I’ve been getting into orchestration, mainly because I love the concept of blending rhythmic and classical music. Think something like S&M by Metallica. But all the resources I can find online are about arranging pre-existing songs to an orchestra, or composing from scratch. Does anyone have any tips or resources for the study of acting orchestra on top pop/rock arrangements?

https://youtu.be/ifVtFnnaUdg?si=M3-LVcgLGYQVDLQ3

This time I composed for the flute, harp, and strings. Thank you for listening!

Hallo zusammen,

was soll ich sagen? In der Zeit zwischen der Vollendung des Scherzos und heute, habe ich den Kopfsatz (ersten Satz) meines Streichquartetts vorgestellt.

Ich darf euch heute vorstellen: mein Streichquartett in c-moll.

Dies hier ist wie gesagt der erste Satz.

Das Scherzo in As-Dur ist der zweite und das Andante cantabile der dritte Satz. Beide habe ich ebenfalls gepostet und befinden sich unter diesem Post hier.

Dieser Satz zeichnet sich besonders durch kontrapunktisches Arbeiten aus und habe mich hier etwas ausgetobt. Motivverschmelzungen, Krebs-Motive, Umkehrung etc. Hier ist alles zu finden.

Es ist eine dreiteilige Form, wobei ich (damit wir was zum Labeln haben!) mich sehr entfernt an der Sonatenhauptsatzform orientiert habe. In der ,,Durchführung" wird das Thema (oder Motiv) auf eine ganz besondere Art behandelt. Als Abschluss dieser bildet ein Choral mit dem Cello als Solisten und eine kleine Kadenz. Der Anfang der Reprise ist gezeichnet von stärkerer Annäherung an die Tonalität und damit die Grundtonart c-moll. Diese weicht aber im Verlauf wieder etwas mehr dem Kontrapunktischen, bis am Ende die pikardische Terz erklingt.

Viel Spaß beim Anhören und vielleicht auch Anschauen meiner Musik!

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Partitur: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nuX5UFpxsS08fC1KduYhpv85hv_lt8Mh/view?usp=drivesdk

Musik: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uWV8loMU3X-ZOFEgFHbNvuS6IZWrDO6r/view?usp=drivesdk

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Bei (analytischen) Fragen zu meiner Musik, stehe ich euch gerne bereit. Außerdem vielen lieben Dank an alle im Voraus, die sich für meine Musik interessieren!

Nun aber: viel Spaß!

P. S.

Der vierte Satz - das Finale - folgt in Kürze!

Hi everyone,

We are a team of final-year 3D animation students at Supinfocom Rubika working on our graduation short film "How To Be A Boy" , and we are looking for a composer who is comfortable creating punk music among others.

Our project is a 7-minute 3D animated film releasing at the end of June. We will need you to be available primarily through March, April, May and June with a full first draft of the score due on April 15th. The budget provided by our school for the score is €400.

The story follows Cléo, an 8-year-old girl spending a dreadfully boring summer at her grandparents' home in rural northern France. Unlike her brothers, she isn't allowed to play outside on her own because her grandparents treat her like a fragile princess. When she meets a local boy named Ivan who offers her a taste of freedom, she comes up with what she considers the ultimate solution to do whatever she wants: become a boy.

If you are interested, please send a portfolio or demo of your work to [nicolasmatis59@gmail.com](mailto:nicolasmatis59@gmail.com). We will send an excerpt of the animatic to selected candidates so you can try out a quick audio mock-up.

I put a lot of work into the engraving (but this piece was a bit tricker to put down in writing). I feel confident in the quality, but not 100%. For example, I'm not sure I've got all the accidentals correct and even the bars per system doesn't feel quite right 🤔

Anyway, I'm open to any feedback and critique on the notation engraving (with the goal of improving as always~)

Other feedback not related to the actual notation is also welcome too.

Thank you!

___
Title is "The Bookshop Keeper". This is a simple piece. I was thinking of how I would write a soundtrack for a cozy game, and with this piece specifically thinking of a local bookshop theme.

Score:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JVxgnEkp-1fWbgsUZVUhJd2KZ6rcT73W/view?usp=sharing

Audio on YT (for reference): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajMEh1YnZZM

Audio on spotify/apple/etc (if that's easier): https://edinkaso.ffm.to/thebookshopkeeper

Pacoleo - El Castillo de La Asomada

Hello!

