A Sample.

[SteveDenton]

I wrote this for a Subterranean Restorations (an IC group similar to the DRC) project as a "D'ni piece inspired by Eder Delin." It's short, but I think the length of the song is proportional to the size of the age. It's also a little more "in-your-face" than I would've probably written under normal circumstances, but the project description listed the piece as having been written by the same composer (IC, still) as an already posted Eder Tsogal-inspired piece, which was 100% piano, so I felt obliged to include a piano rather than something a more ethnic sounding instrument I might otherwise have used.

The piece is called "Look Up In Eder Delin," or "Fitaiema Elsh t'Eder Delin" if my D'ni is up to scratch. Here it is:

http://www.barehandsdesign.com/DS6/FitaiemaElshTEderDelin.mp3

Also, hello.

[Pryftan]

As a member of SR, I was going to submit something to this contest if we didn't have many entries. But then we got this, and there wasn't really any point. It's fantastic.

[Dovahn]

That sounds great; it's really good for midi (which I imagine it is). I could picture a bunch of ages with this as the soundtrack. At first, I was thinking, "Oh, just the cello," but then the piano came in. I agree that the ending is a bit, as you said, in-your-face, but the rest of it I could see as ambient music playing softly in the background. Excellent.

Dovahn

[Kiril]

I agree! Well done. It captures a nice mood for background, which is what it needs to be.

[James L]

Well, that could be used for pretty much anything. Classic. Can I have it? (By the way, what happened to the 'Very Happy' smiley?)

[Kierra]

Wow, thats beautiful!

~Kia

[James L]

Actually, the more I listen to it... Our group happens to need 'in-your-face' music, especially with such elegant description of, well, passion, as this seems to have. It is certainly inspirational. Thank you.

[Cross]

How did you make that? its very nice.

[bluewyvern]

I'm a sucker for cello...this is a beautiful piece.

Would also be very nice for the interior of some grand and architecturally elaborate building, like a gallery or a giant, beautiful machine (at rest); a sort of "look at the wonders" theme for a large, still space.

[Kiril]

The piece is called "Look Up In Eder Delin," or "Fitaiema Elsh t'Eder Delin" if my D'ni is up to scratch. Here it is:
http://www.barehandsdesign.com/DS6/FitaiemaElshTEderDelin.mp3
Also, hello.

Steve,

This really is a nice little mood piece and its mixed pretty well, too. (just out of curiosity, what program(s) do you use?)

The only 'critique' I have (and this has nothing to do with the quality of the music itself) is how well the music might adapt to a particular setting. The beginning of this piece is exactly right -- mood wise, musically and everything else -- to serve as background for the right sort of age setting. The latter part, where it builds up, while musically quite nice, changes the mood somewhat and if used in an actual setting, would tend to draw attention to itself. ONe of the hardest things, I think, in scoring for video or film is to create music that enhances the mood in a way that, well, nobody notices. An analogy would be the way a set designer creates the set design for a play: she wants to design a space in which all of the emotions, characters and story can be played out, but in a way that doesn't distract from the play itself.

The exception, of course, is when the music is intended to be the focal point, such as in a movie where you hear the hit song while you see the lead go through some montage of actions, or the big kiss or something or that wonderful end piece at the end of the first Star Wars movie when Han and Luke we're being rewarded for their bravery. But for 95% of the film, most people barely noticed the music, even though they heard it. But everyone experienced the mood the music intended to create.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that in scoring music to accompany an age, we want the explorer to feel the mood, have an emotional response to the surrounding, but not actually notice, at least not in a direct way, the music. Does that make sense? I'd be interested in others thoughts on this.