honest feedback on my composition?

Hello, I was wondering if anyone could give me an honest feedback on my music composition.
I really love composing and want to continue but my parents think that my music is really bad (and that I have no talent)
and told me I should just focus on school and my major. instead of wasting time on music i guess?
so I just want honest thoughts about my music so I know if I have enough talent/skills to continue or not…lol…
i never learned how to compose but hopefully this is at least listenable . I played all the stuff on my keyboard so some of the beat? or rhythm? is off
thanks in advance

https://soundcloud.com/steve8092/music-composition

Steve, are you in high school or college? Have you studied music formally at all, with lessons or classes in theory? Piano lessons or are you self-taught? Just wanted a little more information.

Your piece is very pretty and shows promise, I would say. It might be in the “new age” genre, what do you think? Do you have an interest in a particular kind of music/ Can you write a score?

Sorry for so many questions.

I have a friend who supports a family with new age recordings and concerts. He got a master’s in classical composition but turned to music somewhat like yours, when he had children. So it is possible.

If you want to pursue music I think that’s great. What major do your parents want you to pursue? This is not an uncommon problem. There are many threads on this topic that can help you with your parents, including the one at the top of the page.

You can major in music and have access to opportunities that other bachelor’s degrees earn, such as grad school, medical, law or business school and so on. You can work in many fields, not just music. It is always good to intern or get involved with musical organizations or activities to build work experience.

Let us know what your situation is now, whether you are already in college and so on.

It would be great if you could get a teacher for your composing. It does not have to be weekly. You can work on your own and even see a teacher once a month. But a teacher can help you develop more than anything.

Steve, your piece is reminiscent of the music of George Winston whose first album “December” was a monster success.
Windham Hill - the label on which he and many others recorded was also a great success. The music was called new age but I think it is more serious than the name implies. I agree with compmom regarding the quality of the piece and her questions as well. I found the use of the gong interesting; to me it divided the piece into several separate phrases as opposed to a single rolling piece played legato. Was that your intent? My preference is for the single piece with something less abrupt between phrases, perhaps a softer resolution at the end of each. But that is the great thing about composition; it is like literature, different people hear different things. .

Steve, you can refer your parents to the thread above about how a fine arts degree does not lead to the “poorhouse.”

Over the years I have been on here, I have listened to many amateurs’ music. By amateur I guess I mean young people writing music who have studied in a conservatory prep, had a private teacher, gone to summer programs etc. I would say your piece is the most appealing of the “amateur” pieces I have listened to and I have been on this forum 8 or 9 years (good heavens!). (Amateur is the wrong word: technically an amateur is someone who doesn’t make money; I didn’t want to say “novice” because that is not right either. You get the idea.)

Some people write music like this in the beginning and go in other directions, contemporary classical aka “new music” for instance. (A good book on this genre is Alex Ross’ “The Rest is Noise.”) But you can continue as is with new age or “contemporary pop.” You can study classical music, or popular music, or film scoring, or studio production. Or if you are majoring in something else you can do this on the side. There are schools and teachers for all of these things.

I’m glad Compdad mentioned Winston and Windham Hill. Listen to George Winston, David Lanz , Dan Kennedy, and Edgar Meyer (one of these is my formerly classical friend!).