Test of the Music Conservatory

Summary

Build a music conservatory, and fill it with musical instruments and beautiful melodies that will enchant and educate the Egyptian masses!

Detailed Overview

1. Players begin by constructing a Music Conservatory (this may be either a building inside of a compound, like a Mosaic or Pulse, or a standalone structure such as a Library, developer's discretion)
2. After building the conservatory, they must add a minimum of three musical instruments to the conservatory (The musical instruments can be recycled from the old Test of the Orchestra or created/modified anew). Once an instrument has been added to the conservatory, the player may compose a melody for that instrument that will be stored in the Conservatory so that other players may perform it on the instrument after the Conservatory is opened for judging.

After a minimum of three instruments are added to the conservatory AND each instrument in the conservatory has at least one melody composed for it, the conservatory may be opened for judging.

Other players may visit your conservatory and select an instrument, then a melody to perform. After performing all of the tunes at your conservatory the player may then judge the conservatory.

The highest rated conservatory (or highest two rated) each week passes!

Even More Details

The Conservatory structure itself should be composed of materials that would be suitable for housing, storing, and protecting its contents (concrete, treated boards, mandib. Glue, sheet glass etc)

Each instrument has its own unique cost (see the Test of the Orchestra). However, unlike Orchestra instruments are not portable items and must remain inside of the conservatory in which they are built. They are very fragile and will go out of tune and possibly fall apart if exposed to the elements. Each instrument in your conservatory must be unique (you cannot add two Bes' lutes for example). You must have at least three instruments and there is no maximum (except for the # of instruments that exist of course) but keep in mind too many instruments may annoy judges since they must play EVERYTHING you have written before they can judge your conservatory.

Each instrument in your conservatory MUST have at least one melody composed for it before your can open your conservatory for judging (this amounts to a minimum of three tunes you must write to open it). The composition interface should be simple, and should allow different pitches (the range of high and low is decided by the particular instrument) and rhythms (16th notes, 8th notes, quarter notes, half notes, whole notes as well as rests). You must also specify a tempo for the melody. (Think Mario Paint Composer but without polyphony). There is a length minimum and maximum for your melodies. You may compose more than one melody for an instrument, but keep in mind this means judges will have to listen to all of them to judge your conservatory. After writing a melody, you must give it a title, and then using wood paper and ink from your inventory add it to the conservatory.

Details on Judging

When players visit your conservatory, they must select and instrument and then a melody from that instrument to perform. Performing requires no special effort on the part of the player, they simply sit back and listen. Afterwards, they select another melody until they have played everything your conservatory has to offer. They must remain within a certain distance of your conservatory or the music will stop playing. After hearing each melody to its conclusion they must judge your conservatory. Judging is subjective, but judges should take into account the musical quality, variety, and perhaps how well the melodies go together as a whole.