Song Touching the "John Williams" Sound

[Eric Richards]

Hello Everyone!

I recently wrote a small piece for an advertisement that needed an adventurous touch to it. Any critiques would be fantastic! To listen, follow this link:

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/empyreanma/adventure

Thank you all in advance!

[Eric Richards]

Dave,

Thank you so much for your comment!

I suppose you are right about the comparison. Recently I have done many Williams dissecting and this piece was stemmed from that, which a touch (or more) of my own. I do appreciate the other composers you have mentioned.

Hmm.. I feel like I am running to the edge of my knowledge of how to realistically use samples. I used the EastWest library and Cinematic Strings. Do you have any suggestions to look into? Or, if those are adequate, any mixing/mastering suggestions?

I do need to use woodwinds more. I grew up in an orchestra and never really got to be apart of anything but the strings. That is a great point to focus on in the future, along with your other instrumentation suggestions.

I also listened to some of your work, great job! I love what you've done.

Thanks again.

Dave Dexter said:

It didn't remind me overly of Williams, more of Goldsmith and Silvestri's soundtracks to the first two Mummy films - I can't think of many examples of Williams working in that Egyptian-esque tonality. Not a bad comparison though! And the middle bit reminds me more of modern composers like Two Steps From Hell and the better class of Zimmer.

Critique is more based on the samples, while good enough, having room for improvement (as samples so often do). Musically - I'd say you're under-utilising woodwinds. Aside from all his trademark runs, Williams often uses them for harmonic and rhythmic support under the more obvious strings and brass that are his fanfare's bread and butter, and it adds a great extra element that's sometimes lacking in modern action/adventure music. Adding harp runs into loud sections and tuned percussion like glockenspiel supporting occasional passages would also add that cinematic feel here.

This is personal of course, but since you invoked Williams, those are a few instrumentation details that would appropriate some of his sparkle.

davedexter.com

[Bob Morabito]

This is very epic, exciting and really well done ! You should be very proud of yourself :)

My only concern would be at app 0:27-0:28, and especially 0:33.50 --Ive listened repeatedly and feel something very slightly slows it down--maybe there are possibly very small gaps there that throw the flow off, or the horns are "slow to speak"..?

Its very slight and can get lost in the excitement of the great music youve presented here.

Thanks again for sharing--was very enjoyable to listen to.:)

Thanks Bob https://soundcloud.com/bob-morabito

[Rick]

Wow!!! Very impressive! I love the gigantic power in this piece! The tense dramatic atmosphere is very effective. Great use of the pounding cinematic percussion too. I'd love hear it in a real theater coming out of the screen. You really know your stuff. Great mid-eastern flavor in the first and last quarters.. quite eclectic piece. Well done. If you are not scoring movies it is a great loss for we the movie goers.

[Eric Richards]

Bob,

Thank you kindly for your comments! I do see what you are saying with those parts and that is definitely great advice to consider for later compositions. That section was very experimental, which I wouldn't doubt provide spots that take away from the movement of the piece.

Thank you again so much for your comment!

Bob Morabito said:

This is very epic, exciting and really well done ! You should be very proud of yourself :)

My only concern would be at app 0:27-0:28, and especially 0:33.50 --Ive listened repeatedly and feel something very slightly slows it down--maybe there are possibly very small gaps there that throw the flow off, or the horns are "slow to speak"..?

Its very slight and can get lost in the excitement of the great music youve presented here.

Thanks again for sharing--was very enjoyable to listen to.:)

Thanks Bob https://soundcloud.com/bob-morabito

[Eric Richards]

Rick,

Very much appreciate your kind words. I'm trying to poke into film scoring but my problem is the lack of knowledge of how to get into that industry. However, I may be scoring my first feature next spring. We'll see how that goes!

Thanks again.

Rick said:

Wow!!! Very impressive! I love the gigantic power in this piece! The tense dramatic atmosphere is very effective. Great use of the pounding cinematic percussion too. I'd love hear it in a real theater coming out of the screen. You really know your stuff. Great mid-eastern flavor in the first and last quarters.. quite eclectic piece. Well done. If you are not scoring movies it is a great loss for we the movie goers.

[Michael Forbes]

Joshua...

Exciting.  Loved the change in tempo and mood at 1:11.  Well done!

Michael