Hello,

I'm of the camp every piece art is in some shape or form political (EDIT: or it's subtext is). I don't try to think to much when I write my music but my works shouldn't be at least against what I believe in. So I was curious and wanted to ask you if you a) see a connection between your music and politics and b) if this determines how you think of your music.

I know this isn't a letter but I still wish you the very best.

EDIT: I want to take the chance to clarify what I mean with political. A Political talk is every talk that is about how society should look like and/or what action we should take. It doesn't have to mean trump or Harris. A political piece is more or less a piece that talks with the listener in a way that can be considered political (even If it's just subtext)

I

You may have seen a couple posts about this in r/musictheory, but I would be remiss if I didn’t share here as well — because composers are the most important group of notation users.

I had an epiphany while playing with the grand staff: Both staffs contain ACE in the spaces, and if I removed the bottom line of the treble staff and top line of the bass staff, both would spell ACE in the spaces and on the first three ledger lines on either side. That’s it. I considered it profoundly stupid, and myself dumb for having never realized it — until I shared it some other musicians in real life and here online.

First of all — it’s an excellent hack for learning the grand staff with both treble and bass clef. As a self-taught guitarist who did not play music as a child, learning to read music has been non-trivial, and this realization leveled me up substantially — so much so that I am incorporating it into the lessons I give. That alone has value.

But it could be so much more than that — why isn’t this just the way music notation works? (This is a rhetorical question — I know a lot of music history, though I am always interested learning more.)

This is the ACE staff with some proposed clefs. Here is the repo with a short README for you to peruse. I am very interested in your opinions as composers and musicians.

If you like, here are the links to the original and follow-up posts:

• original post (content warning: alto clef centered on a space)

• follow up (content warning: new clefs)

Thanks much!

ADDENDUM 17 HOURS IN:

(Reddit ate my homework — let’s try this again)

I do appreciate the perspectives, even if I believe they miss the point. However, I am tired. I just want to ask all of you who have lambasted this idea to give it a try when it’s easy to do so. I’ll post here again when that time comes. And it’ll be with music.

I was the first artistic soul in my family, so I don't have any kind of sense about music or composing, but it can't be impossible after learning how to draw.. I hope..?

I don't like typical music like others do, but I listen video game music, cartoon and movie soundtracks and some vocaloid songs all the time. I don't really know anything about music theory, or what makes songs ''good'', fast and memorable melody is all for me.

I like to do many role-play, comic and animation projects for my own characters and fictional world and it would be so cool to learn to make my own soundtracks and themes songs for my different characters. I wish I could learn to compose something similar to undertale and them's fighting herds soundtracks. Song's don't have to be perfect at first, just something I can use for my stuff and improve whenever I learn something new.

Problem is that I have no idea where to start and how I keep my self motivated. As my friends seem to be able to play whatever they want with piano, for me creating new melody from nothing just feels impossible. I have tried to watch many different ''beginner friendly'' FL studio tutorials, but all of them required some sense of music to get started.

When it comes to learning stuff, I don't truly learn anything from reading or studying large amount's of theory. For me, it's important for learning that I start doing it right away, so I can figure out my self what works and what doesn't. But I don't know how to start making music.

If someone has any ideas how to make my dream feel less impossible, It would really help me. Also sorry for all the typos and grammar errors, it's late and I shit writing english, I hope you guys can tell what I'm trying to say as I don't even know all the fancy terms. Okay good night

The book calls Satie's Gymnopedies 'unemotional', an antithesis of the romantic expressiveness. This is an utterly ignorant, nonmusical, and snobbish stance. A few pages before the book writes analogies about the reflection of life in Mahler's 4th Symphony. However, Mahler himself did not write about such analogies. The book even goes further and connects Mahler's intentions in 4th Symphony to Freud and psychoanalysis.

It just does not make any sense that this is the widely used undergraduate and graduate book in music schools. It has no intellectual depth when it writes about 20th century onwards. It does not understand the modern composer at all, nor is it possible to do so through such a snobbish stance.

Whenever I write anything I always get lost in the lack of rules we have now as composers. After the explosive 20th century, where all rules were bulldozed and we're now left with a vague "write whatever you want" attitude, I feel as if everything that can be done has been done. Is this true? How can we as composers overcome this?

What does everyone think of AI composing software like AIVA? I've been researching AI composition and would love to hear some thoughts from other composers. I think it could be a handy tool to come up with ideas when stuck with a block. However, I'm also concerned that software like that could be used for a lot of smaller projects that beginners like myself rely on.

