Office Hours library

Saad covered three main threads: 1) developing motivic material in lo-res before opening notation software (referenced as 'the single most common mistake'), 2) when and how to send 2-minute excerpts to performers for early reads (defended the 80/20 rule), 3) walked through Marcus Albrecht's commission-negotiation question with the Phoenix Symphony. Significant time on parameter-locking — Saad's coach formulation 'pick the one parameter you're developing this session' came up four times across different students' questions.

Heavy on the aesthetic blueprint. Saad pushed back on three students whose blueprints listed 8+ composers without specific musical anchors. His correction: cap influences at 3, name the conceptual problem, name a specific exemplar piece (not just composer). Walked Hana Voss through her Step 5 draft live. Second half on first-pitch outreach — covered the 'curiosity-first opening' rule and why CTAs in cold emails should be small (15-min Zoom, not score review).

Nicky-led session on orchestration. Strong technical block on string divisi: when to use, when to avoid, how to engrave it so the orchestra reads it without confusion. Multiple workshops on cleaning up cluttered orchestral textures — her recurring quote: 'I always try to remove before adding.' Also covered programming choices for ensembles with under 10 hours of rehearsal — what kind of writing actually gets played well in those constraints.

Outreach-focused session. Saad reviewed 5 students' draft cold emails live, edited them in real time, explained each cut. Recurring themes: openings shouldn't lead with the composer's own credentials, asks should be small enough to be answered in 30 seconds (yes/no), curiosity about the recipient's work creates response loops. Closed with the 80/20 rule — 'at some point, you gotta just send it out.'

Mixed Q&A. Two students shared in-progress contract issues with publishers (sensitive, hence attendees-only). Discussion of recording: when to invest in a professional recording vs. when a midi mockup is enough. Final third on fellowship strategy — reviewing rejection letters, identifying patterns, when to apply again vs. when to let an opportunity go.