Michael Cooke

After the November 2nd concert, I’ve finally had a chance to decompress—not only from the performance itself but also from the intensive preparation leading up to it and the lingering disappointment of the election. This concert required an enormous amount of effort, not just as a composer and performer but also in my role as an organizer. From hiring musicians to managing promotions and creating the program, I wore many hats in making this event happen. Thankfully, my wife took on the box office and concessions, but there were plenty of hurdles to overcome along the way, especially with personnel changes and last-minute adjustments.

Personnel Hurdles and Replacements

The concert prep began months ago, and the challenges started early. Through a Facebook post, I discovered that our regular violinist—who also coordinated our venue—had accepted a gig in Nicaragua as a featured soloist. It was a wonderful opportunity for him, but it left us scrambling to find a replacement and manage the venue logistics. While he assured us that the venue was secured and even covered the deposit, finding an excellent replacement violinist took longer than expected, only coming through as we were about to distribute parts.

Soon after, I discovered that our usual trombonist was unavailable. I spent considerable time searching for a substitute, and while I initially found someone, he quickly became unresponsive. Back on the hunt, I reached out to another contact, who finally introduced me to a reliable trombonist—but this was already a week after the parts had been sent out.

Just as I thought things were stabilizing, I received word from our trumpet player that he required surgery and would be unable to perform. With only a week until the first rehearsal, I scrambled to find substitutes. The list of possible subs he provided was booked solid, and after some intense searching, I found a replacement. However, this left the player with very little time to prepare.

Venue Complications and Scheduling Woes

Amidst these personnel changes, we also encountered unexpected complications with the venue. One of our members who lives nearby agreed to help manage the logistics, and as he worked with the venue, it became clear there were gaps in the scheduling. The original booking didn’t include enough time for loading equipment before the rehearsal start time, and it turned out that the venue had undercharged us in the initial quote. Resolving these issues ended up costing about 40% more than anticipated, though we were fortunate that the group’s fundraising efforts covered these extra costs.

This venue holds nostalgic value, as the SFCCO hasn’t performed here in 20 years. However, it’s in a busy part of town with limited parking. I arrived early to handle logistics, including setting up the PA system for my piece, which features a digital “tape” component. Adding to the pressure, several performers, including our conductor, were delayed due to traffic, so I took on conducting for the first part of the rehearsal to make the most of our time.

First rehearsals are always a bit rough, but this one was especially challenging. It was clear that several performers hadn’t reviewed their music in advance, which was particularly necessary given the complexity of the pieces on this program. We send parts out a month early to give performers time to familiarize themselves with the music and contact composers with any questions. Unfortunately, the lack of preparation among some players impacted the productivity of the rehearsal, and my own piece lost valuable rehearsal time.

Revisions and Adjustments Between Rehearsals

After the first rehearsal, it was evident that some pieces, including my own, needed adjustments. I revised several parts to make them more manageable based on feedback from the musicians. For example, I adjusted my own part in the fast-paced second movement to add more breathing space. I also noticed a copy-paste error in the bassoon and piano parts and corrected it.

The movement begins with pizzicato in the cello and bass, which players mentioned was difficult to perform with the bow in hand. There wasn’t enough time to set down the bow and pick it back up, so I explored ways to simplify their parts to accommodate this. Later, the bassist reached out, mentioning that some of the fast runs were challenging at the tempo. I initially thought using open strings would help, but ultimately decided to simplify the bass line to a single note and transferred the run to the cello part. After checking with the cellist, who confirmed it was playable, we went forward with this new version.

To ensure a balanced dynamic between the digital tape and the live orchestra, I remixed the tape. This adjustment allowed for better alignment between the full orchestral sections and the recorded segments, which was crucial given that we didn’t have an extra person to adjust levels in real-time.

Last-Minute Substitutions and Concert Day Chaos

The day of the second rehearsal brought yet another surprise: an hour before our rehearsal I got an email that our oboist had fallen ill. Desperate for a replacement, I emailed his list of possible subs and began arranging a new version of my piece that would work without an oboe, just in case. None of the subs were available, so I turned to Facebook as a last resort. Thankfully, a local oboist saw my post and stepped in, agreeing to essentially sight-read the concert with just one rehearsal under his belt. I was immensely grateful that our new trumpet player vouched for him and encouraged him to join us on short notice.

On concert day, several other events in the area caused more logistical headaches. Despite a heads-up to the ensemble, some players still missed portions of the final rehearsal due to parking issues. With a lineup of challenging, newly composed pieces, having them under-rehearsed inevitably impacted the concert. Yet, the audience enjoyed the performance, and the composers were largely pleased with how their works came together under the circumstances.

