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Picnic at Maple Pier's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Composition | #148 | 3.787 | 3.787 |
| Impression | #166 | 3.660 | 3.660 |
| Overall | #167 | 3.702 | 3.702 |
| Correlation to theme | #192 | 3.723 | 3.723 |
| Quality | #196 | 3.681 | 3.681 |
| Creativity | #213 | 3.660 | 3.660 |
Ranked from 47 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Description
My album includes three acoustic/orchestral tracks for an imaginary narrative adventure game called "Picnic at Maple Pier." The anxious main character seeks connection by inviting a friend to a picnic on the pier. Along the way they discover the richness of the everyday world.
Track 1: "Morning Light Through The Bedroom Window"
In this track, the main character wakes up and takes in the morning (the world of the new day coming into the bedroom). It's going to be a great day! This track features live recordings of guitar and percussion, sampled piano and flute, a couple instruments from BBCSO Core, LABS Gaelic Voices, and an excerpt from a Carlos Drummond de Andrade poem! The poem focuses on the line: "Tinha uma pedra no meio do caminho," which translates to "there was a stone in the middle of the path. It's repeated over and over in the poem, making it a meditation on mundane details.
Track 2: "Under The Umbrella"
In this track, the main character experiences a summer rainstorm (the world 'under the umbrella'). It uses a woodwinds, brass, and percussion from the BBCSO Core library and the LABS Soft Piano.
Track 3: "On The Pier Under The Stars"
In this track, the main character reflects about their experiences from the day (the world under the canopy of stars). Not everything went according to plan, but that's okay. It was a day they will not forget anytime soon. This track uses a sampled piano and flute and mixed percussion from BBCSO Core.
I created the cover art using Procreate.
Message from the artist
Thanks for listening! I hope you enjoy it!
Theme
How does it fit the theme?
"Picnic at Maple Pier" is a meditation on the little "worlds" we inhabit in the course of our everyday lives--a sunlit bedroom, an umbrella in a rainstorm, a pier under the stars--all full of beauty and meaning, if only we'd pause to see it.
Link(s) of the submission on streaming services
https://soundcloud.com/michael_l_wood/sets/picnic-at-maple-pier
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgmfNiNAGnmn6erxhuHSyHpYqJQeWJuPn
Number of tracks3
Genre
Soundtrack use permission
Any non-commercial project
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Comments
So light-hearted yet so rich in color with many interesting textures. great live performances also. Love this soundtrack!
Than you!
Love the pickup in Morning Light Through The Bedroom Window after the vocal bit, great energy there. The vocals create some interesting texture in the song as well. Under The Umbrella has lovely instrumentation and I LOVE the way this one progresses! On The Pier Under The Stars just as strong as the rest of the album, and I am impressed how you managed to keep things sounding so varied with a relatively small pool of instruments to choose from. Beautiful OST, great work overall!
Thank you so much for listening and for these comments!
God... A magical, cool magical orchestral performance with a sense of live instruments and a bunch of emotions embedded in the soundtrack... I like the soulfulness of it!
Thank you for an interesting time!
P.S. Lol, I love your avatar on SoundCloud
Thanks so much for listening and commenting! I keep wanting to change the avatar but I can't top it 😆
Very beautiful piano performances throughout each of these tracks. The percussion is also great and playful. I personally liked track 3 the most because of the vibe the piano and flute created which was bitter-sweet and melancholic for me. I really liked this soundtrack!
Overall, really beautiful submission. Keep it up!
Thank you very much!
Beautiful color palette in this soundtrack!!
I enjoyed listening from start to finish.
Really cool harmony in On The Pier Under The Stars
Great work!!!
Thanks so much!
Really cute submission! My favourite track is "under the umbrella with the orchestral variations!
Thank you! Thanks for listening.
Such a rich texture of sounds! Love this!
