announcement!!!!

 

We would like to announce the results of Round 1 of the 2023 Goddess Arrangement Competition! The quality of arrangements was very high, and the panel enjoyed listening to all the pieces!!

 

 

The following tracks (in no particular order) have been selected for the Goddess Album!

 

​Michael Brignolo - Chicory: Do the Impossible, composed by Lena Raine

Jamin Morden - Super Mario Kart: Rainbow Road, composed by Soyo Oka

Anni Movsisyan - SimCity: Megalopolis, composed by Soyo Oka

Wesley Chu and Alexander Zhu (Magical Music Manufacturing) - Minecraft: So Below, composed by Lena Raine

Kyle Mesce (Sorven) - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories: Lord of the Castle, composed by Yoko Shimomura

Wesley Chu and Alexander Zhu (Magical Music Manufacturing) - Minecraft: Aerie, composed by Lena Raine

Christian Afonso - Xonoblade Chronicles: Colony 9, composed by Yoko Shimomura

Wesley Chu and Alexander Zhu (Magical Music Manufacturing) - Minecraft: Infinite Amethyst, composed by Lena Raine

Zeynep Dilli - To the Moon: Everything's Alright, composed by Laura Shigihara

Jamin Morden - Chicory: Dessert Mountain, composed by Lena Raine

Jamin Morden - Donkry Kong Country: Ice Cave Chant, Eveline Novakovic

Jamin Wu - Epilogue from Dark Souls III, composed by Yuta Kitamara

 

 

Thank you SO MUCH again to everyone submitting arrangements to the 2023 Goddess Arrangement Competition, and heartfelt congratulations to the arrangers who have made it onto the album! 

 

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We are thrilled to announce Videri String Quartet's second arranging competition! After the truly incredible turnout and talent we saw from our Quarentets arrangement competition, we have decided to host another one! We are so proud of Quarentets, and would not change a thing. However, none of us could ignore the fact that there was very little female representation on the album. Rosie played viola, Catie provided artwork, and one arrangement was written by a female composer. 13 arrangements, 13 composers, 4 performers, 1 audio engineer, and 2 artists - only 3 women represented, out of 33 people on the project. We must do better. We will do better! This year the only requirement is that the original composition be composed by a woman. 

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WHAT IS THIS COMPETITION?

The focus of this small competition is for composers and arrangers to create an up to 5 minute arrangement of a track composed by a female composer. A digitally released album will be remotely recorded and released on all major platforms, and will total approximately 40-50 minutes, depending on the number of submissions. Final track count is subject to the number, quality, and length of submissions. Judging and recording will be done by Videri String Quartet members.

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DATES

• May 1, 2023 - Submissions open

• August 1, 2023, 11:59pm EST - submissions close

• September 1, 2023- 1st round winners announced

• Spring/Summer, 2024 - Digital Album release and first place and runners up announced​

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WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS?​

• The source composition must be from a video game, and it must be composed by a woman.

  • In the case of multiple composers, women must represent at least half of the composers listed on the track​ (for example, if there are two composers and one is a woman, the track is admissible. If there are three composers listed and only one is a woman, the track is not admissible)

• Due to licensing restrictions, the final track must be under 5 minutes. Adjustments will be made as necessary to keep the track under that time restriction.

• Medleys will not be accepted (a medley consists of any two or more tracks, including tracks from the same game).

• The track must be licensable. This means that the original track must have been officially released in the United States. Be sure to check!

• The arrangement cannot have been previously recorded or released for sales or streaming. It can have been performed.

• Submissions must include digital copies of: 4 individual parts, 2 full scores (one with your name, one without. All parts should include arranger and composer names), an accurate MIDI playback representation, and a document stating which game and the specific track(s) covered, the composers of the original track, and why you chose it!

• Videri String Quartet retains exclusivity rights to the arrangement for 1 year after album release date. Videri String Quartet retains performance and recording rights indefinitely.