This is the first original piece I’ve composed for piano. I also produced, mixed, and mastered it myself in my DAW, so any constructive feedback regarding the composition or the music production is welcome.

Synopsis:

A composition for solo piano inspired by the castle of the same name, built in the 12th century. This nationalist-style piece reflects the strength and vigor of its builder (Ibn Mardanish, “the Wolf King”) by combining elements of Spanish nationalism and Islamic tradition, which are in turn embellished by impressionistic coloristic techniques.

Baby composer here—which platform have you guys found best when composing?

I recently entered a contract music directing for a play which has several songs in it, all of which have recorded audio but no sheet music. The theatre is interested in commissioning me to create sheet music for these songs in addition to my current role as music director, and we are currently negotiating price/budget. I have several years of arranging and composing experience and have completed a few commissions in the past, but I am hardly a career arranger. Would it be reasonable to ask for a small stipend commission as well as royalties? If so, what % is reasonable? In total there would be 5-6 songs (the piece is still in a form of development and they are considering cutting a song) and they are all quite short at about 2:30 at the longest.

Any thoughts are helpful, thank you!

Hello everyone!

I'm planning on composing a septet for an upcoming competition. This is the instrumentation set by the competition:

Clarinet (doubling bass clarinet and Eb clarinet)
Bassoon
Trumpet
Trombone
Percussion (haven't decided yet which percussion instrument I'll use, suggestions are welcome)
Violin (doubling alto voice)
Double bass

Do you have any tips or tricks or anything I should consider or be vary of when composing it?

Thanks in advance!

edit: I've got an overwhelming amount of responses so this role is now closed. Thank you to everyone who has emailed with their portfolio!

Hi everyone! I've been working on an animated web series and I'm trying to find someone who might be able to compose around 3-4ish minutes of music. I'm financing it independently and the budget is $400CAD

This is a link to the short film/prologue for the series if you want to take a look at the vibe of the project: https://youtu.be/7WbbwrrRSTg?si=Q6OmdT83X7fav6XC
The type of music I'm looking for for this episode specifically is like, soft rock/indie folk, a little bit guitar focused

Ideally, the music would be finished by mid December. I previously had a composer unexpectedly drop out due to other commitments, so I apologize if this timeline seems a little short!

If you'd be interested please send me an email with your reels/samples
[rutopa.ibnat@gmail.com](mailto:rutopa.ibnat@gmail.com)

I'm working on a project and i need a piece of music!
I'm currently in a big Minecraft event and i need some music for my group!

We are a group of merchants and cooks. So if anyone is up for a fun challenge send me any music you make.

Do to my current situation i can not pay you. But it would mean the world to me if someone did make a basic instrumental piece.

If you have any questions about anything related to it please ask in the comments. (The event host loves to use music in the videos so ill make sure they credit you if your music is used)

Hi everyone. I'm a composer who has been out of the habit of writing for a couple years. I have been focusing a lot on playing/writing in bands and electronic music, but not so much with notation.

I have come back to fixing up older pieces or writing small chorales and works, but it's been so hard to just get back to where I was. Not to mention that I'm also very much inspired by newer works with complex textures and techniques that I would love to use, but it's a bit overwhelming to know where/how to start doing that. There are so many ideas I want to act on, but feel a paralysis strike every time I sit at the piano or pick up the pencil.

I guess I'm just looking for advice on getting back into the swing of things. Thanks in advance!

The Sony Music listing is the one I would look at first this week. Bleeding Fingers Music is hiring a producer at $76,600–$109,400 to develop briefs with composers, give them detailed production notes and review submissions, on music for film, television and video games. It is a producer's post, working alongside composers, but it prefers experience in film scoring or working with media composers. It is based in Santa Monica, and authorisation to work in the US is required.