My own piece held up well, aligning closely with the digital tape, though more rehearsal time would have helped. I’m looking forward to reviewing the concert recording and video to gain a fuller sense of how it all came together on stage.

Reflecting on the Experience

Every concert brings its own set of challenges, but this one seemed uniquely full of last-minute twists. Despite all the setbacks, I’m proud of what we accomplished. The concert came together against all odds, and I’m grateful for the dedication of everyone involved. Now that the performance is behind us, I’m finally ready to decompress and, perhaps soon, start thinking about new compositions again.

Final Preparations

The past few weeks have been filled with intense preparation for the November 2 premiere of my digital “tape” and orchestra piece. Collaboration is key at this stage, I started out by sending draft parts to performers to ensure playability and clarity of modern techniques. The feedback from musicians has been invaluable, particularly for the piano part, which needed revisions to better accommodate realistic performance demands, not all pianists are Franz Liszt. It’s essential to ensure that everything can be performed smoothly, and I’m fortunate to have such skilled musicians to help refine the piece.

Precision and Rhythmic Adjustments

With limited rehearsals before the performance, it’s essential that the score and parts are clearly notated to ensure smooth rehearsals. I’ve been meticulously reviewing the score, ensuring rhythms align with the conductor’s beat pattern, and all dynamics, rehearsal markers, and cues are in place. For better readability, I re-notated some sections using stemlets (extended beaming over rests).

Additionally, I’ve prepared program and performance notes to guide both the musicians and the audience, ensuring a cohesive interpretation throughout the performance.

Fine-Tuning Parts

Although notation software automatically generates parts, you frequently need to adjust them for readability and ease of performance. A lot of effort goes into laying out everything clearly on the page and ensuring smooth page turns, which was particularly challenging for the piano part. In this case, the pianist will likely need a page-turner. However, with more musicians using digital displays and foot pedals to turn pages, this issue is becoming less critical than it once was.

Digital “Tape” Synchronization

In addition to the score revisions, I created a video with the digital “tape” part for the conductor. This video counts out the beats, displays measure numbers, and includes rehearsal markers to help synchronize the orchestra with the digital “tape”. After sending a draft to the conductor, I’m awaiting further feedback to ensure everything runs smoothly during rehearsals.

Example of Video

Printing and Logistics

Yesterday, I had the score printed—90 pages at 11”x17”—and it cost around $60. Soon, I’ll be mailing it to the conductor. Thankfully, individual parts can be delivered electronically, saving time and costs. Managing the orchestra has been challenging, with last-minute changes in musicians and composers, requiring hours of reviewing scores, phone calls, and emails. Despite the time-consuming logistics, replacements have been found, and things are finally falling into place.

Looking Ahead

The digital “tape” still needs mastering, but I feel I still have time to address final tweaks leading up to the first rehearsal. I will need to start testing the equipment for the “tape” playback, including my PA and Mackie HR 824 reference monitors. I’m eager to see how everything comes together in performance.

This composition has been a long journey, and I’m excited to finally see it take shape. After much deliberation, I’ve settled on a title: Threnody for Democracy: What You Can Do. With only weeks to go until the premiere, it’s thrilling to watch this work move closer to its debut.

Finishing the Last 16 Bars

The last two weeks have been a mix of both highs and lows. On the positive side, I made good progress with my “tape” and orchestra piece after finishing the coda. I revisited the 16-bar transition and introduced a variation on material from the Confronting Our Shadows section. The shift back to 4/4 allowed for a gradual transition in the bass from eighth notes to half notes, giving the feeling of slowing down to prepare for The Dawn of Hope. Interestingly, as the bass slows, the timpani part speeds up because it stays synced with the tape.

Polishing and Refining

Since then, I’ve been in refinement mode, revisiting a section around measure 236 that never quite felt right. A few orchestration tweaks have made it flow better, and I adjusted some notes in the brass choir to improve its flow. While these were small changes, they’ve made a noticeable difference, and I’m starting to feel satisfied with the result—although I’ll need a few more listens to be sure.

There has also been a focus on preparing the score for the conductor. I’ve drafted a video to assist with syncing the tape, showing beats, measures, and rehearsal numbers to keep everything in line during rehearsals. Though I haven’t settled 100% on the title, the score is shaping up well, as are the individual parts.

