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TIGSource ForumsDeveloperAudioFeedback Thread...! (READ OP BEFORE POSTING!)
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Jasmine
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« Reply #60 on: April 18, 2015, 02:08:52 PM »

@Barend:

Absolutely gorgeous piece, man. I would love to play the game that this track is featured in. My biggest qualm with the mixing of this piece was the strings. With such luscious chords, I would expect to be enveloped by them on all sides. It felt odd to have this rise and fall, to only feel it on one side (the left side). The choir is a great touch. Their first appearance isn't weird, it's the timbre.. it sounds... gritty? If that makes sense.

You have open headspace in the...upper right corner. At least from my perspective, it feels empty, and only fills up when the woodwinds play (00:54). At that point, everything is together.
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« Reply #61 on: April 19, 2015, 05:21:47 AM »

@Barendhoff:
I absolutely agree with M4uesviecr, Eflorescence already sounds very soothing and beautiful in its current state. Regarding the panning I bet the left-heaviness results from positioning the instruments like they would be seated in an actual orchestra. As far as I hear it, the high strings are far to the left while your celli and basses are more the middle-right. The headspace in the upper right corner is where the brass would come in (at least that is how I set up my templates for the most part).
You could try three things: 1) I started experimenting with dubbing my strings with individual instances on the middle-right side of the stereo-field, but at low levels, differently equalized, with a bit more room and sometimes even different patches (e.g. there are "flautando"-expressions in the spitfire string libraries that add a lot of "air" to the sound.). You could try that to get the more engulfing feel that M4uesviecr was talking about.
2) Much easier would be to try and reposition the choir. It could be a cool moment when the voices come in and fill the headspace on the right side. I think at them moment they are adding even more on the left.
3) As there isn't much going on in the brass section you could just seat the ensemble for your piece differently as a whole. Might be worth a try.

All this aside your piece already sounds lovely Smiley
Cheers!
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Barendhoff
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« Reply #62 on: April 22, 2015, 05:16:26 AM »

Thanks for your kind words as well as your advice! This is very useful. I'll look into the panning: since there's not much brass going on, I might as well reposition the orchestra indeed. That, or I write some brass parts. In any case, the string swells should definitely be more enveloping. Back to Cubase we go, thanks again you two! :D
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« Reply #63 on: June 13, 2015, 12:06:20 AM »

Quote
I've made a little piece, too: Efflorescence! It's intended as background music for an RPG, the accompaniment to sunshowered meadows and pastoral farmsteads, overgrown ruins and purling streams running down the grassy valley. I'd love to hear whatever feedback you have on composition and orchestration, but I'm particularly looking for tips on mixing and mastering; I've always found that the hardest part of writing! The timing on some parts (the choirs, mostly) seems a little off, too, but perhaps that's because I've been listening to this for a while now!
It's incredible Toast Left! There is a tonne of atmosphere in it and the sound is very clear. I especially like the piano in the end. The choir may be a little bit inappropriate for "sunshowered meadows and pastoral farmsteads" though. But it's hard to say without seeing the game.


Ok... As I said in the other thread, I'm a self-taught composer who knows almost nothing about how professionals work or think. I just do it how I like it. The only instrument I can play is guitar. Using Propellerhead Reason 3.
 
I have some stuff on SoundCloud. Not my newest work, but there isn't much difference to be honest. There are about 16 short songs for the old-school style gothic horror platformer with blood, bones and more blood (like Castlevania or Ghouls'n'Ghosts). I think the atmosphere is right, but I can't say anything about the sound. It sounds Ok in my headphones... but how it sounds elsewhere? I have no clue Epileptic...
https://soundcloud.com/legshandshead
What do you think?
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Jasmine
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« Reply #64 on: June 14, 2015, 05:45:46 AM »

@Ark:

Hey, man! I took a gander at a few of your pieces, and I'd have to say, you are definitely on the right track! Compositionally, you have a very good concept of chord structures and harmonies! Your ability to mix and balance your tracks is also pretty solid (death struggle, I think the strings are a tad bit prominent and forward). I realize that the first slew of tracks are for your own personal video game? Right now, they all have a central tone that unites them, so your sense of cohesiveness, or unity in terms of multiple track selections, is also really good!

Needless to say, keep working and improving, because you are doing good, man!

(Also, good lord, your artwork is BEAUTIFUL! Let me know when your personal game is done, and of any other games you happen to work on!)
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« Reply #65 on: June 15, 2015, 05:44:55 AM »

M4uesviecr, big thanks for your comment Toast Left!
Quote
death struggle, I think the strings are a tad bit prominent and forward
Yeah, I wasn't sure about the strings. I'm still looking for "my perfect strings" sound I would be able to use with almost anything. I'm getting closer I think Smiley.

