#64 - I'm not sure if the music stand part of this differentiates the organization from other music groups enough. Could you show me something that uses some impression of a bowed string instrument instead? A similar "fast sketch" style that isn't too detailed is great.
Please check an option of new instrument added in slightly different layouts: #78 #79 #80, and trial of independent graphic element #81, this one based on layout on #80
I like the new designs, esp #80/81. It's perhaps a little busy. Maybe removing some detail from the instrument would help? Something more stylized? The scroll could just be a curl w/out pegs, the line of fingerboard/bridge could be a single thick or shaped line. I really liked the fast, imperfect line style of the stand. Maybe you could move the instrument shape in that direction?
#86 - thanks for trying the instrument idea. I really like it, but it doesn't seem as balanced as the music stand. I don't know if there's a way to fix that. If you have any ideas, I'd love to see them. Or, maybe something similar to #64 but using a combination of treble/bass/alto clefs.
I really like the balance and look of #64, but there are still a few things that I just don't know how to adjust, so I'll tell you what I'm seeing, and see what you come up with: 1. The music stand. I like the concept, and definitely think a pictoral element of some kind helps create balance in this design. However, the stand is very non-specific. Also, a lot of people I've shown this to have initially thought it said Torchestra. I liked the idea of going with an instrument, but I felt like we never went abstract enough with the concept to make it work. I really like the simple, rough-sketch style of the stand, and think maybe a similarly styled "impression" of an instrument might work. I'm not sure. 2. The "M." When we were looking at the instrument version, one change was that the "M" got bigger. I don't think it needs to be that big, but perhaps there is something in-between that might help balance a more vertical pictoral element like an instrument. 3. Whatever logo we go with will have to translate into black-and-white. Once we come up with any possible refinements, I am still concerned that the "M" will get lost in the pictoral element once the logo is taken to black-and-white. We can look at revisions addressing concerns 1 and 2, and then deal with 3.
Thanks so much for the edits. I actually really like this version of the instrument. It just doesn't seem to balance the rest of the logo as well. Let me think about it and see if I can think of a solution, or even specifically what I'm seeing. Thanks!