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Compositions by Mike Scofield

Golden Most of the Time

"Golden Most of the Time" is a folksy journey that marries the unexpected warmth of a piano accordion with the sophisticated embrace of a string quartet. This unique instrumentation paints a picture of a life that's mostly golden—smooth and peaceful, yet acknowledges the inevitable bumps in the road. Its melody and harmony primarily radiate a light, upbeat mood, but these are artfully punctuated by brief, darker notes and a touch of dissonance, reflecting life's small daily challenges and more unsettling moments. The piece unfolds organically, introducing its main motive before exploring two related, yet distinct, melodic sections, ultimately returning to its comforting primary theme.

Taking the Scenic Route to Canaan

Take the scenic route to Canaan with this tune featuring the 4 Bar Cafe jazz quartet. The piece meanders through the pentatonic scale with a relaxed, syncopated groove. It's a journey of 'no worries and all the time in the world,' capturing the beautiful and peaceful vistas to be seen along the way.

Summer Sun & Moon

This chamber piece vividly captures the essence of summer. The bright, conversational interplay of the English Horn and Flute channels the sun's brilliance, while the oboe's lively counterpoint adds a playful energy. Lush harmonies from the strings create a warm, inviting soundscape. The mood transitions into the contemplative stillness of a moonlit night before a final, uplifting return to daylight. Listen and be transported to idyllic summer scenes: elegant garden parties, lazy beach days, and peaceful woodland walks.

Memories Keep Playing in My Mind

“Memories Keep Playing in My Mind” employs the classic form of a canon, where a central melody is introduced and then intricately woven against itself as other instruments enter in succession. This creates a captivating, layered texture. The string quartet initially establishes this melody. The mood then darkens in the second section, with the melody, tone, and tempo taking on a more somber hue. Finally, a shift in key and a quickened pace drive the piece to a bright, spirited conclusion, leaving the listener with an ethereal impression of a single memory viewed through different emotional lenses and at varying speeds.

A Lovely Time & Place

A gentle dialogue between vibraphone and classical guitar forms the heart of this piece, evoking the nostalgic image of a couple walking this same riverside path through a grand city, long ago. Beneath their melodic conversation, strings provide a warm, supportive bed. The resulting atmosphere is gracefully melancholic yet light, capturing the essence of love remembered, the romance of old-world travel, or the tender ache of a bittersweet story. acknowledges that there is little around us that we understand but is nonetheless holy. This is a piece that might accompany sweeping or majestic visual images or video of a poignant, emotional scene.

Hymn to a Changing Heaven

This piece features woodwinds and a choir that create a hallowed sound at times ethereal and strangely dissonant at others. As the world around us changes rapidly perhaps it is because heaven above is also changing. This hymn acknowledges that there is little around us that we understand but is nonetheless holy. This is a piece that might accompany sweeping or majestic visual images or video of a poignant, emotional scene.

A Tune for Sam & Jaz

Two trumpets, a French horn, trombone and tuba make up the brass quintet for this piece. It is based on the “Magnolia” chord progression (Bb - Bb7 - Eb - Ebm) and is at times mellow and others, jaunty. Sam & Jaz are the composer’s brass-playing grandchildren!

Four Fleeting Seasons

#8 on the Feb 2025 OneWorld Music Radio Top 100. This piece begins slowly and somberly, with the flute playing a haunting winter melody. The violin and classical guitar add their rich tones adding depth and texture to the music. The accordion provides a rhythmic pulse, its bass notes anchoring the piece and its higher notes adding a touch of melancholy. As the music progresses through the seasons, the mood lightens. The flute plays livelier melodies, while the violin and guitar weave intricate patterns. The accordion adds a sense of joy and celebration, its lively rhythms bringing a sense of energy to the music. This piece is an example of the power of music to evoke emotion. It is a journey through various moods, from sadness to joy, from despair to hope.

I'll Miss You Most in September

#13 on the Feb 2025 One World Music Radio Top 100. This melancholy composition is the second movement from Scofield’s Symphony No. 1 for Chamber Ensemble. It features a cello that the oboe and flute answer as it winds its way through a story of poignant recollections. This piece could be the theme song for a soap opera, the music to accompany a film about people in challenging circumstances, or the background to a request to make charitable donations for an important cause.

Symphonina No.1 for Chamber Ensemble

A symphonina is an abbreviated form of the classical symphony. This composition is a three-movement, 10-minute piece for French horn, flute, oboe, and strings. It opens with a bright theme led by the French horn, slows down in the second movement behind a melancholy cello, and ends with an upbeat dance-like melody played by the woodwinds.

Evening Song for Woodwinds and Strings

A lovely melody is led by the piccolo. There are elements of grandeur, triumph, and peaceful reflection, though at times the mood changes to something more melancholy. At the end, however, there is an elevated sense of contentment and joy. This piece could be used as the theme for an introspective, uplifting and winning production. It might also be used as background music for scenes involving the sea, sunset or a bucolic setting.

Nantucket in Winter

Semi-finalist in the 2023 UK Songwriting Contest (Instrumental) as well as Semi-finalist in the 2024 "Unsigned Only Music Competition. This composition features the 4 Bar Cafe string ensemble. It has the flavor of a classical prelude with its lush violins and soothing cellos.