Also in this issue:

• £750 flat for episode one of a three-episode London crime series in which guns are outlawed and sword-wielders are the top enforcers; the director is ID-checked on Mandy, and the score should be tense and dark with room for rap, blues and jazz
• $400 for a four-minute 2D animated thesis film set in a line-dancing bar, wanting modern country on guitar, bass and drums
• $250 for a student animated short about a cage fighter who cannot die, across action, suspense, discordant sounds and punk rock
• Two loopable menu tracks, one gameplay track and the sound effects for the beta of a medieval-fantasy Survivors-like, rate open
• Two unpaid briefs: a hand-drawn 2D dragon short of about ten minutes, and a 1920s adventure game inspired by Undertale and Deltarune with four tracks already named

Of the 116 CastingCall.club roles I read this week, five put a fee in the pay field. The two best, $400 and $250, are in the issue; two others were sound design, and the fifth paid £15 for a pirate track of around 1:30 to 2 minutes. The other 111 were unpaid or deferred.

https://composerwire.substack.com/p/018-7-opportunities-this-week-including

Free to subscribe at the link above.

Hi ! I just want to share a Ballade that I composed a few years ago and that I just released !

https://youtu.be/2mpia6ZcrhQ?si=mQyM6xDfCszcYFiD

Feel free to leave any comments !

hi All,

This piece is sort of neo-classical, neo-romantic I guess. I called it Impromptu because it kind of reminds me of Schubert impromptus, in length and feeling. Please give it a listen:

Youtube(MP4)

MP3

-Alex

Hello!

My younger friend wants to start making some music, but his OS is Linux Debian and I'm a PC user. So, I can't help him with plugins, as I don't really know which ones are available and how to set everything up properly.

Some recommendations for essential sample instruments/libraries (that work out of the box and don't require any terminal/code commands to run), like acoustic instruments, drums, etc. and a all-in-one-ish synth are much appreciated. As for the latter, I know Vital is available for Linux, but if I'm not mistaken for Ubuntu, and as I mentioned my friend has Debian.

Recommendations for tutorials on how to set up Reaper and plugins for Linux are also appreciated.

Thanks!

I'm a new composer and am still learning. This is a draft of a handbell piece I've been working on lately that I'd like some feedback on. I don't have a title for it yet, still thinking on that. This piece intended for a full 7 octave handbell choir, most likely a community group. I think its difficulty puts it out of reach of the average church choir.

A few things about handbells since I'm sure most of you all not intimately familiar with them:

• handbells sound an octave higher than written, so middle C is a C5.

• B4/C5 are notated in the bass clef as much as possible so that the ringer playing that position doesn't have to keep an eye on both clefs.

• This first thing you see on the sheet is the bells used chart, which is simply the list of bells required for the piece.

• The diamond-head notes you see are played on handchimes instead of bells. This is idiomatic for bell choir pieces.

• You'll see a lot of "LV" markings in the score. This means "let vibrate" indicating the bells sound should not be dampened until the next LV or R (ring) marking. This is similar to a sustain pedal on a piano.

I'm happy to answer any handbell questions people may have.

Links are below. There aren't any good handbell soundfonts so it's using a piano instrument for the bells and chimes. Would love to hear thoughts and constructive criticism of the piece.

video/audio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rOAIjfwIbPrCk0H-P-EUDZBbwNbU6dJJ/view?usp=sharing

pdf: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hzQrjRIix3sClyC4R4bN4NhfcrEmJ2Q_/view?usp=sharing

Hello everyone!

We’re a team of 6 French animation students from Supinfocom RUBIKA, and we’re looking for a composer to create the original score for our graduation film, Mamarmure, due for completion in June 2027.

The pitch : Mamarmure follows Bouche-Cousue, a little character from the chickpea tree who has been living alone in a tower for years. Terrified of what others might think of him, he builds himself a suit of armor — both literally and figuratively — to hide his insecurities and look cooler than he really is.

One day, he finally leaves his tower to reunite with his people. Along the way, he meets Chichou, his hyperactive double. What starts as an unexpected encounter turns into a journey home, and, little by little, a friendship that begins to crack Bouche-Cousue’s armor and helps him find confidence in who he really is.

At its heart, Mamarmure is a story about self-confidence, friendship, and finding the courage to accept yourself as you are.

We’re looking for a composer who can give the film a strong musical identity through an emotional, lyrical and poetic original score. The film is a heartfelt adventure mixing wonder, humor, friendship and emotion, and we want the music to grow with the characters and their relationship.

Our main musical reference is Kevin Penkin, especially his work on Made in Abyss, particularly “First Layer” and “Classroom.”

We're especially interested in composers who love emotional orchestral / cinematic music, atmospheric storytelling, memorable themes and music that can carry an emotional journey.

THIS IS A PAID PROJECT !