It seems that most of the time the solution to any issue here is that real players will do it right. Collaborating with other people isn't my forté in general, and soliciting a real orchestra is as far from my idea of fun as can be. I prefer to be left alone with my music; and considering my non-existent funds, I thought the recent release of MuseSounds would be perfect for me.

Unfortunately, I still require help from other people. More often than not these people come up with the forementioned answer: "Just have a real orchestra do it".. And it seems my work will never rise above being called a "mock-up", regardless of how much effort I apply.

This sub is obviously for working professionals. I'm okay with that. But to be honest I'm reconsidering this hobby which nobody is going to take seriously.

Like, there is no issue if I make art digitally and never pick up a physical brush. I mean, yeah, I could be a real digital musician -- if I made EDM beats. Well, unlucky me for liking classical music.

we are two people currently developing a small horror videogame and we are looking for a composer, we just need a small track but we don't have the capabilities to do so

For the payment it would be better for us if it was free since we don't really have a budget but in case we can agree on a compensation

I feel like it’s overrated, although I understand it has value and purpose in the right contexts. What are your thoughts?

In lieu of finale throwing in the towel, I've come to realize that our options for turning our ideas into written sheet music is quite slim and expensive (and kinda meh, at least with finale I often felt it was quite clunky and slow to use). Creating music should be free to everyone, and I'm looking for other developers and UI design people to collaborate with to create an open source product for the community to use. I'm a graduate CS student and studied music in my undergraduate. Please let me know if you are interested in creating something like this! Do you think the community would benefit from a community made tool like this?

Edit 1: So it seems musescore is the one mentioned a lot here and admittedly I know very little about their notation software. For people who do, do you think it compares to the high end software (like finale was) and do you think there is room to create something different?

Edit 2: If you feel this niche is fulfilled do you think there is a different one worth hitting? Like perhaps a composing software geared for beginners and is about educating beginners how to take the melody in their head that they play on their instrument into written sheet music, or perhaps something geared towards more abstract music concepts?

I know you have to advance musically but there are still bands that produce rock music even though its not en vouge anymore like in the 70s. so why is it that i cant listen to contemporary classical music that has patterns like classical superstars like bach. if you disagree plz show me something like bwv 1056 largo and we can talk.

Agree? Disagree? What are some alternatives?

EDIT: It seems I do need to clarify: obviously I am not serious about that comparison. It's a rhetorical device.

This digital mockup was created in Sibelius + the Cantai vocal synthesizer.

Edit: Just to confirm, this piece is my original composition and was *not* written by AI. So far, no AI has been able to generate intelligible tonal counterpoint, even when they’ve been taught the rules of counterpoint and ingested the entire works of Bach. I imagine that will be the case for quite a while.

https://youtu.be/K1ufwcLvoUA?si=3oM1YiLXvZLzsllw

Edit: Here's a link to the score and parts:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hTqfinUgcbZm4AgqyfbVlMIdHsB18C0d/view?usp=sharing

I'm writing an opera for trans voices and it requires rethinking *traditional* voice categories, which are understandably gendered. The process has caused me to second guess myself at times, but I've composed a piano score of act 1 finale which I discuss in detail here: https://youtu.be/fMb_pJJl8BE

If you want to see a follow-along-score music video, let me know! :D

There's also a playlist that documents the whole process of composing this opera from applying for funding up to now: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLplGEfit0_fJxxwIEJBwZs55S8-ENDaKB

Edit: just to add, because some people are introducing strawmen logical fallacies into the discussion. My point is that voice does not have to be gendered. That's it. And I'm sharing my process with you. I'm not stating which voice types are gendered and which aren't, so it doesn't matter whether it's SATB or any sub category of those. Some of you are coming back with 'but women can sing bass; men can sing soprano' (this is confusing pitch and timbre: I'm not talking about vocal ranges. I'm talking about how vocal timbres are inextricably linked to gender). I'm also talking about tradition vs today. Please note my use of the word 'traditional'. My point is that voice is not inherently gendered today (the world of trans opera singers demonstrates this), but traditional classifications ARE based on gender. This isn't news. I'm not claiming anything new here and this aspect is not my research. This point is common knowledge in opera and is in all the relevant literature. My research is in rethinking traditional opera and working with trans voices.

