Michael Cooke

Recent travels, illness, and concert preparations have significantly slowed progress on my “tape” and orchestra project, which has remained unchanged since the beginning of the month. A trip to Texas provided a momentous experience—witnessing the total eclipse on April 8th, an event more awe-inspiring than I had anticipated. Reconnecting with college friends in the Dallas area, where I attended University of North Texas, added a nostalgic layer to the journey.

April 8th Total Eclipse

Eclipse as a Muse

The eclipse’s impact lingered long after my return, especially as I plunged into the urgent tasks awaiting me. With the next SFCCO concert‘s planning lagging behind, I found myself in a whirlwind of hiring and organizing. Recognizing that my tape and orchestra piece wouldn’t be ready in time, and needing additional music for the concert, I drew inspiration from the recent celestial event.

Reflecting on a previous work, Sun & Moon, I conceived a performance variation influenced by the eclipse. This piece originally consists of two movements: the “Sun” section symbolically traverses from left to right across the ensemble, emulating the sun’s daily arc, while the “Moon” section moves in the opposite direction, reflecting the moon’s nocturnal passage.

A New Variation on an Old Work

For this new rendition, the piece begins with the music of the sun at its zenith, gradually giving way to the music of the moon, until the moon movement completely overtakes the sun movement. The music of the moon then dominates for exactly 3 minutes and 51 seconds—the duration of totality in Dallas. This segment’s length may need adjustment for musical pacing, but the intent is to then reintroduce the music of the sun, restoring its sonic dominance. Although the notes of the original version remain the same, this novel approach to performance promises a distinct auditory experience.

Adapting to the Unexpected

After a bout of illness last week, the tight timeline leading to the concert on May 4th means my focus must shift temporarily from composition to performance preparation. With the first rehearsal imminent, and only a week to familiarize myself with all the concert pieces, the “tape” and orchestra work will likely debut at the fall concert.

Life’s unpredictable rhythm requires swift adaptation, and as a composer, these shifts in plan often bring unexpected opportunities to innovate and inspire. This eclipse-inspired variation not only bridges my past compositions with new experiences but also illustrates how art and life continually influence each other. Stay tuned for updates on my new piece, and watch as I dive back into my tape and orchestra work.

Tags: circle-music, in progress

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 21st, 2024 at 8:12 am and is filed under In Progress. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.