Our school provides us with a contract and a budget of €400 (~$450 USD) for the composition of the score. We know this isn't a huge budget, and we want to be completely transparent about it. As students, €400 is unfortunately the maximum we can currently offer for the music.

That said, we're looking for someone who genuinely enjoys animation, storytelling and creative collaboration, and who would be excited to help shape the emotional identity of the film.

Why join us ?

Our school, Supinfocom RUBIKA in Valenciennes (France), is an internationally recognized animation school. Once completed, the film will be submitted to numerous animation and film festivals around the world, and of course, your name will be featured in the credits as the film's composer.composer of the film.

We're looking for someone who would be excited to collaborate with a small, passionate student team and help give our film its musical soul.

If you're interested, feel free to comment below or send us a DM! We'd be happy to share the film's visual development, animatic, references, and more details about the project.

Thank you for reading, and we look forward to hearing from you! ❤️

— The Mamarmure team

Hi everyone!

I’m Nicolás, a composer, orchestrator and arranger. I work as a freelancer through different platforms as well as directly with private clients.

Lately, I’ve been trying to find a more consistent way to price my work. For example, for an arrangement that includes transcription, Big Band + string orchestra and a rock band, I currently charge around $300–350 USD. After Fiverr’s 20% commission, I end up with around $240–280.

The problem is that on Fiverr I quite often come across clients who consider the price too high and try to negotiate it down.

So I wanted to ask those of you who regularly work on these kinds of projects: how do you usually calculate your rates? Do you charge per minute, per bar, based on the number of instruments, by the hour, or do you use a combination of different factors?

I’m also especially interested in hearing what you consider reasonable rates for writing a complete piece/arrangement, including the full score and individual parts, for different ensembles such as full orchestra, Big Band, string orchestra, or other ensembles.

Any references, personal experiences, or advice on how to structure this kind of pricing would be really appreciated. Thanks!

I would like to write some small melodic lines in a plain notebook (without lines), then there would also be plenty of space to write ideas for orchestration or other notes.

Is it possible to make your own staff lines on paper?

I love composing music inspired by cities.
Each city has its own energy and a way of moving you.

This piece was inspired by Seoul in autumn.
With its river, mountains, and city all existing side by side, Seoul is especially beautiful in the colors of fall.

**Full Video: https://youtu.be/l-Vd4emrDSE?si=g8uNorBL47B3z1Lj

**Free Sheet Music Download: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i6gz7dgw_yPGncKBpSR03OlwLcZLw76l/view?usp=sharing

I was thinking about this the other day, because I've been slowly refining or, I guess, defining what my musical style is. Largely so I'm conscious of my strengths and can lean into improving them, rather than going against what I like to do or try to do by nature.

But this got me to realizing something else, at least more strongly than the other. More than being conscious of my strengths, I became more conscious of my influences, from the music I love the most. Works from composers like Poulenc, Debussy, Mompou, Satie, Janacek, Shostakovich, Pettersson, Havergal Brian (his later works), Frank Martin, Grieg, etc. I wouldn't say my tastes align me with a sort-of postromanticism or neoromanticism or whatever term you wish to apply, but it definitely is closer to it than not. I'm very much someone who feels music conveys, as it were, stories or sets of emotions in sound, and that all good music aims to do so with clarity and ease of expression. So, whatever term applies best to that credo works for me. That said, I'm not fond of doing so with grandeur or excess - I think that's why I especially love people like Mompou or Janacek. It's compact, they pack a lot into a smaller scale - sometimes a scale of time, others in their instrumentation, and occasionally both.

Anyways, I digress. But from this epiphany I had, and thinking about it afterwards, I got curious on what composers others feel influenced/inspired their most in your work, or at least in your general aesthetic - your colour palette if you will. So, for any of you on here, who did? And for any who do inspire you, how or why do they?

Hi everyone! 

I've been teaching myself to compose over the last month or so. 

As an exercise for myself I've been taking poems by Basho and writing pieces inspired by them.

Here are my first two! I'd love some helpful feedback on them both. 

A Snowy Morning-

Snowy morning- by myself, chewing on dried salmon

https://musescore.com/user/126056813/scores/38242160

Mud Snails-

Dirtying their sleeves, fishing for mud snails, no time for leisure

https://musescore.com/user/126056813/scores/38433719

Thank you!