Thoughts on the Music
Recording sessions have begun for the lyrics of the music of "Zach & Zebby's Grand Adventure". We are moving forward to record the Solos, Duets, Trios and Quartets.
We have over sixty songs composed and orchestrated with very excellent MIDI arrangements, of which we went to great lengths to make the MIDI instruments blend very well and sound like a real orchestra. We anticipated that, in some circumstances, a presentation of the show in smaller theatres, along the parade route, or even for a sound track for our film work, would need quality recorded instrumentals. Not only because an orchestra would likely not be possible or cost prohibitive in some situations, but also as a means of creating the CD album and music that would work well as rehearsal material for our performers/singers.
We have had numerous comments about how good the music sounds, orchestrally. The most recent from Nathan Odhner, who is singing our Zach. Nathan is also an active French Horn player who plays with the Bryn Athyn Orchestra, so as I was playing some of the music for him, while showing him our advancements in the puppetry shop, his off-handed comment about how good it sounds, is a very big complement about how we managed to get a full sound from the MIDI. This from a person who plays in an orchestra on a regular basis! It gives me hope for the Boston Pops and other such performance opportunities.
What people will think of the music, overall, is another story. I have played the music for numerous people and have had an assortment of responses. Generally, the comments have been that it is very Gnomic in nature and jaunty. This is true, for it is intended to accompany the action on the stage and they are The Gnomes of New Hope who are at first all upset and worried about the humans closing in and finding Gnomeville.
Frankly, I have also sensed that in some ways, it was difficult for them to understand the music. I believe this is from the fact that a person expects the music to tell the story, because it is musical story, but without having a foundation of what the story is, or who the characters are, or how they are relating to one-another, the listener is left out in the cold, so to speak. It is especially challenging when no lyrics are present to clarify why odd beats are taking place or why the orchestrations have an assorted level of complexity.
But I also realize that as instrumental music, the composite of the music in the show is at times difficult to listen to. Every song is well balanced for it's intended purpose and quite listen-able individually, when viewed in the context of that purpose. But without a full understanding of the show or knowledge of the lyrics that are intended to go with the music, it can be challenging. This in itself makes me realize how important it is for us to get these lyrics recorded. For, what I feel is that; the insertion of the lyrical music into the composite of the show's overall musical signature, will give it the balance that I anticipated. There is a tension and relief that needs to occur and that happens when the diversity of the spoken, or sung, language is part of the listening experience.
I have had my concerns about the balance that needs to be reached in creating the theatrical experience for the audience. One of my basic tenets is that the overall composite of the show is what creates the atmosphere and that no one element can stand entirely on it's own. Certainly there needs to be, and will be, musical numbers that can stand on their own without the show.
The first lyrical song which we have just recorded is intended to be such a song. The experience of finally hearing this song, sung with the lyrics by excellent vocalists, is unbelievable! Nathan Odhner is singing Zach and Justine Buss is singing Ferny. The song has taken on such a new dimension and both Shawn and I were brought to tears by it. It gives me hope (from the Gnomes of New Hope) that our conception of how this music will expand into the full expression of what we imagined it would, will start to take shape.
This first song is titled "Completely" and it is a Love Song/Duet between Zach and Ferny. It is actually part of the last scene in the show leading up to the Finale, but since it is a Love Song, which makes no reference to Gnomes, we thought it would be best to use this song as the one which might break some new ground, help us promote the project generally and help us to raise the money we need to produce this show. We intend to submit this song (and a few others) into a song-writing competitions and use it to open up opportunities for us, partly by seeking distribution on the internet.
I have found that the more mellow numbers still seem busier than they really are, because the lyrics are absent. These lyrics being sung, are intended to take the lead while the instrumental aspect of the songs are more in the background. Of course, without the singers voice this cannot happen, and so the composite of the songs do not yet have the wide range of tonal expression that is designed into the score. It is clear to me that the tonal expression is derived in great part from the introduction of the human voice into the mix.
MORE LATER... AG