Quote
I realize that the first slew of tracks are for your own personal video game? Right now, they all have a central tone that unites them, so your sense of cohesiveness, or unity in terms of multiple track selections, is also really good!
Yes, I wanted them to sound like the pieces of one work. Used one scale even (E minor).

Quote
Needless to say, keep working and improving, because you are doing good, man!
Thanks again! I believe there is some progress. Not anything big, but I like my current work more than the previous.

Quote
(Also, good lord, your artwork is BEAUTIFUL! Let me know when your personal game is done, and of any other games you happen to work on!)
Thanks Toast Left! Currently working mostly on DLTD (I've added it as my signature).
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« Reply #66 on: July 05, 2015, 02:43:18 PM »


I have some stuff on SoundCloud. Not my newest work, but there isn't much difference to be honest. There are about 16 short songs for the old-school style gothic horror platformer with blood, bones and more blood (like Castlevania or Ghouls'n'Ghosts). I think the atmosphere is right, but I can't say anything about the sound. It sounds Ok in my headphones... but how it sounds elsewhere? I have no clue Epileptic...
https://soundcloud.com/legshandshead
What do you think?


I really like this a lot! I don't know much about the music for Castlevania or GnG, but this seems like it should fit well. You could probably work a bit on reverbs/delays to place the instruments in bigger spaces, but the composition is really good and the atmosphere reads really well. Harpsichord really helps the feel a lot.

As for Efflorescent, wow! Great composition and production. The music does such a good job of staying out of the way while being interesting and good listening. It nails the mood/setting you described perfectly. I'm having a hard time writing music that doesn't command listeners' full attention, but is not boring block-chord stuff and you nailed the balance!


My piece was created in an effort to replicate the sound of Michael McCann's Deus Ex score as closely as possible. I really love his sound design and mixing, and how the composition feels big and epic without having tons of loud drums or spiccato strings. I'm really looking for feedback on mixing & compositions. Three big questions- does this track sounds too mushy from too much reverb, are the drums mixed well enough, and is it "loud" enough compared to other tracks? I would also welcome any feedback on composition- my goal was to write music that changed slowly and wasn't too busy (to leave room for all the extra sounds), but was still interesting and had a defined melody. Thanks for reading and listening!
https://soundcloud.com/dan-drebing-music/past-is-prologue

https://soundcloud.com/dan-drebing-music/past-is-prologue
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VinG
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« Reply #67 on: July 05, 2015, 04:00:18 PM »

hey everyone its my first time making the music for my game.
im not really a composer but i would really like your general opinions on the songs i made.
https://soundcloud.com/ving-9/heavy-hitters
https://soundcloud.com/ving-9/tower-of-technology
https://soundcloud.com/ving-9/fortress
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Jasmine
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« Reply #68 on: July 06, 2015, 04:14:16 PM »

hey everyone its my first time making the music for my game.
im not really a composer but i would really like your general opinions on the songs i made.
https://soundcloud.com/ving-9/heavy-hitters
https://soundcloud.com/ving-9/tower-of-technology
https://soundcloud.com/ving-9/fortress

Hey VinG! Before you post your track, you MUST review, or leave a thoughtful comment/ piece of advice for a post above you. It keeps this thread from being spammed.

Thanks in advance, man!
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« Reply #69 on: July 06, 2015, 07:57:40 PM »

-M4uesviecr
sorry, i just read again the first post since i didnt notice the 1st rule the first time.

-dbfs
i just listened to the track and i just gotta say i love it, it sounds really atmospheric and comes to close to the Deus Ex sound like you tried replicate, i felt it interesting and i just like how at 0:20 begins with those strings and to the melody, the drums are fine in my opinion if just a tad low, the song sounds as loud as any other songs i have in my computer so i think its fine in volume, and the reverb i think its fine.
in general this piece is amazing it really set a mood and setting with the strings and drums when i first heard it.
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Justin Meisse
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« Reply #70 on: July 11, 2015, 02:10:17 PM »

@VinG
I really like Heavy Hitters, I get a real 90's PC game vibe from it.  Do you plan on humanizing the composition at all?  Basically just adding some variation to the note velocity and precision.  I'd also like to know what kind of game you're making, it would give me a better idea on what kind of feedback to give.

Here's my feedback request:
I did the music for a game jam that's getting some extra polish now that voting is over.  It's a comical medieval fantasy RPG about grinding, you can play the jam version here.

