Tune Contest - "March" - WINNER ANNOUNCED!

Eric · Mon 05/03/2012 01:26:47

In honor of the month, and because I'm trying to work on one myself, the theme I've chosen for this round of the Tune Contest is "March."

That's march as in John Phillip Sousa, as in Mendelssohn's bridal processional, as in Darth Vader AND Indiana Jones' theme music, as in "Pomp and Circumstance," as in the theme song to "Mickey Mouse Club," as in "Colonel Bogey" (the whistling theme from Bridge on the River Kwai), as in Mozart's "Turkish Rondo," as in "Entry Of The Gladiators" and pretty much every circus song there ever was. There are a lot different ways to go with this.

To set the bar as low as possible, here's a chunk of what I'm working on. As you can hear, it's still very bare bones, and I could really use the inspiration:

The Up Ship! March

Deadline for submissions is March 26!

Eric · Thu 08/03/2012 21:58:45

Hey everybody. Hope you're busy working on composing those tunes!

Wanted to bump to point out the submission date, which I just added. Thanks!

m0ds · Tue 13/03/2012 03:12:06

Nice theme Eric. I don't have a lot of time to compose something so here's my entry which is un-used from the yet to be released Unga game:
Time To Hunt

Eric · Tue 13/03/2012 20:34:58

Quote from: m0ds on Tue 13/03/2012 03:12:06
Nice theme Eric. I don't have a lot of time to compose something so here's my entry which is un-used from the yet to be released Unga game:
Time To Hunt

Fantastic! So glad there's an entry! I was a little worried I'd chosen a theme too narrow....

Let's see some competition!

Eric · Fri 23/03/2012 04:18:18

Just a reminder that the deadline is quickly approaching!

Le Woltaire · Mon 26/03/2012 17:42:10

A quick entry...
http://spectrum.agsarchives.com/music/march.mp3

Eric · Wed 28/03/2012 20:40:51

Guys, this was a close competition, so much so that I've had to take an extra day to gather my thoughts.

m0ds -- I love the simple but effective melody, over the driving drum beat, especially when that melody is played through the second time with the echoing violin. It manages to evoke the best of John Williams and Elmer Bernstein's Magnificent Seven score with a few economically used notes. If I'm guessing correctly from the title, it also suits well a pre-battle mood, the girding of loins, the deep focused breathing and concentrated stare as man summons his courage for the task ahead of him. Well done!

Le Woltaire -- It's sometimes more difficult to identify a piece as a march without the beat-setting snares, but yours got my toe tapping at circa 120bpm, so I had no trouble there. Something strikes me as Oriental about the first part of the tune recalls the Turkish roots of the genre, but where your tune really caught me was in the softer B section. I would love to hear this melody more fully orchestrated. I can imagine booming brass for the opening, and a soft woodwind section before everything melds together for the thundering conclusion. Well done as well!

It's incredibly hard to choose. I liked both of these tunes quite a bit, but I keep returning to the dynamic of that softer B section in Le Woltaire's composition as the thing that stands out the most for me. And so, winner (by the tiniest of noses): Le Woltaire.

Thanks for your entries!

Le Woltaire · Thu 29/03/2012 18:46:57

Thank you...
I feel honored...
It's a pitty that there were just two entries...
I will think about something and then start the next one.

m0ds · Thu 29/03/2012 18:55:57

Well done Le Wolt! And thank you for the nice comments Eric! 8)