Music In Progress

Michael Cooke
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Music Commentary
  • Semiweekly Series

Uncovering the depths of the creative processes of composing music. Gain valuable insights with practical tips and techniques. Whether you’re a fellow musician, an enthusiast, or just curious about the world of contemporary music, there’s a rich tapestry of sounds and ideas waiting for you here.

  1. Episode 1

    Closing 2025, Looking to 2026: A New Year’s Reflection

    Closing 2025, Looking to 2026: A New Year’s Reflection A candid look back at missed goals, unexpected progress, and the realities that shaped my composing year. Reflecting on 2025 helps me reset expectations, carry projects forward, and plan a more honest, sustainable path into 2026.

  2. Episode 2

    How Dorico 6 Finally Unblocked My Creative Workflow

    How Dorico 6 Unblocked My Creative Workflow Porting an old orchestra-and-choir score into Dorico 6 forced me to confront box notation, cutaways, and long-avoided workflow problems. What started as a technical challenge ended up clearing mental space—and opening a path forward. Download library ZIP

  3. Episode 3

    Taiwan, Beethoven, and a New Quintet

    Taiwan, Beethoven, and a New Quintet Early sketches for a woodwind quintet inspired by Chinese & Taiwanese folk music, hocketing rhythms, and an altered folk melody—while the piece’s structure is still forming.

  4. Episode 4

    A Breakthrough: From Fragments to a Real Draft

    Progress on a woodwind quintet: overcoming setbacks, rewriting lost material, and shaping fragments into form using circle-music and rhythmic ideas.

  5. Episode 5

    A Milestone Month of Multiphonics, New Music, & Creative Momentum

    A month of composing new music: finishing Riding the Dragon, notating clarinet multiphonics in Dorico, and preparing new solo works.

  6. Episode 6

    Forging a Fearless Solo Violin Piece Through Collaboration

    A look inside the collaborative process of shaping a new solo violin piece through performer feedback, extended techniques, and shared experimentation.

  7. Episode 7

    I Hate the Music I Wrote, Now What?

    I hate the Music I Wrote, Disliking a first draft does not mean the idea failed. Sometimes the music needs a new structure before the real piece starts to speak.

  8. Episode 8

    Composing on the Road without an Instrument

    Can you compose a concerto without instruments? Road trip without instruments, leaning on scores, memory, and notation tools to shape a bassoon concerto draft.

  9. Episode 9

    Will This Bassoon Concerto Be Ready in Time?

    Will This Bassoon Concerto Be Ready in Time? A bassoon concerto moves from the road draft to performance score as I revise melodies, test the solo part, and prepare for the October premiere.

  • 9 Episodes

About

Uncovering the depths of the creative processes of composing music. Gain valuable insights with practical tips and techniques. Whether you’re a fellow musician, an enthusiast, or just curious about the world of contemporary music, there’s a rich tapestry of sounds and ideas waiting for you here.

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Cooke
  • Episodes
    44
  • Seasons
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Cooke'n'Music
  • Show Website
    Music In Progress