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Interview with Andrew Cote
November 9, 2013
Andrew Cote is a composer, educator, and percussionist. For information about his work, visit www.andrewcotemusic.com.
Tibbetts: How long have you been involved in music?
Cote: I have been involved in music for almost 15 years. I started playing the snare drum when I was in fifth grade, and fell in love with music shortly thereafter.
Tibbetts: What made you decide to become a musician?
Cote: I decided to become a musician early when I was in high school, however I thought I was going go into rock music. When I entered into college as a freshman, music education major, I had every intention of dropping out. I was playing with a band at the time that was gaining some traction, and though I enjoyed my music classes, I was far more interested in the music I was making outside of the classroom. I was very lucky to have amazing professors who connected my passion of rock and popular music to what I was learning in school, which motivated me to stay and pursue higher education.
Tibbetts: What inspires you?
Cote: I am inspired by people. I love how complex, unique, and complicated we are as human beings. Most of the music I compose is programmatic, and typically I ask the commissioning party for a story, or something unique about themselves and their experiences with music. By doing this, I am able to create a unique piece of music that matches the fingerprints of the artists who are commissioning it. People who share similarities, or even wish to explore those unique ideas shared by the commissioning party have allowed me to share my music with a large number of performers and audiences.
Tibbetts: Of all you have composed, what do you consider your best work? And why?
Cote: As of right now, the work I am most proud of is my most recent composition for wind ensemble, An African Footprint. I could be biased since I am conducting the premiere of this work in a few weeks, but it is a piece that combined music I collected when I travelled to Kampala, Uganda in the summer of 2012 with church music I was experiencing at the time. It was funded through a Kickstarter campaign comprised of nearly 40 donors, which allowed me to travel to Uganda and write this piece.
Tibbetts: What is your typical day like?
Cote: During the week, I spend the majority of my time teaching (two courses at George Mason University, two courses at the Potomac Arts Academy, and about 15 private students) and working on my next piece. I try as best as I can to not compose or work on the weekends. I try to find as much free time as possible on the weekends to spend with my girlfriend, my friends, and my church.
Tibbetts: What advice would you offer to aspiring musicians and composers?
Cote: If you are in school, you are still in the "real world." I completely disagree with people who say things like "oh, I can't wait to graduate and get a real job" or "wait until you are in the real world, then you will understand." Every person you interact with, every concert you play, and every piece you write can and will be used to develop your musical identity and career. Sure you can trash some music theory assignments or throw out some old manuscripts, but just remember to take advantage of your time in school and remember that you are breathing the same oxygen and spending the same money as people in the "real world."
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