And I DO know what I'm talking about. I sang in a children's choir on TV and radio, then cathedral choir on TV and radio for years, I have a PhD in contemporary classical composition, I have my grade 8 in classical voice from Trinity, I am a qualified lecturer (AFHEA) and I discuss all this research in depth on my YouTube channel where I talk about the process of composing this opera and also my research into traditional voice categories (explored in relation to perspectives today).

I've done pretty much nothing except dabble in composing, and I don't have a great foundation in music theory either, but I am a pretty good violist. I wanted to compose a symphony, does any know of any resources, (mainly textbooks and videos) that could be of use to me? Also something that details how to compose for each instrument including things like range techniques and tone at different ranges could be helpful.

not a composer, but is there a quick and simple way to make a harmony? I'm writing a musical right now, and I have lots of melodies and great songs with heavy ensemble and no way to figure out how to write harmonies. Help!!!

Looking to hire a composer for a 2-3 minute piece of custom music for our queer wedding. We're looking for something romantic and cinematic. Our song inspirations include "Dearly Beloved" from Kingdom Hearts, "Merry-Go-Round of Life" from Howl's Moving Castle, and "Go Find Out for Me" from Luca. In an ideal world, featuring different instruments for an orchestral sound, and ideally under $500, but we're flexible.

Let me know if this seems up your alley or you have any suggestions for composers we could reach out to - ideally queer but at least queer- and trans-friendly. Thank you!

EDIT: No AI please! Thank you!

Looking for a composer for my next short film (which probably won’t get finished for about 3 months). I am willing to pay, but have a few requests that I would like, but aren’t required.

1. Complete licensing. No deals where I have to pay based on how successful the film is. Let’s say we agree on $1 for the entire project (obviously I’d pay more, just an example). That means whether the short gets 0 views or 1,000,000 views, the $1 covers the whole licensing for the rest of the film’s life. Granted, on the off chance I do make money from this, I wouldn’t mind giving out bonuses. EDIT 2: Don’t mean to say that the composer can’t use the music on their own once completed. More so just paying a flat rate at the beginning for access to the music made for the film.

2. Original & exclusive music. I hope that the music that is made specifically for my film and that I can work with you to make music that we both agree fits the tone of the scene(s).

3. Being reliable. Pretty simple, but I will be on a time schedule, so if we agree upon work to be done at a certain time, it would be pretty hard for me to deal with it coming in late.

If interested, please email [email protected] ! Again, I don’t need it today, but the sooner the better. If you have any questions or need anything from me, please don’t hesitate to ask (email preferred).

Thank you, and have a great day!

EDIT: I was advised to add more information about me and my project. I have made a few micro shorts before, but this will be the first one that’s 5+ minutes. I have experience running the business/ production side of shorts (business major, now getting my film & visual media productions degree) but this will be the first major (I say major despite it being a short) project. I’m a student from Maryland and went to Ohio State. There is also a lot more information about what I’m looking for and whatnot in the comments from my replies to a few great people who asked questions or commented suggestions.

The concept of labeling music is useful, but people seem to misunderstand what these labels are actually for. Through this lengthy argument I hope to make it clear to the reader that their only real use is to further advance a discussion, and that to view them as anything more than that is a highly flawed understanding of what music is. Many will already share my conclusion (as it is nothing original), but as I keep encountering both students and fellow musicians that doesn't seem to grasp this idea, I thought it was worth putting the time to explain. As always I welcome opposing views and will gladly listen to the arguments, hope you enjoy:

https://ovenmarket.wordpress.com/2022/03/08/why-music-genres-doesnt-exist/

And a question for u/RichMusic81, why isn't crossposts allowed? 🤔

According to the rule of the subreddit, when users share their music they need to include a score. The subreddit's description even says that this is a place to discuss score-based music. I find this a very outdated perspective on music composition that is gatekeeping a lot of composers out there, preventing them to share their music. Because of this rule, most of the music that is shared here is performed only by virtual instruments or notation software playback, and most of it is a style copy of some historical technique.

This rule implies that any non-notated music cannot be a composition. This includes electronic music, but also improvisational music or film music. Especially the latter is rarely notated unless recorded live. This discourages new composers to leave behind traditional notation and experiment with sound, synthesis and improvisation, and keeps the submission styles fairly monotonous and honestly, a little boring. Given how much music today is primarily sound based rather than only harmony or melody based, this feels odd.

As of now there is no large subreddit to exchange all types of music and get feedback (the feedback thread in r/WeAreTheMusicMakers feels useless), and in my opinion, this should be the place. There could still be a rule against self-promotion, e.g. encouraging discussion and constructive feedback, but I'd love to see more variety here.