Considering Changes (and Constraints)

I’ve considered adding more percussion in a few places, but the orchestra performing the premiere can’t accommodate that, so I’m holding off for now. The tape part still needs mastering, but I have more time for that compared to getting the score and parts ready for the early October deadline. After a year of work, it’s amazing to see this piece come together, and I’m eager for the premiere in November.

Software Challenges: A Finale Farewell

Now for the less exciting news: Finale, the music software I’ve used for over 30 years, is no longer supported. This was a major blow, as I’ve written all my music in Finale and rely on it extensively, even for note-taking. It reminds me of my struggle to save Dr. Mark Alburger music that was lost because Encore became obsolete, and it’s created a sense of panic for me.

The past two weeks, I’ve tested Dorico and MuseScore 4, hoping to find a replacement that supports my style and needs. Importing my latest solo flute piece didn’t go smoothly in either program. On first pass MuseScore came closest to what I wanted. After spending time in forums, getting private help, and experimenting, I finally discovered two ways to make Dorico work for this score. However, importing some of my other pieces produced mixed results—some with errors, others with missing notes.
I’ll be doing a post or video specifically on all of this experience.

Looking Ahead

At this stage, I’m feeling an overwhelming sense of frustration. It seems like I’ll need to manually re-enter my catalog into these new programs, as the imports aren’t reliable. It’s a daunting task, and I can’t help but wish I had a team of interns to help.

Stay tuned for more updates on this evolving situation and, of course, on the final stages of my “tape” and orchestra composition.

After returning from the Aspen Composer’s Conference and releasing another episode of Music from Humans, I finally got back to my tape and orchestra piece, energized by the progress I had made in developing the chords for the Dawn of Hope section.

Orchestration and Melodic Development

I began by layering additional melodies into the orchestration, some of which were adjusted to fit the chord structure. Starting with the strings, I added more upward-moving lines and reprised the introductory “You Can Do Anything” melody in the alto sax.

Next, I shifted focus to a piano-forward version of the chords, supported by strings. The “Have Mercy Upon Us” melody reappears in the clarinet, while the woodwinds reintroduce the “What You Can Do” theme and eventually take over the chords from the piano.

As the brass gained prominence, I brought back a rhythm from the piece’s beginning, which I plan to use later as well. One of my favorite moments occurs here: the trombone glissandos downward just as Obama says the word “change.”

The strings return in full force, carrying the chords while the French horn reprises the “Grant Us Peace” melody. After a brief moment where the tape repeats the word “hope” and the timpani joins in, I introduce an ostinato with the Dies Irae theme, reminiscent of the bassline from the piece’s opening. The chords are now distributed among the woodwinds, brass, and strings. Triplets start to create a 3-against-2 pattern, similar to the beginning, setting up Reagan’s quote in the tape that’s about to be introduced. In the final bars of the “Dawn of Hope” section, the timpani plays alternating 5-1 and 1-5 hits, perfectly synchronized with the tape, where a different quote begins every two beats.

Building the Coda

Moving into the coda, I revisited a rhythmic theme introduced by the brass earlier. As some instruments hold an A, others start moving up chromatically with staggered entrances. The pace quickens, not by increasing the tempo but by shifting the rhythms from eighth notes to triplets, then to sixteenth notes, and finally to triplet sixteenths. This choice kept the beat consistent, making it easier to sync with the tape. The woodwinds play up a Mixolydian scale, moving up a half step each time they repeat while gradually accelerating. Using box notation the violins bow up and down a chord, glissandoing upward while going sul ponticello—a technique borrowed from Caroline Shaw’s Plan & Elevation (yes, score study helps).

The tension culminates as the lower instruments move down chromatically in eighth notes until a grand pause (G.P.). I’m thrilled with how this all came together on the first try, perfectly matching my original vision from months ago.

Completing the Tape

With the orchestral part of the coda complete, I turned my attention back to finishing the tape part. I had delayed this until the orchestral section was figured out, and it turned out to be a fortunate decision. New presidential quotes had become available, adding depth to the composition’s narrative arc. As before, a happy little accident occurred where I was storing a quote near the end of the piece for later use, but when I played it back to check my progress, it became a profound statement. I’m likely going to leave it in, though I’ll keep the details a surprise for now.

Next Steps

With the first draft nearly complete, I’m turning back to the 16 bars of transition that remain unfinished. There are still plenty of notes and revisions to address, and the tape part requires final mixing and mastering. The piece is very close to completion, just in time for its scheduled performance on November 2nd. After almost a year of work, it’s incredibly satisfying to see my ideas finally taking shape. Perhaps just one more month of refinement is all that’s needed.

Stay tuned for more updates as I finalize this composition!