with VDL:2.5 coming out soon, there will be a wave of inspiration among us VDL fanatics.  Maybe Tapspace will offer a new composition contest soon...  Which 'genre' would you want to create a composition in the most?  Feel free to offer any ideas/comments.

[size=7pt]***(must be registered in the forum to vote).  [/size]

We wouldn't sell the recordings. . . (Unless they made a CD of the top 10 sequences) :) which would be really cool.

[quote author=RGreen link=topic=1831.msg9273#msg9273 date=1184774070]
We wouldn't sell the recordings. . . (Unless they made a CD of the top 10 sequences) :) which would be really cool.
[/quote]

Sadly enough, you can potentially run into issues just by distributing arrangements of copyrighted material without express permission, regardless of if you're making any money from them. I was also thinking of how they offer last year's winning submission as a purchasable download from the site, that certainly wouldn't be allowed without permission from the copyright owner.

Neat idea Robbie, but I'm afraid it would turn into a battle of hardware and not skill. If I spend $5K on a machine and another $2K on studio monitors am I going to get a better sound from my sequence? Unless I'm totally missing the point...it's more based on hardware capability and your ability to use it rather than raw creativity. I understand there's still a wall to leap to compete in the most basic of contests around here, but this particular wall seems pretty high.

Correct me if I'm wrong, I can take it. ;)

not to digress...but I'm sure Tapspace wants an original piece that they can sell (and market through the competition!)

No matter what it is...it will be fun to participate and see what you guys come up with!

- OT

Honestly I was thinking more in terms of how the information is inputed into the score and the detail the person puts into bringing out the nuance of the mix and sound of the piece. I personally think displays ones creative skill in sibelius and Kontakt than actual hardware purchases. Though the hardware does help in processing the information . . .

[quote]Sadly enough, you can potentially run into issues just by distributing arrangements of copyrighted material without express permission, regardless of if you're making any money from them.[/quote]

I will drop this idea since its doesn't seem like such a hot idea to most. . . ��

[quote]not to digress...but I'm sure Tapspace wants an original piece that they can sell (and market through the competition!)No matter what it is...it will be fun to participate and see what you guys come up with![/quote]

Sorry for blind siding your topic Owen. . .

oh it's cool...an open forum for ideas is what we want here...  Feel free to express any ideas you have!  (It would be interesting though, to hear some of those pieces with VDL:2.5 samples.)

I think on the other end of the spectrum as well it'd be great to approach a contest for more small ensembles.  The VDL2.5 library is just [u]so big[/u] it'd be really cool to have guidelines like ";write a 2 minute piece for marimba, concert toms, and triangle"; or something more minimalist.  Really tap the community to see how creative people can be with less colors on their palette.

Yeah.  What sort of limitations do you guys have in mind for a Concert Ensemble Piece?  Instrumentation? Time? Number of players? 

The cool thing about VDL:2(.5) is its vast wealth of percussion samples.  There is sort of a dilemma though:  A piece written to show off the more rare & specialty instruments that are a part of the VDL library would be cool...but it may not be as realistic when it comes to playing it in a real ensemble.  Even a 5.0 octave marimba would pose that sort of a problem as some colleges don't even have a 5.0 believe it or not!

But that argument may be moot if the purpose for the competition is creativity rather than marketability.  (And not having correct instruments or range has never stopped us from playing those sorts of pieces before anyway!)

Just some thoughts...

Well how about making a small ensemble using the Aux instruments in the library?

[quote author=kimera link=topic=1831.msg9275#msg9275 date=1184774715]
Neat idea Robbie, but I'm afraid it would turn into a battle of hardware and not skill. If I spend $5K on a machine and another $2K on studio monitors am I going to get a better sound from my sequence? Unless I'm totally missing the point...it's more based on hardware capability and your ability to use it rather than raw creativity. I understand there's still a wall to leap to compete in the most basic of contests around here, but this particular wall seems pretty high.
[/quote]

To quote the first sentence on the ";About Tapspace"; page:

";Tapspace Publications is a publishing company specializing in creative percussion music";

Just thought I would throw that in the mix:)

[quote author=Justin Belcher link=topic=1831.msg9289#msg9289 date=1184853484]
I think on the other end of the spectrum as well it'd be great to approach a contest for more small ensembles.�� The VDL2.5 library is just [u]so big[/u] it'd be really cool to have guidelines like ";write a 2 minute piece for marimba, concert toms, and triangle"; or something more minimalist.�� Really tap the community to see how creative people can be with less colors on their palette.
[/quote]

I AGREE!!!!  This would be a great way to really tap everyones brains for very DIFFERENT literature.  And you never know - you might get a pretty col arrangement out of an instrumentation you never thought youd use before.  I like this idea.

Something with a time limit and a instrumentation that is set in place.

I've already started writing one.

1- Marimba
1- Vibes
1 player with ..............


ANVIL RACK !!!!!  :-D  LOL     

Let's bump this back up to the top and see if anyone is still interested...

[quote author=Dave Ratliff link=topic=1831.msg11547#msg11547 date=1199764843]
Let's bump this back up to the top and see if anyone is still interested...
[/quote]

Good call Uncle Jessie, I totally forgot about this!

I guess the time frame would be tough to find though. Since I started writing for the full marching band I'm pretty much writing year round, with drum books in the summer and early fall, indoor shows in late fall and winter, and full marching shows in the spring.

When do you guys think would be a good time to hold this?