Stephen Sondheim on Writing for Musicals

stephen-sondheim-studio

“Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos.”
– Stephen Sondheim

A dwarf can see farther than a giant if the dwarf stands on the giant’s shoulders. With that idea I turn to the mind of Stephen Sondheim for insights into creating new works for musical theater.

I also have the great gift that one of my current co-workers has worked with Sondheim and will purportedly give me more insight into his work habits and ideas.

Here are my favorite excerpts from the Stephen Sondheim interview posted at:
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/son0int-1

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Elizabeth Gilbert: A new way to think about creativity

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86x-u-tz0MA

This really hits home. Recommended viewing for artists and creators.

“Eat, Pray, Love” Author Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses — and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person “being” a genius, all of us “have” a genius. It’s a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk.

**Update 092909 – I have gone back to incorporating the concept of a Daemon in my creative process and have found it to be incredibly productive.**

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Nickelback – If Today Was Your Last Day

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-OlqERixVE

I have had interesting discussions lately with friends on the subject of love and of our paradigms and world views of what that is. My journey has been both wonderful and painful. In the process a friend from the Great White North sent me this song which is new to me. I hope you love the lyrics as much as I do.

I will tell you two things that came up in discussions on the subject of love that interested me:

  • We use words to describe what things are. But in different cultures those words carry different connotations. The thing itself has not changed, but the word we use to describe it can cause miscommunication. And as most of us know it’s our perception that is king. A thing does not necessarily have an inherent quality; it’s what we project on it. So two people might see something the same, but use different words to describe the same thing.
  • Are there many loves or just one? I had always had the understanding there were different types of love like Agape and Eros. But one person I talked to said “No! There is only ONE love”. This is a new way of thinking for me.

And this ties back into the Nickelback song posted here. Would your actions on love be different if it was your last day?

Songs by David Gates of Bread and Asian Relationships

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pfTfMoR8sg

“Everything I Own” performed by David Gates from Bread. The audio is a bit poor but I love the live performance footage. There are many people that sing good copies of David Gates’ voice on YouTube, but the performances don’t give me the shivers and goosebumps like David Gates’ vocals do.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24IfD-0VUu4

“The Diary” by David Gates of Bread. This song has always moved me so much. I’ve probably heard it a thousand times in my life. Each time I listen, I pretend I don’t know how the story is going to end. And then I get a little tear at the very end. I like the experience, it’s sweet.

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Cirque Du Soleil ZAIA Band 2009

zaia-band

The Cirque Du Soleil ZAIA band, June 2009 in Macau, China. A rare moment where all the musicians are together for a photo opp.

In this photo: Eduard Harutyunyan (percussion), Jay Elfenbein (viol, dare I say cello, strings, bass guitar), Darrin Johnson (drummer), Olivier Milchberg (guitar, Turkish banjo, plucked strings), Maria Andersson (singer), Steven Bach (keyboards – bandleader), Rose Winebrenner (vocalist), Racheal Cogan (recorder, EWI)and Conrad Askland (keyboards, assistant bandleader).

Buck Owens – Somewhere Between

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk1l0Gr1lU0

Read more info on Buck Owens at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buck_Owens

I was reading on that link about Buck Owens, the Bakersfield Sound, the death of his guitar wingman Don Rich, and the revival of his career with Dwight Yoakum. There are some great videos of Buck Owens and Don Rich on YouTube. Here’s a couple videos I enjoyed with Buck and “Dangerous” Don Rich. Hope they make you feel good too…

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkNsqdGm0wo

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfSPneMXCgk