One of my favorite musical scores is "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" by Alan Mencken and Steven Sondheim. The story is quite dark, too dark for small children, although the Disney animators tried very hard to put in humorous sequences and characters to lighten the mood. Still, the riddle "who is the monster and who is the man?" and looking forward through the darkness to "the new millennium when things will be brighter someday" are not the normal light, jovial themes for young children's entertainment.
The musical score is chocked full of memorable tunes in a variety of styles, everything from medieval Latin Requiem chant to music hall soft shoe. The vocal talent used for this movie is incredible. Some of the songs are a vocal tour de force and take special singers with extraordinary ranges to pull off a performance. Yet many of the songs are catchy and fun for anyone to sing.
It has become a trend that at the end of every Alan Mencken Disney musical, that one song will be sung as exit music done by pop singers in their particular style. (Quite a departure from the style in the original context of the movie.) And that reminds me of something I was advised about long ago.
Publishing your music means giving it away.
One of my mentors said this to me years ago. I didn't really believe him then. At that point in time, I had not written very many songs and I had not had anything published as yet. I had supposed what he meant was that the music publishing business was not very lucrative. Whereas, that statement is probably true, I think he had a different meaning in mind. He wanted to warn me that sometimes a song will take on a life of its own.
Composers tend to think that what they write down is how a piece of music will be used and performed forevermore. (After all, they take great care to include all the intended notes, AND also performance directions using dynamic, tempo, and expression marks.) That, it turns out, is a very naive notion.
First of all, composers tend to write for a certain occasion and set of performers. They imagine in their minds the end product as they are writing. Well, in reality, the end product will always be subject to the talent and proficiencies of the performers. The performers may execute the notes according to the score, but the they will also add their own interpretations. They may also have a completely different idea about how it should be performed!
For example, TEMPO makes a big difference! A song the composer intended to be performed upbeat, will have a completely different flavor if performed at a slower tempo. The mood may go from "charged with excitement" to "peaceful and quiet" like a lullaby.
Then, there are experiments with RHYTHM and BEAT. A song can become something completely different when the melody and chord progression is played against a Latin or Rock beat, or changed to Waltz time.
INSTRUMENTATION can also change the entire song. The composer who wrote for a large choir with orchestra may be shocked to hear his song performed by just a soloist and guitar. He may also be delighted.
As a COMPOSER, I have been surprised and mostly delighted when I hear how my songs are being used. Surprised at how widespread across the world they have been performed. Delighted to hear of and sometimes get to visit a school or Church when my music is being performed or watch a cover on a YouTube video..
There have been times, though, when I scratch my head and wonder how the performers came up with their unique interpretations. That's when I remember what my mentor told me that "publishing your music means giving it away."
It is TRUE! Sometimes a song will take on a life of its own.
"King of Kings" SATB with Soloists is an original Christmas song that has been sung by soloists and choirs around the globe. It definitely has taken on a life of it's own!
"King of Kings" Duet for Soprano and Baritone
The musical score is chocked full of memorable tunes in a variety of styles, everything from medieval Latin Requiem chant to music hall soft shoe. The vocal talent used for this movie is incredible. Some of the songs are a vocal tour de force and take special singers with extraordinary ranges to pull off a performance. Yet many of the songs are catchy and fun for anyone to sing.
It has become a trend that at the end of every Alan Mencken Disney musical, that one song will be sung as exit music done by pop singers in their particular style. (Quite a departure from the style in the original context of the movie.) And that reminds me of something I was advised about long ago.
Publishing your music means giving it away.
One of my mentors said this to me years ago. I didn't really believe him then. At that point in time, I had not written very many songs and I had not had anything published as yet. I had supposed what he meant was that the music publishing business was not very lucrative. Whereas, that statement is probably true, I think he had a different meaning in mind. He wanted to warn me that sometimes a song will take on a life of its own.
Composers tend to think that what they write down is how a piece of music will be used and performed forevermore. (After all, they take great care to include all the intended notes, AND also performance directions using dynamic, tempo, and expression marks.) That, it turns out, is a very naive notion.
First of all, composers tend to write for a certain occasion and set of performers. They imagine in their minds the end product as they are writing. Well, in reality, the end product will always be subject to the talent and proficiencies of the performers. The performers may execute the notes according to the score, but the they will also add their own interpretations. They may also have a completely different idea about how it should be performed!
For example, TEMPO makes a big difference! A song the composer intended to be performed upbeat, will have a completely different flavor if performed at a slower tempo. The mood may go from "charged with excitement" to "peaceful and quiet" like a lullaby.
Then, there are experiments with RHYTHM and BEAT. A song can become something completely different when the melody and chord progression is played against a Latin or Rock beat, or changed to Waltz time.
INSTRUMENTATION can also change the entire song. The composer who wrote for a large choir with orchestra may be shocked to hear his song performed by just a soloist and guitar. He may also be delighted.
As a COMPOSER, I have been surprised and mostly delighted when I hear how my songs are being used. Surprised at how widespread across the world they have been performed. Delighted to hear of and sometimes get to visit a school or Church when my music is being performed or watch a cover on a YouTube video..
There have been times, though, when I scratch my head and wonder how the performers came up with their unique interpretations. That's when I remember what my mentor told me that "publishing your music means giving it away."
It is TRUE! Sometimes a song will take on a life of its own.
"King of Kings" SATB with Soloists is an original Christmas song that has been sung by soloists and choirs around the globe. It definitely has taken on a life of it's own!
"King of Kings" Duet for Soprano and Baritone
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