After Completing Her Academic Studies In America, Coates Moved to Munich in 1969 and Launched Her Career as a Freelance Composer.
Coates' career in music and in composition essentially saw its start following her move to Munich, Germany. While she was composing to make a living, Coates actively promoted American contemporary music in Germany through several means. She was hired by two broadcasting companies based in Germany, WDR Cologne and Radio Bremen, to produce broadcasts and write articles relating to musicology for them. During this time, from about 1970 to 1985, Coates also founded the first international music programs in London and Munich, as a part of the University of Wisconsin's International Programs.
To illustrate the scope of Coates' work during this time, particularly with WDR Cologne and Radio Bremen, it is important to note that WDR Cologne is currently the largest radio and TV broadcast company in Cologne, which has a population of just over one million. Furthermore, WDR is one of several companies within the larger ARD broadcast program which broadcasts to all of Germany and is the largest public broadcast network globally. WDR Cologne is also a member of the European ARTE program, which is a continent-wide network which has a focus on broadcasting a diverse culture of programs.
Radio Bremen, while much smaller in its influence than WDR Cologne, is the dedicated broadcasting network of the city of Bremen with a population of half of a million, and is also a member of ARD. Bremen is located within a northwestern German state (Lower Saxony) and Cologne is within a western state (North Rhine-Westphalia). It is clear to see just how much pull Coates must have had while working for both of these companies and how her work allowed her career to take off more easily.
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