This is just such a lovely little OST! The first song especially with its piano and guitar was quite fun, and when the choir came in… chills, literally chills. You’ve composed these three pieces so well, and they really give a sense of melancholy and a bit of nostalgia. The theme of finding joy in everyday life was a nice direction to take the theme, too. All in all, this soundtrack was a treat to my ears as a chocolate pastry is to my mouth ;) Amazing job!
Ha wow! Thank you so much!
Amazing, it really captures the story well! And I really enjoy your take on the theme, very unique! This OST is just a joy to listen to!
Thanks so much!
The first piece was incredible! Something about it just spoke to me!
While the other 2 didn't have the same effect for me they were still really nice!
Thank you! I'm glad something connected for you ❤️
So lovely these are! I love the piano and difference instruments. They blend together so well! And awesome job on the artwork!!! Love it all. Nice chill and relax album just as your theme suggested.
Thank you so much!
Lovely pieces. I liked the recurring usage of woodblocks (i think) in the second and third piece. Felt kinda Hisaishi like. A super relaxing album. Nicely done!
Thank you!
I feel like you should have leaned more heavily into the acoustic instruments, as the digital instruments (such as the drums) take away from the music. However, it is a very creative work and suits the story that you want to tell. Good job!
Thanks! I definitely prefer recorded sounds. Maybe in a revised version when i have more time.
Gives off a tune for daily life exploring a very soft, meadowy landscape. Props to the recorded guitar and vocals, enjoyed their usage. Only lil feedback would be the vol of some of the tracks and the processing of the guitar, but even then it sounds nicely fit.
Thanks so much!
The music here tells the story so well! It's really sweet and comfortable all the way through even when each track is able to convey different feelings. I especially like the first one
Thank you! Thanks for listening.
This is a really creative take on the theme, and the track represent it well! Idk where maple pier is, but I would definitely have a picnic there.
You're already there! Thanks for listening.
This was such a pleasant listen, your piano writing and harmonies feel so mature and it really was transported to the world you painted through the music, cover, and story! The choice to include some poetry caught me off guard at first but it really added a relaxing, and intimate component to the songs and helped me understand more the feelings you were conveying here. Super relaxing, you should be proud!
Thanks so much! "Tinha uma pedra no meio do caminho" translates to "there was a stone in the middle of the path. It's repeated over and over in the poem, making a meditation on mundane details.
that fits so well omg! I think i love it even more now haha
I probably should include the translation in the notes 😆 Midnight submission brain
Oh, this really has a picnic vibe! The flute playing the theme gives me some vibes from the Shire in LOTR.
Thanks for listening!
Oh this is really tasty - imagery, thematic interpretation and the titles do a great job of setting the stage, and then the music comes in and really delivers. Instrumentation and progression of Morning Light through the Bedroom Window perfectly captures that 'beginning' vibe, if that makes sense? The little bits of spoken word in the middle are an interesting and rather unexpected direction but overall they fit and it adds a little spice and variety.
Under the Umbrella is packed with whimsy. Great orchestration and arranging here - a lot going on but it never feels too busy. The melodies throughout are nice, never really overstaying their welcome - fleeting. Bookending the track with piano is a really clever move as well, great way of tying it together cohesively.
And with that, On the Pier Under the Stars has me sold - it's my favorite of the bunch. Great playing, fantastic choice of a closer for the experience. Evocative and tender but still driven. Use of accompaniment to support the piano throughout is really well done - genuinely feel as though I could learn a thing or two from revisiting these.
All in all a super tightly executed collection of tracks, probably up there as one of the more cohesive and congruent entries. Great work with these, honestly. Could see these landing among the top spots for sure!
Wow, thank you so much for these thoughtful comments!
I love the live recorded guitar! This whole soundtrack captures such a peaceful vibe that makes me feel kind of nostalgic. The chord progressions are super solid and you pair it with great melodic lines, this is a very homey submission and a joy to listen to. Excellent work!
Thanks so much for listening and reviewing!