• The arrangement must be written for traditional string quartet (2 violins, viola, cello). No additional instruments will be allowed.

• Improvisation in the violin parts only is allowed for up to two phrases. Sample solos are not required in the playback, but if you give one, please render it as a separate track for recording purposes.

• Up to 3 submissions per applicant will be accepted.

• We will be charging a non-refundable $10 USD submission fee per arrangement. All fees will be used to cover the cost of producing the album (licensing cost, payment for art assets, administration fees, and other associated cost). If this fee is prohibitive in any way to anyone participating in our competition, please reach out to Dr. Allan Hon (viderisqmusic@gmail.com).

  • Just so we are completely transparent! Allan Hon will be dealing with all the payment​. We could not easily set Videri's Venmo account so that only Allan could see the transactions, so in order to keep any payments/information from being seen by the other quartet members, it was easier to have the payments go directly to Allan.​

 

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HOW TO APPLY?

• ​To apply, simply send all required materials to viderisqmusic@gmail.com before August 1st, 2023, 11:59pm EST. Before sending, please check to make sure you have the following:

• ​2 digital full scores: one with your name, one without.

• ​Digital copies of 4 individual parts 

• An accurate MIDI playback representation of your arrangement.

• A document stating which game and the specific track(s) covered, the composers of the original track, and most importantly, why you chose that particular track.

  • You may submit larger files via Google Drive or Dropbox. If you would like to submit files another way, please contact Allan at viderisqmusic@gmail.com to set something up.​​

• ​A $10 USD nonrefundable application fee per arrangement. Fees can be paid by Venmo (@Allan-Hon) or Paypal (videri.string.quartet@gmail.com). Payment subject line should be: "Goddess - Last name, First name, arrangement game and track." Please email a receipt of your payment along with all the other submission documents.​

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​WHAT ARE THE AWARDS?

• Up to 50 minutes of music will be recorded and released on a digital album. All arrangers who make it to the album receive 50% of royalties for their track. Remaining 50% is distributed to members of the quartet.

• All tracks will be licensed through Soundrop. You must have a (free) account to receive royalties.​​

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HOW IS IT JUDGED?

• All submissions will be judged completely anonymously (why one score cannot contain a name).

• All judging will be carried out by members of the Videri String Quartet: Dr. Matheus Garcia Souza (violin), Eli Bishop (violin), and Roselie Samter, viola.

• Dr. Allan Hon will not be judging the first round, as he is ensuring that all submissions remain anonymous. Please direct all questions regarding submissions to him at viderisqmusic@gmail.com. 

• First round of judging will be judged with the unnamed score and submitted MIDI playback. Arrangements that pass to the second round of judging will be the arrangements chosen for the album.

• Second round of judging will be based on Videri String Quartet’s recording of the track. We will be looking for playability, musicality, and final overall sound of the track. This round will not be anonymous, and may also include a guest judge.

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​Anybody and everybody is eligible to submit an arrangement. Videri String Quartet will judge submissions without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran, or disability status. 

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Any questions related to this project should be submitted to viderisqmusic@gmail.com. Happy arranging!

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Members of this Project:

​Videri String Quartet: Matheus Garcia Souza, Eli Bishop, Rosie Samter, and Allan Hon​

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Frequently Asked Questions

This section will be frequently updated as more questions come in, so make sure to check here before sending inquiries!

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• Q: I am not a woman, am I eligible to submit an arrangement?

• A: Yes! As long as the source track is composed by a woman.​

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• Q: My source track has multiple composers, some are men and some are women. Can I use it as my source track?

• A: If at least 50% of the composers are women, then you can use the track. However, if there is a majority of male composers, then the track is not eligible. 

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• Q: If the track I want to arrange is composed by a male composer, but the original soundtrack of the game is written by a team where female composers comprise 50% or more of the group, is my track eligible?

• A: No, the track would no longer be eligible. For an entry to be eligible, the individual source track must be be composed by a woman or by a team where female composers comprise of 50% or more of the group.