Theme

Correlation to theme
Music link:
https://youtu.be/dRFQcm4OyKc

I started off with the Challenge of Reduction, and ended up also doing the Challenge of the Stair after finding out changing time signatures is a neat way of creating magical atmospheres!

Squeak is an aspiring wizard at the Rodent Academy of the Magical Arts. He's an enthusiastic learner, always busy scurrying between classes, studying, and practicing his magic. Sometimes though, he can be a bit TOO eager...but it's not like anything can go wrong...right?

The music starts in 4/4, and as we get to know Squeak, he shows off a bit of his magic, making the music shift from 4/4 -> 5/4 -> 6/4 -> 4/4. After this introduction, Squeak scurries off to class, always eager to learn, even if he stumbles into challenges from time to time.

As classes really get going, the music shifts to 5/4, and Squeak is scurrying between the countless classes he's signed up for. Maybe it was a bit too many in hindsight...? Yup, it was definitely too many! A stressed and tired Squeak mis-squeaks an incantation, causing a huge bloom of magic to envelope the area.

In this magical bubble, the music shifts to a lilting 6/4, and Squeak is kinda knocked out. He really messed up this time, huh? But as usual, he shakes it off, gradually coming back to reality as the magic wears off. And it's back to learning for him! Though he might take things a bit easier going forward...

Being limited to just 3 instruments at a time, I explored a bunch of different instruments that I could use to get a mouse/rat like feeling and ended up with a violin using a lot of trills, tremolos, and ricochets. This violin represents Squeak throughout the piece as he spends his day at the Academy. Other instruments include the harpsichord, accordion, clarinet, marimba, music box, bassoon, and some bells, all played in combinations of 3 throughout the piece. To introduce some variety in timbre in sections, I created deliberate 'gaps' in the music where I could temporarily introduce other instruments while respecting the challenge's limit on 3 instruments playing at a time. These gaps also serve to convey Squeak, despite his best efforts, still being an apprentice and student of the magical arts, and nowhere near a master wizard... for now. He'll get there some day!

Thanks for listening! I hope you enjoyed the music.

Challenge portal

Streaming service
https://youtu.be/dRFQcm4OyKc https://soundcloud.com/yujisatomusic/the-rat-apprentice

Last words
I kinda joined last minute, but I hope team bird pulls off a comeback!