WHERE else I can go to GET that sort of thing...

 

[Ellen Hikuki]

I feel your pain. I put my work on DeviantArt a lot and, while it's nice to have people to look at my work, and it's nice to get praise, actual critique is about as common as snow in Florida.

And it's okay to be heartbroken. If one of my treasured online haunts was taken down, especially one that provided a way to forge lasting connections with like-minded people, I'd be sad, too.

Here's an idea: maybe you could make a Yahoo group reserved for serious song critique (heck, maybe one's already out there) and see what happens. Maybe invite some of the people that you know are the serious-critiquing sorts? There'd have to be some kind of entry test, though...maybe there would be one or more songs you'd have to listen to and provide a thoughtful critique of, and if they did so they'd get in? (Great, now I want to do this myself and it's all your fault.) XD

 

[rayc]

Mate, I've not seen any of your "serious" leanings posted in the MP3 clinic which is where I do most of my listening.
David K has posted serioous" stuff there and been very well received.
P'haps you ought to try sometime.

 

[SEDstar]

...

rayc...

Hmmm... someone else mentioned I go to the MP3 mixing clinic with another of my sonota exercises once... I wised my mouth off, maybe I shouldnt of. Hm. I THOUGHT the mp3 clinic was only for critique on the sound of the mix and such, I didnt think it was for... composition critique.

I kinda "bit the bullet" and joined one of those "real classical composition" sites. For those of you that have never done this? Jesus H Christ, first track I listened to in discussuion, piano track, guy sounded like Liberace. Its unbelieveable.

Everyone is working on commissions for stuff that symphonies play, or finishing up a graduate degree at some fancy conservancy, LMAO, I'm not a pimple on a commissioned composer's ass, LMAO

*oh, the pain, the pain of it all...* (Dr. Zachary Smith)

There's plus-es to it, though... I had been wanting to get sheet music examples of "flourishes" and waterfall runs and stuff... see examples of it being done and all... the liberace piano track the guy posted his sheet music PDF along with the track, apparentlyt a lot of people do, so they can comment on the score. Me, i was going in to see how some of the stuff was accomplished. It was neat to hear the long up-flourish, and see it in sheet at the same time.

I posted up "Shermans March" to see how it would go... I was figuring I might get laughed off the site. One guy listed like 6 things, fairly explicitly rattling them off. I was like "this is cool". I'm just self conscious a little, 'cos... i cant find a single piece up thats worse than mine.

I wish there was someplace "intermediate", LMAO... But, It is kind of neat people can just list explicit things to "fix" whats wrong, considering what i want to be doing... the only main thing talked about that seems "ephemeral" is goal-based forward motion. I can picture "motion" with modulation(chord progs) to keep it flowing, instead of static, just sitting squarely in key, but... their clear blending lines... they separate off, get more and more unstable...more frenetic... then merge into a crescendo and hit a "goal".

Its kinds of the classical composers version of "You, like... really have to FEEL it, man..." LMAO

he did say I have a decent ear, and that I was where I should be... given where i am at already, and where I want to get to. *shrugs*

I'll plug along there with classical crud, see if I make much progress in a year or three, I figure. I'll post my pop/rock here, where it belongs.

Nothing else to be done about it, I guess.

 

[rayc]

The MP3 clinic is about the mix but aso the arrangement, the "sound", the structure & the composition.
Well, at least you'll get comments about all of that in there.
A "serious" piece that is being listened to for its sonics is being listened to and will prompt commentary.
Most folk in there listen to almost everything offered across genre and style.
I mentioned David K deliberately. he's posted his arrangements of less than popular pieces as well as some of his own and the commentary, whilst often overwhelmed by the work and leaning toward plaudits & laudits that were genuine albiet uncritical of the actual composition, were more in regard to the execution, recording and mixing of the piece. That in itself is a good thing though - IF you are writing and producing demonstration recordings of your compositions you need to do them at a level that will be listened to by the "serious" type.
I'm not much on serious stuff. I did some semesters of appreciation at Teachers' College and as a result I love Shoenberg's atonal stuff, Beath Oven's odd numbers and stuff the stirs rather than lulls, (interesting how folk find Beet's storming passages to be calming & slumber inducing - gives a clue to the way "serious" music was taught in schools doesn't it) but then a gain I like Psych & prog too.
Now where was I? Oh, seriously, post a piece in the clinic. At worst it'll be ignored, (I had a post dropped in on 50 times this week before anyone actually offered a critique). At best someone will dig it & more than likely you'll get some sonic criticism that you can employ to the advantage of your work.
There's no law against treading two paths - & serious music has, is & will be plundered for melody, arrangements and ideas.
Just don't try to do an update or Rhaps. in Blue. That hasn't carried so well -or it may be that the recording I have hasn't held it's own. I'd like to hear his 1926 piano roll version though. I did check out Previn's NHK Symph version & the muted horns etc still sound dated.
I digress - have at it!