PROF COMPOSITION SCORE COMMENTS                                    
A Elevation 7.50 It's difficult to review a song that won't stay in one place.  It keeps jumping from theme to theme with dramatic changes in instrumentation and tempo.  And keys.  It sounds like a battle of the bands, all playing their individual songs, but only hearing bits of each song.  It clearly has musical themes that are interesting and overall it keeps me thinking.  I've never heard a song quite like this.                                      
B The 60s Blues 7.90 OOoooh, that's groovy!  Really hip and far out!  I grew up in the sixties, so I'm pretty familiar with the chord progressions of the time, and this is fairly typical.  The solo parts are unique, however, and I loved the percussion.  Kind of reminds me of secret agent man.  Right arm!                                      
C Gaspains 5.50 Very unusual chords, but also somewhat repetitive.  Especially for such a short piece.                                      
B Red Islands 6.50 Nice island beat and melody.  I can picture myself getting smashed with a Pina Colada while I listen to the group near the bar play this piece.  The improvisational parts are interesting.                                      
A Piano Concert 1, mov 2 7.00 Some of the dynamic changes at the start were a bit startling,  Some of the chord progressions evoke a medieval feeling, but there is much to much dissonance for an ancient piece.  The music depends very heavily on chord progressions to the detrement of melody.  I loved the use of the Pizzicato strings.  Well done, but still revolving around simple chord progressions.                                      
A Altman Sonata for piano 8.70 Very nice!  Beautiful transitions and lovely melodies.  Not much in the way of panning given that there were two pianos playing (at any given time), but perhaps not necessary.  Excellent use of tempo changes.  Nice surprize at the end.                                      
A Friday's Waltz 7.00 Why am I reminded of a circus?  Or a beer hall?  Lots of Um-pah-pah, I guess.  Nicely done.                                      
D Alien Wars 4.00 I wasn't expecting a purely percussion piece, but there it is.  Except for that whistle.  And it is also on Channel 10.  I think I would have called this piece Channel 10 Forte.  I didn't get a lot out of it musically, however.                                     
B Funk (A Brief Insanity)   Mine                                    
A Piano Concerto #6 Mov3 Op38 9.00 Real romantic writing with a flare for the dramatic.  Clearly a lot of work went into this piece, especially with respect to the rhythms.  There is a tendency  to alternate between the first and fifth chord that appeared often enough to call repetitive, but it is balanced by the variation in rhythm and instrumentation.  Fine work.                                      
A Accordions Duet Op42 7.00 Rather nice melody and chord progressions.  I've never heard accordion music on midi.  With 4 accordions, however, I think you could have done a lot more with panning.                                      
B Trio No 1 9.00 Jazz is not my "forte," but I can appreciate excellent jazz when I hear it.  You could play this in any club in the nation and it would be well received.  The drums came across slightly "synthetic" in some places, but otherwise the performance was indistinguishable from a live performance.  Bravo!                                    
D Battle of Fleetzan 2002 9.20 Wow!  This really has atmosphere!  And I wouldn't want to be there.  The helicopter was an unusual touch.  Very impressive. Some of the sections seemed to me to be repeated too often, but the whole piece is so unusual that it takes several repetitions for it to sink in.  The ending was a little less than I had hoped for, but then I didn't write it.                                      
B Horses of the Time 8.00 Beautiful!  In essence, it is a series of chord progressions and the instruments follow the chords without a single distinguishable melody.  The instrumentation, rhythms, and the chords chosen, however, are excellent and typical of "new-age" music.  The use of the fade-out always leaves me feeling that the song was left unfinished.                                      
A Standing Man 7.00 The four-chord chord progression begins to wear despite the excellent harp "playing" and the key changes.    The use of the tympany was unusual, and did not add to the piece.  It also ended quickly and without any warning, as though it were incomplete.                                      
D Walk of the Grave 7.50 I would call this piece "atmospheric."  It has no well defined rhythm, melody, or even harmony.  It was nonetheless interesting and internally consistent.                                      
B The Eagle and the Child 8.70 Similar in style to Horses of the time, but with a melody line (excellent, at that!).  Nice panning and rhythmic work.  The Pan Pipe is a wonderful instrument for new-age music.  And another fade out.                                      
B Mary Edna 7.50 Another fine Jazz piece.  Maybe a little two much swing, though.  Compared with Trio #1, it lacks some of the finer points of style, but it is written for a different crowd.  My father would have liked this.                                      
C Never Again 8.00 Something like a fantasy, with unusual chords, but they seem to fit well with the atmosphere.  The break in rhythm is understandable seen as a fantasy, and even the occasional classical passages.  It ended so abruptly, though that one wonders if the composer died and the spouse posted the unfinished work.  Or, perhaps the composer will finish the work as a guitar duet.                                      
A Piano Studio 3 6.00 The chords and "melody" were unusual, but interesting.  The repetition of the base line and rhythms in several sections gnawed on my nerves, but fit with the atmosphere.  It ended abruptly and seemed to be truly unfinished.  A longer version with more variation would have been well received.                                    