Carousel fo Lovers

A whimsical piece in 9/8 time unfolds at a moderate tempo, reminiscent of a nostalgic carousel ride. A spirited interplay of flutes and oboe carries the melody. Lush violins and a warm cello provide a rich harmonic foundation. A lively accordion injects a touch of folksy charm, the wheezing bellows providing a gentle swaying motion. The vibraphone adds a bit of shimmering magic, its metallic bars tinkling like wind chimes in a summer breeze. The overall effect is one of carefree merriment, evoking the sights and sounds of a gay merry-go-round.

Rondo for Piano and Two Cellos

The piano has the lead here with a strong harmony provided by the cellos. It alternates between a moderately paced, lilting and cheerful melody and one reminiscent of a quick-paced chase scene. This might be the soundtrack for an animated short or a piece mixed in among tunes by Scott Joplin.

Variations on Bach Melodies No. 3

Based on the melody line from Bach’s “Siciliano,” this baroque-sounding, energetic, pipe organ piece features counterpoint from a harp and a classical guitar. This could be the soundtrack for a fast-moving carousel, a multi-scene travelogue, or an action feature's final minutes.

Wildacres Sunrise

Violins, cello and piano provide a hopeful, uplifting piece that reflects the peace and beauty of sunrise.

Walking Up Happy Hill Lane

A quartet of clarinet, guitar, electric bass and percussion play this jazzy tune that evokes fun, movement, change of pace and the joy of being outdoors.

Bagatelle for Guitars and Chorus

Two guitars and a chorus provide an up-tempo romp that appears to stop several times before a surprise ending.

Variations on Bach Melodies No. 2

This piece is based on J.S. Bach's Sinfonia from the Christmas Oratorio, though the original 3/4 timing has been changed to 4/4. While the sound and tempo are quite different from Bach's piece, the structure of a simple melody remains.

Trumpets for Jazmine

This is a composition for brass (and a vibraphone) written for my granddaughter, an aspiring trumpet player.

Remembering Jack and Those Before

This nostalgic tune features the mountain dulcimer playing the melody line along with cellos, woodwinds and synthesizer. It was influenced by the many memories I have of family members who have gone before me.

Strolling through the graveyard

When life has more downs than ups, when you wonder, ‘what’s next,’ when you’re fighting the urge to give up, there’s a place where you can gain some perspective. Not everyone is comfortable there, but it’s a place of peace and rest. Eternal rest. Take a stroll and hear what the residents have to say about dealing with life’s struggles. The lovely mountain dulcimer and flute, the thumping bass and the synthesized harp walk us through sadness, doubt, inspiration and hope.

Blues for Strings, Keys & Flute

Mountain dulcimers, electronic organ, penny whistle, electric bass, cigar box guitar

Longing to Unwind

#89 ON THE ONE WORLD MUSIC RADIO TOP 100! If you enjoy relaxing chamber music that conveys a spirit of wandering, getting lost and finding your way home, this is for you.

Variations on Bach Melodies No. 1

This composition is a variation on Bach's Minuet in G Major, but it has a very different vibe. It starts with the strings playing a slow, melancholy meditation that becomes more soothing before a dramatic finish by the trumpets.

Dulcimers Playing with Friends

The mountain dulcimer can play more than just bluegrass and folk music; this piece was written to demonstrate this. It starts as a jaunty little tune with the 4-string dulcimer that is joined by a baritone dulcimer early on. But halfway through, enter a bassoon and oboe under the dulcimers to broaden the sound and heighten the emotion. As the violin and harp are added in the final section, the song sounds like a big band ensemble. It ends with sweeping grandeur, far from where it started out.

Prelude for Mountain Dulcimer (Unwinding)

Standard & baritone mountain dulcimers, penny whistle, ukulele, cellos & double bass.

Dulcimer Variations on Amazing Grace

Here's a different take on everyone's favorite hymn featuring the mountain dulcimer. You'll also hear some trumpets and a cigar box guitar

Turn On That Smile

Standard & baritone mountain dulcimers, acoustic guitar, violin and chorus.

Brief Meditations for Choir & Strings

Music for relaxation and contemplation can have a jazz flavor and that’s why I wrote this song. It is based on an obscure baroque chord progression that makes ample use of 65 chords (substituting the 6th tone for the third). It produces beautiful, acoustic string sounds. Here, strings are complemented by soaring choral harmony across three different, but related, melodies to take the listener to a place of peace and reflection. (substituting the 6th tone for the third). It produces beautiful, acoustic string sounds. Here, strings are complemented by soaring choral harmony across three different, but related, melodies to take the listener to a place of peace and reflection.

Candlewood Mountain Waltz (Remix)

Candlewood Mountain is a tranquil place of natural beauty in the foothills of the Berkshires. Inspiring when spring unfolds its multiple shades of green or the mountain is ablaze in autumn, daunting when snow makes the road impassable or drought threatens to light the mountain on fire. This composition uses the interplay of oboe, violin and piano to evoke a contemplative walk through the woods, the beauty of a morning sunrise and the search for peaceful living.