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<\/a><\/p>\nHe has a Bachelor\u2019s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Berklee College of Music and a Professional Certificate in Ableton Live, as well as a Master’s Degree in Arts Leadership and Cultural Development from Colorado State University.<\/p>\n
One thing that distinguishes Conrad Askland is his masterful ability to take a big-picture creative concept and navigate the individual steps and complexities to bring it to life. \u201cThere is a challenge to integrating a script with music. There are many elements to consider, such as plot, character arc, subtext and how the music segues,\u201d he explains, \u201cYou start with one bit and methodically work through the layers. It\u2019s a lot like writing a novel. You only see five steps ahead at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Throughout his career, Conrad has worked on hundreds of productions in a variety of roles \u2212 from musical director and keyboardist to composer and bandleader \u2212 and in numerous locales around the world. He was the musical director for \u201cRock of Ages\u201d and \u201cBurn the Floor,\u201d as part of N.C.L. International, New York City. Prior to this, he was the chef d\u2019orchestre for Cirque du Soleil\u2019s \u201cZAIA\u201d show in Macau, China. During breaks between international projects, Conrad created book, music and lyrics for the original musicals \u201cWitches\u201d (2012), \u201cPan\u201d (2013), \u201cRomeo and Juliet\u201d (2015) set to William Shakespeare\u2019s original text and a musical about adolescent conversion therapy called “Pray the Gay Away”\u00ae (2019).<\/p>\n A native of the Pacific Northwest, Conrad was born into a musical family. His grandparents were jazz musicians and his father was an amateur opera singer. One of Conrad\u2019s earliest musical memories was as a five-year-old singing along to \u201cJesus Christ Superstar\u201d and \u201cFiddler on the Roof\u201d on headphones. He started playing piano when he was nine years old and went on to learn French horn, bass guitar, harpsichord, accordion and pipe organ. He was a member of the Northwest Boys Choir and also performed with the Seattle Opera, both as a member of the chorus in \u201cTosca,\u201d Boris Gudonov\u201d and \u201cCarmen\u201d and in the title role for \u201cAmahl and the Night Visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n Conrad is a lifelong student of music and his extensive studies include composition and voice, film scoring, music theory, music law and vocal performance. He has taken classes with Pacific Lutheran University, University of Miami, UCLA, Harvard and the Berklee College of Music, where he is presently working on a new degree in the business of music. Conrad also has a professional certificate in Ableton Live, a specialized recording software for music production and live performance.<\/p>\n Conrad Askland’s pit orchestra setup is included in the college textbook “Music Direction for the Stage” from Oxford University Press<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n