Hey there.

My name is Eric Adamshick. I’m currently going into my 3rd year of college at Boston University and I’m a double major, in Cello Performance and Composition & Theory. I’ve always loved video games, even to the extent of being interested in design, but music was my passion and naturally I stuck with it. I have often been told my music sounds like it’s from the score of a film or video game, and after thinking about it, that’s definitely a path I’m interested in going down. So, if you are at all interested in hearing my stuff or possibly using it in a game/film, I would recommend you listen to a few of my pieces, which I have posted on my SoundCloud (www.soundcloud.com/cellofr3ak). Please feel free to email me at cellofr3ak@gmail.com, on SoundCloud, or PM me in the forum if you have questions, comments, or would be interested in working together.

Thanks.

P.S. Some of the SoundCloud recordings are pretty soft, so I’d recommend using headphones/turning your volume up to hear them. The main purpose for this is so they cannot be ripped off.

I liked your "On the Windowsill, Facing the Road" but felt it could be pushed to be more emotional. Do you click-in all of your notes? It sounds like it. That or all of your notes are heavily quantized because I didn't hear much change in the note velocity or tempo. There was some but, in my opinion, not enough. If you gave the sheet music to a pianist they would interpret it much differently and create a more emotional performance of this piece. The music (and mood) is there but it's hidden or inhibited by the square, strict and steady rhythms and dynamic range (or lack therefo) by the computer playback. Also much of the same pattern happens over and over so it tends to get boring to the ear. A few things to experiment with:

1) Fragment the pattern - remove a note or two as the piece evolves.

2) Change the voice leading to reinforce different chord inversions.

3) Change the rhythmic pattern. With the steady 5/4 8th notes rhythm omnipresent it gets old. See what happens when suddenly there's a measure with longer notes or even a pause. You did this some but do a survey of your piece and "map out" the rhythmic material. See if you have an overload of rhythm pattern A vs. B or even C.

You had some elements of tempo changes but again- this can be exaggereated which would greatly help!

"P.S. Some of the SoundCloud recordings are pretty soft, so I’d recommend using headphones/turning your volume up to hear them. The main purpose for this is so they cannot be ripped off."

Uh, volume doesn't inhibit someone ripping your audio if they really wanted to so I'm not sure how this technique is going to help prevent that.

Thanks,

Nate

Yeah, I did click-in all the notes. Over the summer I didn't have access to a pianist, and now that I'm back in school my plan is to get most of my stuff performed/recorded.

I appreciate the tips, and completely agree with a lot of what you said. I tend to get in a rhythm/pattern and stick to it. I need to work on adding elements of invention.

Clicking in notes is fine but going in and changing velocities and intentionally making some notes "off rhythm" can help make it more organic.

Cheers!

Nate