I'd like some feedback and advice on my mixing as well as just the overall soundtrack.  Some of the songs are supposed to be short 20-30 second loops so I doubled them up for the OST as well as added some fade in/fade out.  I've played music by ear for a long time but I don't really have any real training in it.

01. Humble Beginnings
02. Once Upon a Time in Brumplebutt
03. Plumfark's March
04. Plumfark Confrontation
05. Battle Music
06. Final Battle



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VinG
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« Reply #71 on: July 11, 2015, 04:57:20 PM »

@Justin Meisse
hey thanks a lot with your response. about my game is a 2d platformer and is my first game im working on.
i actually want every level in my game to feel diferent and i was trying to put that in the songs:
"Heavy Hitters" being the boss theme, "Fortress" being like a long way to the fortress of the villan, and "Tower of technology" is self explanatory.
also for more detail on the feedback, i wanted to know about everything (Mixing,Melodies, etc.), i listen a lot and know little about music and i play the piano but i am not a composer i didn't know if they were too repetitve or if the mixing was ok.

also i listened to your songs, i really like the Battle Music it really give an unique feeling with all the diferent things you did, i also like the Plumfark Confrontation theme, in general mixing i think its fine, in the second song i think the birds pitch are to high, but in general i think your soundtrack is going to be amazing.
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« Reply #72 on: July 18, 2015, 02:36:16 AM »

Good to see people submitting to the feedback thread again! Grin

dbfs
(First off, thanks!)
That's some neat stuff going on there, I'm discovering new layers every time I listen through Past is Prologue. The intro reminds me a little of Franck Klepacki's music for the Dune games, until, of course, the iconic Deus-Ex-ish ostinato kicks in. All in all a very enjoyable piece, with both composition and mixing handled quite well! Good job on the track's ability to loop the way it does.

Perhaps some things to look after in your track:
  • While the lower drums have a sweet rumbling tone to them, which brings them to a comfortable level on the background, the pounding toms (I think?) feel a little too prevalent on the right side of the mix. For example, there's this lush rise at +-0:21-0:23, where drums, strings and brass are mixed together splendidly: there, they form a unity. Then at 0:24-0:27, the solo drum kicks in, demanding slightly more attention than I'd feel is appropriate to the track. Perhaps the reverb could be configured slightly differently in order to bring them a little more to the background. Or take out a few dB on the tom's high ends: highs fade earlier as a sound's distance increases. Alternatively, you could reduce their velocity: they seem to be hit quite hard, although the rest of the music isn't similarly aggressive.
  • The sparkling piano-ish builds up quite nicely, until it reaches its climax at about 1:20. There, it plays a...D and a G note, I think? To me, it feels as though you could introduce a little more tension to the line by extending it to end with the rest of the piece's climax at 1:24, having that D run through a D#, F and finally the G. But eh, might be just my personal preference.
The reverb doesn't make the piece sound mushy to me at all. Then again, I'm used to cranking my reverb mix up to >65%, so my hearing's rather biased towards using a lot of reverb.
Loudness seems fine, but I'm far from an expert on that part. My own pieces tend to be too soft, I'm still trying to figure out how to fix that. In terms of composition, you seem to have accomplished what you were aiming for: a piece that evolved gradually without becoming too busy. This could be a sweet main menu track. Definitely a good job here!

VinG
Interesting vibe to the music. As Justin mentions, it's got a 90s feel to it. If that's what you're going for, well done! As for feedback, I'd recommend adding some variation to the bass lines. In all three tracks, the bass seems to be repeating the same few notes for the song's entirety. There's nothing wrong with that per se, since you've got the other instruments playing different things 'around' the bass line. But if you want to bring a track truely to life, you'll want the bass to play more than the same couple of notes in the same order. Or so I've found. Grin

Mixing seems alright, perhaps try panning some of the lighter melody instruments more to the left and right sides. If you'd like to achieve a more human feel to the songs, try playing with the velocity values of your midi instruments.

Justin Meisse
Let's effing grind! Grin
First off, Battle Music is the best. I love that. It's a sweet mix of beatboxed sounds and bass, which nicely fits with the game's comical character. I was a little concerned that the track would be somewhat out of place with the others, but then the chiptune sounds kicked in. Furthermore, Humble Beginnings sounds exactly like the track's name would suggest: simple and rustic, with a touch of countryside nostalgia. Grin

As a whole, however, the music seems rather loud. The birds in Once Upon a Time in Brumplebutt even feel harsh to the ears, as does Plumfark's March. This might just be me, but low-bit instruments tend to suffer more from high volume levels than high-bit instruments. Fervir's Temple Song is a great example of how to keep low-bit instruments at a comfortable level while maintaining an interesting feel to the track.

