The World's Longest Through Composed Piece

[Chris Merritt]

Let's compose it. Together. To celebrate our 100 member mark, I propose that we ALL collaborate on a single piece of music. Here's the basic idea:

We each compose up to two minutes of music with a transition format in mind and I will piece them together. For example, we could decide that every composers music starts in one specific key and ends in another. We could go with major circle of fifths plus minor circle of fifths.

So for example, I start with C major and end with G major, the next composer starts with G major and ends with D major and so on. We could have a standard tempo for the transitions as well so:

I start with C major at 120bpm, transition to whatever key and tempos I want WITHIN my section as long as I end with G major and 120bpm and don't have an ENDING but something that will flow into the next composers section.

Once we hand out all the Major (key) sections, we pass out Minor sections. And we continue in this way forever with new composers. You can do ANYTHING you want within your section as long as:

It's 2 minutes or less.

It transitions adequately from your chosen first key and tempo to your end key and tempo.

I would piece the stereo audio files together and make sure the transitions worked.

We will start when we hit 100 members. Who's in?

[Chris Alpiar]

Oh yea this sounds like a blast! And Phil John Cages piece is debateable if its music or not lol. Man we must be on the same wavelength today Chris as I just got proactive also with the new music challenge group ;)

[Chris Merritt]

Our group is too diverse to choose one style, isn't it? My first choice would be "orchestral" but there are many composers who don't have the resources for that. So that's why we could have tempo and key/chord transitions. An acoustic guitar piece would "end" on a vamp in F major and the next section would start with and orchestra chord in F and so on.

[John Doryk]

I think I'm going to like this. I'm in too. How do we decide order? Who does which part and when?

[Chris Merritt]

Once we decide on the basics (how to transition,) I will do section one. I need someone on section 2 that really gets the idea about how to transition in and out, so that future composers will get it. I will end sect 1 with a sustain or repeating passage at the chosen key and tempo and sect will pick up from there, but it needs to be so that you don't have to hear sect 1 first. That's why we gotta pick a tempo for the transitions.

Of course, it kinda stiks to be stuc with one tempo. How about we pair tempos and keys? Example:

Sect 1
start
C major any tempo
end
G major 80bpm
Sect 2
start
G major 80bpm
end
D Major 90bpm
Sect 3
D Major 90bpm
end A major 100bpm

and so on until we hit about 140bpm or so, then start over or come back down, while the chords still follow the circle of fifths (then the minor Circle.) Then repeat.

This would give us every key in every tempo eventually.

[phil Kelly]

Don't get me wrong ..I think THIS is an interesting idea.

One problem for me: Although I'm quite comfortable with writing in an orchestral style, I lack the sophisticated sample gear all you young guys have invested in ..I cant submit anything with Finale internal sound fonts that woukdn't sound silly next to y'all GigaStuff ...

Any volunteers to take my Finale score, MIDI or ETF file ..and pimp it up nicely with yer great samples ?

Also, being an older person, I get dibs on one of the slower tempos ( with longer notes ) please? :)

Phil ( crotchets and minim r' us ) Kelly

[Chris Merritt]

That's a great idea! I bet there is someone who would want to do that for you. It would be a great way to study a Phil Kelly score!

[Chris Merritt]

We have 97 members now. Only three more until we start!!!!! AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRHHHHHH!

[Chris Merritt]

Whoever wants in join the group for this in the group section.

[Chris Merritt]

This is totally different from Cage. His piece, and the singing bowl piece are really cop outs on the idea. Any one of us could write a few notes on a page and make the tempo 0.0000001 and therefore the piece would last for years. I propose that we actually create interesting music. Each of us responsible for up to two minutes of content.

Atonal music, or music concrete, or sound design, would transition equally well (or poorly) on the front and back of that composer's section. It will be up to the composer ultimately as to how well the piece can transition. I will serve as content editor. No John Cage crap allowed (silence and so on.) But any serious musical endeavors will be added.

[Chris Alpiar]

Phil I am your man! Send me your thing in mus or mid format and some instructions and I would love to be your digital pimp :D err I mean orchestrator lol. I might need a few weeks to get it back to you but I will do my bestest to make it sound live!

[Ed Szymczak]

Hmmm....
Is there a logical way of implementing audio support roles?
Personally, I would like to contribute to the composition with my own 2 minute comp... but my strength, as you know, lies in mixing.
Are there any other folks that feel the same way? Maybe Frank Scheuring, for instance might be up for mixing part of this... I'm sure there are more.
It could get complicated, but to "do it up", it always is, right?
Any thoughts?

[Chris Merritt]

Yes! Let's see how many mixers we can get. If enough, we can have the composers give "stems." Wanna be incharge of collecting the parts, ed?