Graeme Helliwell's Page

"Hi Gav Nice to see you playing with a larger ensemble. I like the general sound of this. No idea where it's going but it really invokes (in my mind anyway) a wander through a gallery or a dinner party with a load of different images, smells and…"

"I could listen to this all night. In asking, where does it go from here, I think it's already on a journey. You could easily fill another 20 minutes of delightful ambient sounds, with or without a huge dynamic range. I suspect you have the…"

"Whenever I reply here, I'm usually in muse mode, so sorry if I'm vague. There are no rules. There is no right way. There. I've said it. There are, however, conventions which can create a familiar structure. And most of them work.…"

"Not sure what kind of feedback you are looking for as there isn't much to comment on at this stage. You have a pleasant little melody (theme and variation of Auld Lang Syne?) but not much else to go on. It's a single line, no counterpoint…"

"I'd suggest there is a clear opportunity for collaboration. There are other discussions on this board about new and old musical and compositional styles. Why is centuries old music played more often than new. The answer being the comfort factor…"

"Oh come on Gav, how low can you get? ..... 6 feet? :-)"

"I suspect he's now decomposing, Gav... ...go on, someone had to say it."

"For me, if a compose writes a marking that can be 90 to 120bpm, then it can be played 90 to 120bpm. If a bpm is specified, then that is as defined as clearly as a C or C#. Some elements remain open to interpretation, some not. Think of your own…"

"A highly informative documentary following one outstanding conductor. However, for me, it misses one of the crucial elements of the preparation. Before taking the podium there can be hours, days and months spent just reading the score. Not just…"

"I'm with Charles on this one. Whilst I fully understand the use of the sword as a percussive tool, it does overpower the music behind it. No problem with leaving it in, just put it further back in the mix, pan around a bit and give it more…"

"I'm interested Gav."

"I'd encourage anyone posting music to pop the score alongside the link. It certainly helps in critical evaluation but isn't always easy to produce, depending on the creative medium. Another risk of putting this level of detail on an online…"

"Brandon, I can't offer any more advice other than that shared above. I don't know enough about the technicalities of the instrument for the specific score to hand. All I can add is my enjoyment of the piece throughout. I was transfixed by…"

"I normally don't offer comment on entirely digital music (non-orchestral) as it's far from my area of expertise, however I feel able to comment on a couple of moments here. To add my reassurance to Tim (above), I've just listened to…"

"I'm very much with you on the current fetish with tech, and probably a little guilty myself. On this site, as with many others, we often identify the quality of the recording as a failing, before we are able to begin to identify the music…"

"Overall I really enjoyed this, but I used to be a trumpeter so am programmed to enjoy brass. I think the real fun in this would be in the performance. The different parts, and the interplay of each line could well be extended to the stage with each…"