In any case: nicely done. Game music is meant to complement a game, and you've aptly attuned the music's style to LEG's overall style. Grin
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« Reply #73 on: July 18, 2015, 07:17:07 PM »

@Justin Meisse
I really like all the pieces. You’ve got a good coherent sound throughout the whole OST.
My comments are all pretty minor things and are just a matter of my own taste so don't feel like you need to change anything.

Humble Beginnings.
I really like the composition and I like how at the beginning you have the lead melody in the high voice as well. I’m wondering if that shaker sound is necessary though. I don’t think gives justice to the airy atmosphere of the piece. Maybe the triangle and block sound would be enough? Or you could get another more airy, reverby percussion sound.

Once Upon a Time in Brumplebutt.
I feel like you don’t even need the lower voice here. Especially at 0:08. It’s such a light melody so it might be fine just being played by the high voice. Maybe then at 0:13 you could add in the middle voice for some variety.

Plumfark’s March.
Good vamp - I like it a lot! At 0:24 you could have that melody a bit louder or panned directly in the middle to bring it out a bit more.
Also at 0:48 you could add another instrument just for more variation and intensity.

Plumfark Confrontation/Final Battle.
I like the different versions you’ve created. There's a good amount of familiar melodies and rhythms yet different textures between the two pieces.

Battle Music.
Love the percussive sounds and the bassline. What an awesome tune!
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« Reply #74 on: August 12, 2015, 10:14:27 PM »

Good news everyone! I'm new.  No No NO This is horrible!  Cry (Cue Micheal Rosen),

@VinG, liking fortress, very retro, great emotion displayed and a nostalgic feeling that flashbacked me to the Chaos Temple in FF1.
Points of constructive criticism, perhaps reverb the piano to give it more distance and subtle undersurface emotion. Maybe give more variation to the verse(s) in question or get to the chorus quicker (then again it's my art aesthetic :D), all in all it's very good piece that evokes a feeling of nostalgia :D

The setting and/or purpose of Twisted Destiny is a situational 'epic' character theme (like Chrono's Theme), the other purpose was to try and replicate the emotion and structure in my piece to make it similar to Chrono Trigger and Cross Code's CrossWorlds.

As for what am I looking for feedback wise, I guess anything will do, in order to make me as well as anyone else who may have had a similar experience compose easier (mixing, positioning, timbral differences, phrasing, melodies, harmonies, life, etc)

https://soundcloud.com/jason-s-longia/twisted-destiny

Thank you all for listening!!! :D
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Aliases: R3MR pronounced "Reemer or Remmer."
Powerword: Jason S. Longia (lol)

A pleasure to meet you all. I am Jason, an avant-garde composer.

I also dabble in the game making
and art making scene.

Gamejolt: https://remr.gamejolt.io
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jason-s-longia
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« Reply #75 on: August 15, 2015, 12:53:57 AM »

@Remr

Such a scattered style. No real set rhythm. Is that what you were going for? I love the sound choices but CT is much cleaner and melody driven stuff. Just wondering how closely you wanted to mimic Chrono Trigger. I don't think it's bad, just not my cup of tea. Btw, what is that melody in the beginning? Sounds vaguely familiar...

I made some music as well. It's not for anything in particular, and it's somewhat Mario inspired. Four songs. You'll also hear some hip-hop, jazz/swing, and final fantasy inspired elements.
https://soundcloud.com/edgar-camago/sets/vg-musiq/s-XAqVJ
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Jason S. Longia
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« Reply #76 on: August 15, 2015, 11:50:39 AM »

@overeasy

The scattered style, was in the form of a symphony with movements. The style in general is pretty unconventional (even with ostinatos  Big Laff), but its essentially my aesthetic I put towards my songs to let it breathe kind of like Josh Mancell's art direction  Gentleman. CT is melody driven without much breaks in stylistic verses. I wanted to mimic Chrono trigger (figure out, what makes that nostalgic sound and feeling and even the art direction it takes) but at the same time employ my art aesthetic over it  Cool  Corny Laugh, the melody I haven't a clue, since I made it up from the top of my head. I'm still studying hooks and art direction myself :D

I gave your songs a look over, and all of them are very bubbly Coffee (Get it? Because beer is bubbly not coffee, I'll leave now :D)
love the part at 2:12 for A monkey; A glutton and Cat Burglar Jazz was very 90s old school Wink

I'll to get an even cleaner sound and with more melodic buildup in the future, what do you recommend I look for music theory or research wise? 

