Thread: TC Composers' Competition

I am still confused about entry. Have we made a conclusion on how to enter our piece?

Scores are expected in Comp Competitions for any work meant to be played by musicians from score, UNLESS the work is 'electronic' - i.e. audio assemblage, or a recorded 'set' improvisatory piece (EX: I've done, in the past, one suite for solo midi piano, a 'player piano' piece.)

Categories are often by instrumentation, and length (duration) is always also one of the qualifying parameters.

The 'classical' 'modern' distinction is / should be moot. Earnestly intended music is just that, regardless of 'style.' If you're writing in a style of classical model or neo-classical, tonal minimalist or anything else, those are merely the vocabulary of that piece.

Form, from what I have seen, has never been a part of any composition competition. Form is always up to the composer.

Format (concertino for solo instrument 'X') and a certain number of instruments, those instrumental forces sometimes specifically designated as to type and number, is most often part of the parameters for competitions.

Solo piano pieces are a good and 'simple' start.
It was Milton Babbitt, of "Who cares if you listen?" notoriety, who also said, "Most of my students could not write a simple piano piece."

So - "A simple piano piece" might be a good enough challenge / category (the fact I've got a few 'simple' pedagogic piano pieces in the works at the moment having nothing whatsoever to do with this particular recommendation :-)

I have created a Youtube account. It took me ages because I put my birthday as 2006 first time, and it told me I was too young, and it was this evening before it would let me create an account . On the upside, I have been able to create an account where I could answer the "gender" question with "other"

I will pm anyone who has posted on this thread who I thought might be interested this evening. You will have to reply to this with a confirmation or declination of participation - but this does not have to be done now. If you say you will take part I will send you the password and you will be able to log in - everyone will have to be responsible.

IF YOU DO NOT POST HERE OR PM ME YOU CANNOT TAKE PART.

Originally Posted by PetrB

Scores are expected in Comp Competitions for any work meant to be played by musicians from score, UNLESS the work is 'electronic' - i.e. audio assemblage, or a recorded 'set' improvisatory piece (EX: I've done, in the past, one suite for solo midi piano, a 'player piano' piece.)

No scores, or optional ones here at the most.

Originally Posted by PetrB

The 'classical' 'modern' distinction is / should be moot. Earnestly intended music is just that, regardless of 'style.' If you're writing in a style of classical model or neo-classical, tonal minimalist or anything else, those are merely the vocabulary of that piece.

Format (concertino for solo instrument 'X') and a certain number of instruments, those instrumental forces sometimes specifically designated as to type and number, is most often part of the parameters for competitions.

Yes

Originally Posted by PetrB

So - "A simple piano piece" might be a good enough challenge / category (the fact I've got a few 'simple' pedagogic piano pieces in the works at the moment having nothing whatsoever to do with this particular recommendation :-)

Crudblud suggested this at the beginning - not sure if you read it. Any piece is welcome, even if it is pre-written but 'simple' is not part of the description. I myself intend to enter a fugue in 8-parts (joking - I'm not, that would not be anonymous any longer )

Don't really see why it would be a no. If we can have stupid crap like the "Top 50 Greatest of all Time" list, why not this?

OK messages sent.

Now on the really nitty gritty adminy type stuff. Should I reply immediately with the password to everyone? Or should we wait until some specified date on which everyone can upload them? If the latter, when?

The former makes more sense I think, but whatever. I do think however that we must be careful about when we actually upload the pieces, regardless of passwords. If someone uploaded it tomorrow,say, and posted here saying "hooray finished" that would give the game away a little.

I don't know, a few days before the deadline?

Also, are we going to have the pieces for each competition in playlists?

I want the password.

Originally Posted by Crudblud

Also, are we going to have the pieces for each competition in playlists?

I suppose so yeah.

I'll keep the password to myself for the time being then, until closer to the deadline.

Thanks to everyone who has replied to my message so far.

I thought a good time to give out the passwords would be Monday the 27th of August. That gives people a working week to submit, and the password could be changed on Saturday September the 1st perhaps to mark the deadline.

At some point - perhaps the Saturday? - we should make the thread where links to all the entries will be posted. Now there are one or two more things we need to clear up.

1. Uploading. When the password is distributed, everyone is free to make the submission whenever they like before the deadline up to and including Friday 31st of August.

2. Picture. I would suggest that everyone is free to choose whatever picture they like for their submission - but that it has to be a static one, and that it has to be the same one throughout, so that it doesn't influence anybody's choice. Also it of course shouldn't be a picture which would give away the identity of the composer (e.g. Caspar David Friedrich's wanderer for me).

3. Name. Well, either they should be called entry 1,2,3 etc. which would be boring, or again a name can be chosen which would not give away any identities, which could either be something suiting the piece, or "sonatina in ___" or whatever.

4. Description. I don't know much about Youtube as I pretend to live in the 18th century most of the time. However here identity is most likely to be given away in a description. I thought that we might come up with some pre-determined blurb about it being a TC competition etc. However some people may wish to write one or two notes about the piece. This could be done as well. Again I'm not sure.

5. Scores. We need a final decision on whether to make these optional or not.

Originally Posted by Crudblud

Also, are we going to have the pieces for each competition in playlists?

I think this is a good idea as well.

Maybe we should take optional scores to a vote?

I never got the PM...

Originally Posted by Crudblud

Maybe we should take optional scores to a vote?

I'm starting to stop caring. I just realized that I'm too lazy to typeset anything.

Originally Posted by Ramako

1. Uploading. When the password is distributed, everyone is free to make the submission whenever they like before the deadline up to and including Friday 31st of August.

2. Picture. I would suggest that everyone is free to choose whatever picture they like for their submission - but that it has to be a static one, and that it has to be the same one throughout, so that it doesn't influence anybody's choice. Also it of course shouldn't be a picture which would give away the identity of the composer (e.g. Caspar David Friedrich's wanderer for me).

All sounds good to me.

3. Name. Well, either they should be called entry 1,2,3 etc. which would be boring, or again a name can be chosen which would not give away any identities, which could either be something suiting the piece, or "sonatina in ___" or whatever.

I strongly suggest the latter. The former could be confusing to some.

4. Description. I don't know much about Youtube as I pretend to live in the 18th century most of the time. However here identity is most likely to be given away in a description. I thought that we might come up with some pre-determined blurb about it being a TC competition etc. However some people may wish to write one or two notes about the piece. This could be done as well. Again I'm not sure.

No idea.

5. Scores. We need a final decision on whether to make these optional or not.

I don't care anymore.

Originally Posted by Klavierspieler

I'm starting to stop caring. I just realized that I'm too lazy to typeset anything.

That's the spirit!