C A Strange Song 6.00 That's strange!  I found nothing strange here!  The panning was very good and the melody nice (but not captivating).  The fade out left the song hanging without any conclusion, but I suppose that is a matter of taste.                                    
C Handel's Great Drunk 7.00 Very nice classical form in the first half.  Slightly repetitious (as is much classical music), and the last part lacked the direction of the first.  Was the composer drinking (Yes!)?  The ending was also positively medieval.  Really pretty nice.  [A suggestion - you may want to increase your key velocities by about 30-40%)]                                      
D Reinvent                                        
C Circa 21 6.00 Longer note durations would have created a smoother effect (if that is what you had wanted).  The music is otherwise nice.  After the introduction, the music seems to depart from the 1920's theme.  There is also no appreciable panning or use of volume or expression (although key velocities change).  I would suggest that you place each string (violin, viola, etc) into a seperate track to allow for better panning.  At 2:52 seconds to 3:22, I loved the chord progressions.                                      
C Sister Ann Joins the Carnival 8.50 The beginning reminds me very much of late renascience music (chord progressions, rhythms, etc.). Perhaps very appropriate for depicting a nun.  Gabrieli comes to mind.  I love that stuff.  At 2:32, however, it takes a distinctly different turn - rather like a carnival/circus (which is what you intended), but rather a bizarre one.  Then plain wierd at 3:40.  Like Alien Jazz.  And the panning!  OMG.  Wierd carnival returns at 8:20 or so.  Tales from the crypt?  The solo trombone is beautiful (but the range is higher than I would have expected for a trombone).  Nice way to end.  Musically, it's an 8, but with an extra .5 for effort.                                      
B Hungry Heart 7.00 The use of the pitch wheel is unique, and really makes the guitars stand out.  The change at 2:00 seems misplaced, but nice anyway.  The first part used two chords, as did the second (a different two chords).  Then a third part (at about 3:00), different chords, but only two.  The recapitulation at the end still does not tie the other pieces together.  Nice ending.                                      
B Pilate Shrugged 7.50 Happy melody with interesting key changes and chord progressions.                                      
B I Am Myself 7.00 Reminds me of some of the music from the early 70's.  Pleasant, slightly repetitive, but the part at 2:00 was, for me, the most interesting until the recapitulation at 2:40.  Nice, but nothing grabbing.                                    
A Shadowplay Waltz 8.50 An interesting waltz with curious rhythms in places (but still in 3/4 time).  The composer clearly has a mastery of composition and the Grand Ballroom atmosphere is maintained throughout.  Somehow (and this is probably not the composer's fault) I am reminded strongly of the music played on carosels in amusement parks.                                      
C Entrance of the Scholars 8.00 A very asian quality!  Interesting!  Perhaps even bizarre.  For some reason, a single note persisted for almost the entire length of the song - I think this was unintended, but it's hard to know.  The song was also somewhat brief (as an introduction, or "entrance"), but very entertaining nonetheless.                                      
B The World is Round 7.00 Yes, it is.  The music is internally consistent, but lacks much vitality.  It sounds "synthetic" (and I mean beyond the use of synth brass).  No controllers except for panning, not much dynamic range, and yet its sort of pretty.                                      
A Hallelujah Chorus 6.50 Where have I heard this before (just kidding)?  I think more dynamic changes would be better (key velocities, controller 11, whatever).  And the tempo seemed a little slow (perhaps due to the rather short note durations).  Handel's creation is a masterpiece.  This midi rendering is not, but it is nonetheless interesting because the original music was so good.                                      
C Chesh Lank 8.00 This is a very energetic piece with beautiful harmonies and rhythms that nonetheless become somewhat repetitive as the piece goes on.  The nature of some of the harmonies and rhythms is medieval/early renascience.  It is very dynamic, perhaps more than one would have expected.  The ending is, despite the very well coordinated and orchestrated middle, rather abrupt (unexpected).                                      
A String Quartet mov 1 8.50 Very nicely done, but with a few controllers (volume or expression), this could have been a wonderful midi.  As it is, it is a very nice classical composition.  Some of the passages in some instruments (e.g. the cello) probably exceed human ability, however.  Measures 112 to 134 (roughly) seem relatively "unfocused" whereas in the rest the pieces seem to interact well.  The fugue was excellent.  A few more changes in tempo (other than the abrupt ones in measure 284 and 303) would have also really set the piece off, but that is the composer's choice.                                      
A String Variations 9.00 Classic composition/classic style.  Although there is panning between the two groups of strings, I think more could have been done by dividing the strings into more tracks (about 4) for better effect (as you did in the third variation).  The variations are very nice, but each seems to end independently and so the piece comes off as "pieces,"  each short, but good.  It was all pleasant to listen to just the same.  And I thought Mozart died.                                      
B My One and Only Love 9.00 Oh, that's sweet.  Such beautiful melodic lines, harmonies, and wonderful instrumentation.  I liked the changes in pace at and after 2 minutes.  Many of the harmonies have been used in other songs, but still sound great.  Wow.                                      
