Help Bespinben make a portfolio for Music School!

[Bespinben]

I'm preparing to apply for the Commercial Music program at Brigham Young University (commercial meaning like business, not TV commercials). For clarification, it was formerly called Sound Recording Technology. The program invites anyone who aspires to be one or more of the following:

Spoiler

Media Composers
Film Composers
Video Game Composers
Singer/Songwriters
Studio Musicians and Vocalists
Recording Studio Owners
Recording & Broadcast Engineers
Sound Designers
Musical Artists
Studio Vocalists
Jazz Musicians
Music Producers
Music Arrangers
Record Producers

[close]

I need to make a portfolio to audition for this specific major. This is the criteria for it:
Students wishing to major in Commercial Music must submit a Portfolio.  The Portfolio consists of three components:

    A CD (or DVD if applicable) of three (3) recorded examples of your best original works or productions.  Works can be original songs, arrangements and/or various recorded productions or media compositions (jingles, film cues, recordings of your engineering skills if you are more of an audio specialist, and the like).
    A typed document describing the roles, credits, technologies and efforts you used in creating the works.  We need to know what we are listening to and a detailed explanation of what part you had in its creation. Printed scores, charts and supporting documents may be included.
    A résumé-type document that includes any other information such as software skills, audio technical knowledge, any additional musical and technical background and experience that would make you desirable as a Commercial Music candidate.

The Portfolio will be evaluated on the following criteria:

    Composition / Writing
    Diversity
    Arranging
    Technical Knowledge
    Portfolio Presentation

Here's where you guys come in. I trying to decide what are my "three best original works or productions," and what the best way to present them would be (notice the portfolio allows for DVD?). Here's my tentative list so far:

1.) One of my piano transcriptions. Would need to be from a heavily involved orchestral piece. Candidates include either my Gates to Infinity "Opening", or possibly my SuperPMD "Title Theme" once I finish it. The recency of these works is key appeal in this choice. The goal is to show my ability to do "contraction scoring" (meaning, adapting a work for large ensemble to a smaller setting), and obviously my skill in sheet music engraving.
2.) One of my "re-orchestrations". My Sky Tower arrangement comes to mind. I would like this to NOT be accompanied by sheet music (mostly because the score is a piece of crap :p) This is not so much to showcase arranging ability (since little changed changed from the original), but rather to show my ability to take a MIDI-based piece and realize it into something more fleshed out -- essentially, to show my proficiency with audio technology.
3.) My rock-band arrangement of PMD "Run Away". This is to show my (scant) abilities in composition. Nothing else I've done really shows compositional ability besides a few 4 measure endings to my piano transcriptions.

[Pianist Da Sootopolis]

For the third little "category", so to speak, couldn't you put one of your original works in there?
(Or maybe it wasn't you that had all those originals, I can't remember.)
If you don't have one, write one, it's fun!
If you're applying to be a composer of any kind you should probably have an original work in there anyways. Doesn't have to be super large scale either, could just be a little 50-60 bar miniature.
For 1, I'd do your Gates opening.
2, I'm not sure. I'll let the more educated people here decide.
The only reason I have any experience with 3 anyways is because I know people who have applied for composing degrees elsewhere.

[mikey]

maybe if i ever get to byu we could make a video game lol

anyway, you seem very skilled with sound software in general so i'd say do a bit with that