Thanks for everything,

Remr
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Aliases: R3MR pronounced "Reemer or Remmer."
Powerword: Jason S. Longia (lol)

A pleasure to meet you all. I am Jason, an avant-garde composer.

I also dabble in the game making
and art making scene.

Gamejolt: https://remr.gamejolt.io
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jason-s-longia
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« Reply #77 on: August 15, 2015, 06:26:11 PM »

Hello! I'm new as well! I've just recently started perusing video game composing as a job... or hobby. I'm only 16 but every video I've watched on advise for composers is to start young so here I am.

Anyway!

@overeasy

All in all I loved your music. Especially Upset Shark. Your music seems to have a really interesting blend of real instruments and electronic instruments which is something I'll probably find myself experimenting with soon. I also really liked the rhythms in the songs. They were all pretty complex and nice to listen to. Great stuff!  Wink

As for me I'm gonna go ahead and post this little title screen loop I made. It's really simple. (Probably too simple.) You can expect some much more interesting songs from me in the future. Enjoy!
https://soundcloud.com/mikesalois/titles
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Barendhoff
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« Reply #78 on: August 17, 2015, 01:08:13 AM »

@Jason
Welcome to the TIGForums, Jason, and good of you to come check out the Feedback thread! Twisted Destiny is quite the journey indeed. The first few segments sound rather haphazard to me, but if that's your style, go for it! A few things to look out for as you keep learning and improving, are timing, cooperation between instruments, dynamics and cohesion. Also watch the panning on the piano piece: it's very heavy on the left side, giving little sound on the right side. The makes the piece somewhat unbalanced. (For a moment, I thought my right monitor had stopped working!) That said, the piano piece is enjoyable and I can definitely hear your sources of inspiration there.

Timing - at times, it feels as though the various instruments aren't quite in line with one another. An example is between 3:17-3:35, where a number of instruments are slightly outpacing one another. Note that while obviously there is room for a player's variation in timing, it is important to be on time.

Cooperation between instruments - keep in mind that instruments contribute to a whole, and it is the whole that listeners will find enjoyable or not. If instruments play individually nice lines but don't quite fit in with the others, that will negatively influence the piece's quality. So for example, between 1:30-1:40, a number of instruments are all demanding the listener's attention, trying to push the other instruments away. Theoretically, that could make for a cool combination, but generally, it causes fatigue to the listener's ears. Panning, reverb and volume control are your friends here!

Dynamics - using dynamics--swelling and dimishing the piece's volume--often greatly contributes to the piece's enjoyability. It gives the ears something to look forward to, whether it be climaxes or a moment of rest. Here, too, fatigue plays a role: constantly high volume levels are tiring to the ears.

Cohesion - can also be understood as consistency. Especially if you're writing for a video game, consistency in both style and instrumentation are essential to creating a coherent set of musical pieces. The game world is likely to have a unified art style, and the music will have to be equally coherent to avoid discrepancies between sound and visuals. I'm starting to see your style throughout Twisted Destiny, but the instrumentation differences between the first and second half can (but don't have to) be a flaw in cohesity.

Anyways, keep learning and don't give up! There's plenty of good stuff over the horizon if you pursue your own style successfully.

@Overeasy
An enjoyable setlist! Is there any specific aspect you'd like to get feedback on?

@MJS
Welcome MJS! Good of you to join us, especially at your young age. No more efficient time to learn than when your young! Simple music can be as splendid as complex music, so don't put it down without additional, valid reasons. Smiley I'm looking forward to your future tracks, keep us posted!
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« Reply #79 on: August 17, 2015, 07:57:51 AM »

@Barendhoff
I'm really impressed with your feedback to Jason. Very in-depth and on the nose. I have difficulty articulating some things in music and sometimes take things for granted. As for feedback for my set? Hmm, I think I'm okay with my songs compositionally. My biggest hurdle as a producer is mixing and mastering. I think all my work sounds a little squashed / overcompressed. I listen to some excellent produced work and it sounds loud AND still somewhat dynamic. Anyway, what do you think of the mixing and mastering on the set? Lmk if you have free time.

@Remr and MJS
Keep learning and doing what you're doing. Honestly, mimicking styles and peoples' work is the best way to go and it already looks like you're doing that. We all have a lot to learn -- that's what makes life and making music fun!

Looking forward to hearing other peoples' work!
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