MacJams.com - Song: Homeward Bound by kristyjo

Homeward Bound
by kristyjo

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Submitted on: Dec 11, 2005 - 11:46:41 PM
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Keywords concert band (6), program music (4), sea (36), cut time (1), ()

Description This is the third movement of a Suite I'm working on for band, called "Inland Seas". (I grew up on the Great Lakes in the USA,) I wrote it and it was performed by our Community Band this summer. It got a very good response, and now I'm working on submitting it for publication. However, It's in a key that's a bit high for french horns & trumpets, so I'm lowering it a major second. Of course, this means some things are now too LOW to be played comfortably by other instruments, so those parts needed rearranging. This whole process is more time consuming than I'd imagined, but I'm learning a lot, and I feel like I'll end up with a good, playable piece of music in the end. I hope you enjoy listening to the software version of Homeward Bound.

Hardware PB 1.5 GHz, Edirol PCR-300 (may it rest in peace)

Software: GarageBand, Finale, Paper & pencil, chart of effective ranges of wind instruments.

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	RickW said 1087 days ago
	Exceptional! Kristy, I am honored to be the first to comment on your new composition. This is an exceptional work. I admit that I am no expert on musical notation, but I do know what moves me, and this piece had me flying like an eagle. Thank God for your exquisite talent. Warmest regards, Rick

Tom Atwood said 1087 days ago

Excellent piece for band
This reminds me of summers at my father's music camp, the sound of
concert bands rehearsing outdoors. This may the first true band piece I
have heard on MacJams. It is a lovely, accessible work, that deserves to
be submitted for publication. It also exposes some of the flaws in
Jampack 4 (or is it Finale?). You use many of the software's wind
instruments, some of them sound more "real" than others. (I feel like
the saxes especially are poor.) Regardless, this is an excellent work,
kristyjo. Good luck with publication. I look forward to hearing the rest
of the suite.

drakonis said 1087 days ago

Reach for your Holst-er!
Very nice piece! Great orchestration, quite well written! Brings me
back to my days playing Holst's suites in high school concert band. I
agree with Tom, the saxes sound very uniformly synthy and raspy (this
could probably be fixed somewhat by an EQ expert), but the other
instruments are not bad, you did well with dynamics... and like you, I
too compose note-by-note, so I really appreciate the effort it takes to
write something of this scope... and then to find a mistake in
instrument range and shift everything down and re-orchestrate (I did
that with my waltz here.) I'm very impressed, and have marked you
and this piece as "Faved" so I can watch for more from you. I've always
enjoyed playing and listening to this kind of "Suite for Band" style
music, very fun!
ttfn,
Drakonis

kristyjo said 1086 days ago

I guess I am a Holst fan
My fifth grade daughter was listening to a new piece I'm working on, and
mentioned that the opening reminded her a lot of Holst's 'The Planets', so
I won't deny the English Band influence in my music.
As for the Saxes? ARGH! I finally got a decent oboe from the GPO
orchestral instruments, but there's no saxophone included with that
package. (Bizet, anyone?) There are some gorgeous voicings out there,
but everything I've heard that I like is frightfully expensive. I did redo the
sax voice from the jam pack, but it doesn't sound any better in the
concert band context.
Thanks for all your comments and listenings.

Mystified said 1086 days ago

Very nice!
Synthy instruments aside (Oh, if we could only afford orchestras of our
very own! ;) this is lovely. I do hear an "English" influence ....and I love it!
I'm a Vaughan-Williams and Edward Elgar (Ok..and Holst!) fan, and there
is something warm and comforting in the sound/balance that you've
achieved in the instrumentation/arrangement here.

Looking forward to more of your postings! Glad you are here @ MacJams!

	thetiler said 1086 days ago
	nice like this. Good going! Thanks sharing your very creative work. like those riinging sounds as well. Like how the flutes play and the list goes on.

	Doadars Uncle said 1084 days ago
	Rich Nice tones. I can see the sparkling waters!

	rtcooper said 1081 days ago
	I'm IN If this is representative, I'll buy a Ticket And the CD. (MY. What Some People can do with GB. Stunning, actually). Best regards, Cooper

John Stebbe said 1034 days ago

Beautiful
Kristy, I'm sorry I missed this when you first posted it. I used to be an
"Assistant Band Director" at the high school where I taught choir, and I
heard a lot of pieces like this. (Didn't get to direct too many -- but
that's a story for another post!) I also agree, it sounds like Holst. I
really like the trumpet sounds -- I think of all the sounds here, they
are the most realistic, when played as an ensemble. I also really like
the glockenspiel parts, highlighting the melody at times.

You must be published, right?

	millie said 1030 days ago
	Beautiful very inspiring

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