How is my arrangement and my mix?

[GuruComposer]

Hi everyone: here is a piece I just wrote for a somewhat sad scene where there is deep thought going on.

https://soundcloud.com/wes-devore/deep-realization

I am just starting out writing production music, and I was wondering what you all thought about the composition, and my mix.

I am very open to criticism, so please be brutal because I really want to learn.

Okay thanks so much everyone.

Take care!

[ssobiech]

Hi Wes,
What a nice motif! Really carried the emotion for me, really spoke exactly what you said you were aiming for. It seems like something like this tune would most probably be background to some kind of heavy waiting scene, or pondering, looking at the sun reflect off the evening ocean, with someone's face in and out of focus... With that in mind, I'd think compressing the melody a little might help, as there's an A or an E that kind of hits hard, at :41, 1:02, 1:08, 3:04, you can even see them on your soundcloud wave form, they are alone and jump out above everything else. While it seems to me that I've heard something similar with a prominent piano in one of the Twilight movies, I'd think that taming those notes would be beneficial to you, that they would sit a little better in the mix. It may just take eq in those ranges, or just a bit of compression, or just dialing back the melody piano a couple db. Thanks for letting me comment! I really loved 2:20 quiet into the theme again at 2:25, really moving.
Steve

[leadsynth]

This is really, really cool!

The end does feel a little abrupt -- like it's too quick of a fade-out. Maybe you could play a few notes to resolve the melody, then add some more roomy reverb to the piano and then just let it slowly trail off into nothingness at the end. I think that a little more reverb on the piano throughout the piece might help round off some of the harsh edge on the piano.

I wouldn't add too much more compression to the piano -- I think dynamic range is good here. Wouldn't want to squash it.

[denalihighway]

Cool, piece and welcome aboard.

Lots of possibilities - the ending comments are probably subjective - an easy fix either way if it was for a listing that required button or fade.

Listening on laptop speakers but if there are some piano notes peaking out (the tone sounds bright to me but nice) maybe a multi band compressor might work once those notes and frequencies are identified.

Good luck with it
Gar