What are everyone's thoughts?

I am a classical music composer, and I have just released an album that pays tribute to the 19th century piano from various perspectives: virtuosity, lyrical miniatures, nationalism, exoticism and impressionism. Yesterday, I sent the first song from my album, which is romantic and virtuoso, to a piano playlist curator, who rejected it because he thought it was too intense. Then he decided to add a slow piece that fit into his list, that is, something more minimalist.

Today, the trendy piano style is minimalist — the one popularized by Einaudi. There is a whole wave of composers, pianists and audiences looking for that type of piano music. I like it too, but with my album my goal is to bring back the language of the 19th century — which can include simple lyrical miniatures like minimalism, but also much more.

That "much more" seems to have little room today, except for the original composers — Chopin, Brahms, Albéniz, etc. — and mainly among real classical music fans. So my question is: Can the 19th century piano language become popular again through new composers? That's what I would love to achieve.

What do you think? Do you think that spirit of the 19th century can return, perhaps with some contemporary touches (or not)? Or do you think that minimalism will continue to define a soft, serene and uncomplicated piano world?

Here I leave you a score so that you understand what I mean, although it is not the most representative example, I still do not have the scores of the most virtuoso works ready. :

Sheet music for “Romanza” https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xkq5c1blqkvvnqlub7ufo/Romanza.pdf?rlkey=zdwnhzvvyhkmni7wnwl8256x1&st=i8matht3&dl=0

Romanza Audio https://youtu.be/d6ariRCwMSw?si=tPWFmD1__eBv-5o7

I would have liked to share more scores, especially the more complex ones, but I haven't written them down yet. I compose by recording myself directly and then reviewing and editing in MIDI. Here is the explanation for each track:

“The Captain’s Odyssey”
This one evokes a Hollywood-style Romanticism—specifically, old black-and-white Hollywood. It’s the least “19th‑century” piece on the album, but I wanted it first, like the opening of a film. Romantic elements are obvious and it features a brilliant virtuosity, although in the way virtuosity was portrayed in early cinema.

Prelude Op.3No.4
A miniature of serene lyricism, somewhere between Chopin and Liszt. Regarding the “Opus”: opus numbers are assigned by editors, but I used “Op.” in several pieces as a poetic license—which doesn't mean I won't keep adding new works under the same catalog in the future.

PianoFantasy“Spanish”
Part of a suite dedicated to national styles; a piece of Spanish character but also with more general Romantic elements.

“DarkWaltzfortheDoll”
A programmatic work I could even call “gothic,” as it blends beauty, elegance, and darkness. Don't miss the low-bass cluster at the end—another anachronistic license, since such clusters belong to the 20thcentury.

PianoFantasy“Exotica”
Another from the nationalism suite, although here it represents the European exotic vision of the world of OneThousandandOneNights. It isn't meant to sound genuinely Arabic, but rather to evoke the romanticized imagery of that world, the same which fascinated golden-age Hollywood.

AlbumLeafNos.5and6
These are true improvisations. An “albumleaf” was intended to give the illusion of something fleeting and spontaneous—many composers simulated that feeling, but in my case, both pieces genuinely are what they intend to be.

Ancient Spain
More entirely Spanish than the “PianoFantasyEspañola,” closer in spirit to Albéniz. It’s the piece with which I won theFidelioCompetitionin2020.

“Moses, theMischievousMagician”
The only Impressionist piece on the album (although AlbumLeafOp.3No.6 also reads that way a bit). It’s quite virtuosic, especially in the second half, though not for mere display—the virtuosity serves the fantastic atmosphere I aimed for.

RomanzaOp.1No.2
A miniature romantic piece I dedicated as a ThreeKings’Day gift to the Entre88teclas forum, where it’s especially beloved.

"Yearning"
The album closes with a Venezuelan piece in the spirit of late‑19th‑century Venezuelanwaltzes. Yet I took it a step further, introducing virtuosic sections that those waltzes usually did not include.

Hi - I am the presenter of the Classical Music show on TRUK - a trans run radio station based in the UK. Part of my mission is to play new classical and avant garde music by lgbt+/queer composers. I am always looking for new composers to feature. I also run, with Jacob Cairns, a podcast where we discuss Queer classical music. If you are interested in having music featured or being on the podcast in future please contact me. I may take a few days to reply. Thank you, Sammi