C The Enchanted Storm 9.50 Holy smoke; what drama, and the sound effects are outstanding.  Combined with the wonderful musical score, this is tremendous.  I've noticed that you tend to utilize certain chord progressions and combinations repeatedly (in this piece and others), but the effect is still fantastic.  Curious ending, but does not detract.                                      
C Dawn 8.70 Songs like this make it difficult to compare scores.  I've heard so many wonderful pieces this month (especially late in the month) that  I have trouble saying whether one is better than another.  Nonetheless, despite how good this piece is, the repetition large sections of the piece detracts from the overall quality of the piece.                                      
D Boris and Natasha   Mine                                    
A Scherzo on Bee 10 8.50 Wonderful composition!  Of course, I don't know how much is Beethoven's and how much is yours - such is the problem of evaluating works derived from other works (however fragmentary).  I love the panning and the instrumentation.  It is also difficult to evaluate tempo changes for the same reason, but I believe that in this romantic composition there may be room for some gradual changes in tempo here and there.  Alas, that is not my call.  Also, there isn't much controller 11 or even variation in volume (key velocity).  The ending is sudden and unexpected (to me)- suggesting that the ending wasn't well thought out or unfinished.  Still, all in all, a great work of music.                                    
C End of the Storm 8.00 Beautiful chord progressions and appropriate use of reverb.  Even for a cinematic composition, there is little direction, however.  Several places where dynamic variation would have been suitable, the volume, tempo and instrumentation is stagnant.  But for that, the composition is very nice to listen to overall.  The passage from 2:36 to 3:09 seems (to me) out of place.  The very long sustained notes there and later detract from the movement of the piece.                                      
A Symphony 2, mov 1 8.70 This is really nice!  There are parts that are exceptional, and others that are "ok."  The variations in the theme and tempo are well done in particular.  Although there is good use of key velocities, greater use of controller 11 or volume would have enhanced the reality of the "performance."  (I noted several places where they were used, but sparingly).   At the end, the tapered volume was perfect).                                      
A Symphony 2, mov 2 9.20 Much better use of volume to enhance the presentation (although it was also used sparingly)!  Wonderful variations in tempo!  The composition, as a whole, is also better integrated and consistent throughout.                                      
A Gran Ciaccona 9.10 I love this piece!  I've loved it the whole of my adult life (and part of my childhood).  Oh, but it's original.  The musical aspect is good with changes in tempo and from 4/4 to 3/4 and other interesting devices.  Some passages, despite the familiar chord progression, are so unique that they are inspiring.  I actually like it better than the original (oops, I mean Pachelbel's version).  As for midi performance, it's quite good.  Reverb nicely used, great (and innovative) instrumentation, panning, well-balanced, etc. and all that.                                      
A Concert 43, mov 1 9.20 Dear God, where did all of these great compositions come from all of the sudden?  My average score is approaching 9.  I love this piece.  And there is little if anything I would change or suggest.                                      
B Veliki Traven 6.50 Yugoslavian country-western music?  Yee-HA, comrade!  Fortunately, I like country-western music.  Even for it's unique genre, it drags a bit after the first few measures.                                      
C Astro Odyssey 6.00 There's something about this song that seems simplistic.  Perhaps it's that all of the isntruments seem to go in the same direction at the same time.  Many of the chord sequences are used so often that they become repetitive.  Snare drum rolls are too common.  The rapid tempo in most of the piece seems a bit too rapid.  Varying the tempo (as in ritard or accelerando) would be helpful if done correctly.  A little reverb might help in some places.  Not bad for a early effort.                                      
B The Proposition 8.00 Interesting use of tempo.  I thought my computor had gone crazy as I watched the panning and that volume control on the "Chrystal."  Much of the background and even the main musical theme was repetitive and the overall theme was so consistent that even changes in melody were difficult to appreciate.  It achieved a certain effect that was, I'm sure, quite difficult.  Mysterious, futuristic, mechanical, strange.  Perhaps the strangest part was the ending.  Not bad, just different from what I have ever heard.                                      
A Fantasia 7.50 Nice fugues.  Generally very well done.  No panning.  I would suggest dividing the voices into at least two tracks and separating them.  Likewise with the other instruments (organ excepted).  For a short piece, however, musically it is exceptional.                                      
B Rock on the Town   Missed it.                                    
B Chinatown 6.00 There are some interesting rhythmic contrasts, but the absence of anything but chords, unison, and a rather uninteresting percussion and base duet leave me cold.  There was also essentially no use of controller (no panning, volume or expression control, etc.).                                      
                                           
  TOTAL AVERAGE 7.65                                      
                                           
                                           
                                           
                                           
                                           
                                           
                                           
                                           
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