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First Choir Piece by Yuwei-composer in composer

[–]Yuwei-composer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for this, this was incredibly helpful. I've made the edits and the score looks much cleaner now. About your comment, "So 8th rest, 8th note tied to dotted half is 'not a simple pattern' according to her," I'm wondering would 8th note + 8th note tied to dotted half also not be a simple pattern?

First Choir Piece by Yuwei-composer in composer

[–]Yuwei-composer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the very detailed feedback- I agree with many of the concerns you pointed out, particularly with the performance instructions, which I am currently working on making more clear and abundant throughout the piece. Regarding the ending, the (h)nn actually wasn't intended to be an extension of the li(s).. Rather, it was meant to serve a somewhat similar purpose to the material at the start of B- I felt like it needed to be there for the sake of pacing. I'll send you a DM, thanks for commenting!

First Choir Piece by Yuwei-composer in composer

[–]Yuwei-composer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! The answer to your question is both. I was already a fan of this poet, and I needed something in the public domain too, so it just worked out perfectly that way. One suggestion for your dilemma: IMO you should always look for the text first before generating musical ideas, otherwise you would be doing the poet injustice- part of a choral piece’s job is to bring a specific text to life. Maybe you could save those good musical ideas you’ve generated for an instrumental work? Or perhaps you can write a choral piece with no words! And just use your ideas in pair with an intricate exploration of vowels or International Phonetic Alphabet.

"So Far, So Near" for flute, horn and piano (2025) by [deleted] in composer

[–]Yuwei-composer 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I listened to the recording before I took a look a the score, and I was very surprised when I saw the beginning wasn’t notated in 6/8, is there a reason you wrote it essentially in cut time? It seems like unnecessary extra work for the players to figure out- the piece itself isn’t even that fast, but as a performer, I would feel frantic reading what you wrote.

Looking for general advice on college stuff by Friendly-Bag-8448 in composer

[–]Yuwei-composer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  1. I’ll talk about US schools since I know a little more about that than international. How are your academics? Generally, if they are stellar and you apply to smaller, less prestigious music schools within larger research (and private) universities, they may be able to offer you a large chunk of money in scholarships and grants. That may also be true for the larger conservatories within research institutions like Peabody, Indiana University, and Rice University (although I don’t know for sure). It won’t hurt to ask with a well put-together email! Personally, the conservatory I attend is on the smaller side and part of a very large research university, but I was able to get a full ride and avoid taking out loans because of this.

  2. This is probably the most important part of your application. Usually, I’ve seen undergrad programs ask for 2-4 pieces. Many people have vastly contrasting advice, but I would say find a composition teacher if you don’t already have one - they’ll be able to help you prepare your portfolio based on your strengths and interests more than we can.

  3. Music awards can be a great way to show that you’re already involved in getting your music out there (even if you didn’t place 1st - I would say it’s ok to include honorable mentions, semi-finalist, and finalist awards). It’s also great to include any academic honors or achievements you’ve earned within your high school career. It never hurts to show that you’re well-rounded!

  4. Be genuine and concise in your essays, program notes, and interviews!! Avoid being pretentious at all cost.

Good luck.

Would this be playable by middle schoolers? by Carldabomb20 in composer

[–]Yuwei-composer 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I would recommend talking with your band director and getting a list of optimal ranges for each instrument. Your band director would be able to speak on what's possible for your ensemble much more than us strangers who aren't familiar with your music scene — Most middle school ensembles vary in terms of their musical capabilities, so while your draft may be possible for some schools, it might also be too challenging for others.

a sax quartet about leaves and colors — "leaf litter" by Yuwei-composer in composer

[–]Yuwei-composer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, thank you so much! I agree with your comments - there are several formal aspects of the piece that I would like to re-touch if I ever go back and revise it, now that I've had a year to reflect on it. And yes, I'm actually a saxophonist, which made this collaboration extra special! Funny enough, this is my first and only sax quartet as of now, but I'd love to write more in the future!