I'm too cool for Broadway

School has finally started again! But we’re gonna start slow as we still need lotsa energy to stay warm from the winter winds. Last week I prattled about Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and ended with the question…. Why does anybody care about Broadway anyway? Or I’m too cool, Isn’t Broadway music for geeks? Actually the answer is no. Obviously certain types of music don’t appeal to everyone and it’s totally fine if show tunes are not your bag. But, if you are a Songwriter? You can learn a lot from these composer cats; Singers and Musicians? You can definitely be inspired by these voices, orchestrations, and musicianship.
How is that possible? And why should you care? If you're gonna make music it helps to know the basics and there are a lot of artists we admire today who are using these songs,as well as crossing the line into The Great White Way (slang term for Broadway :)

Since it's always hip at a cocktail party to appear smart, Let's start with a BRIEF scan of Pop Music History.
Publishing 101. It all started in what they called Tin Pan Alley which was located in what we now call the Flatiron District (west 28th st btwn 5th & 6th ave - Hey New Yorkers, look for the plaque that is there now!) This was the original location of the first publishing companies where they hired people to write popular music. Rumor is that it was called Tin Pan Alley because of the clackity-clack from all the cheap pianos playing! So fast forward.... In the early 1900's what was the pop music (aka popular music) of the day? Broadway!!!
So there's some nerd history. read more here.... And the point here is that Tin Pan sowed the seeds and this music center eventually moved to the Brill Building (49th st & Broadway). The Brill Building then became home to some the best writers of the 60's
including people like Liebert & Stoller, Carole King & Jerry Goffin. It was THE center for publishers, studios, writers and music business, as well as the modern music sound, often referred to as "the Brill Building" sound More?

History lesson over about how B'way developed into Pop
Now Let's Talk about how B'way music is still hip today...

Who is still singing this stuff?

++ Gwen Stefani, "Rich Girl" (yes this was an adaptation) Originally "If I Were a Rich Man" from the musical "Fiddler on the Roof" This entire record went multi-platinum and also resulted in multiple Grammy nominations and the song hit the top 10
++ Everyone from Billie Holiday to Rod Stewart, including hip peeps like Maroon 5, Dexys Midnight Runners & most recently Michael Buble, have covered "The Way You Look Tonight" (Swing Time)
++ Poe - "I Can't Say No" (Oklahoma)
++ Junior Vasquez?!?! "Climb Every Mountain" (The Sound of Music)
++ Ms. Madonna made quite a hit from "Evita" (Platinum with 2 hit singles!)
And her "Material World" routine? Adapted directly from the scene in the musical "Gentleman Prefer Blondes" song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Friend" performed by Marilyn Monroe. (Marilyn was actually a pretty good singer!)
Madonna
Marilyn

And some songs we sing everyday...
The most covered song of all time! "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (Arlen & Harburg)
And in Winter? "Let It Snow" (Jules Styne)
And at Christmas?
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Martin & Blane)
"White Christmas" (Irving Berlin)

We can also mention the Pop People who have crossed the line into Broadway?
Abba, Elton John, and GREEN DAY ?!? Wrote a musical based on their concept album, "American Idiot" Still running on Broadway And in Feb 2011 Melissa Etheridge will be joining the cast!

Let's also look at our beloved Jazz Standards. A lot of our faves had their debut as songs in musicals! Ex: "All the Things You Are," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" (Jerome Kern) "Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered" (Rodgers & Hart), "Witchcraft" (Cy Coleman) and many, many more...

Oh and one more FAVORITE:
"Favorite Things" (Rodgers & Hammerstein) And if this one ain't too lame for Coltrane - It ain't too cheesy for me. YouTube


Meantime, You get the point there are some pretty cool and successful people still playing these songs Today! Why?
Could be because? They are simply great songs. We'll get a bit more in about that next week

One last thing, our friend Andrew Lloyd Weber (see previous post), well he's gone Platinum in the UK and in the US selling over 2 million copies with The Phantom of the Opera. And the original cast recording was the first in British musical history to enter the charts at number one....

Someones' Listening to it! Til Next Time .....

A Great Joke

HI Everybody!
So, it's been snowy and slowy in TN - So I have declared a snow day and decided to have a fun day of theorizing!
I am going to use this opportunity to tell a bad joke - yes up above I said it was Great because it is a great intro to some of the nonsense that I will be spouting about next week
Then we are continuing our journey into the land of sharps and flats via the Circle of 5ths

I am using this joke courtesy of the Grand Rand Bishop from his book, “The Essentials to Songwriting Success” This is a great book written by an amazing songwriter. What more can I say? See for yourself!!!!!
Check out his website: RandBishop.com

“A pair of Manhattanites, Vern and Frank, are walking down Amsterdam Avenue. “Oh my God!” Vern cries out, pointing up ahead. Following Vern’s pointer finger, Frank sees a man falling from a 10th story window. Miraculously, what surely looks to be a fatal fall is slowed, as the fortunate fellow bounces off of an awning protruding from the 5th floor. He then resumes his fall only to trampoline off of another awning at the 2nd floor level, and finally to land softly in a dumpster conveniently filled with packing peanuts. He climbs out of the dumpster, evidently unhurt, and begins gingerly brushing himself off. “Wow!” exclaims Frank. “That guy has got to be the luckiest man in New York City.”
“Second Luckiest,” Vern corrects him
“What do you mean?” Frank wonders out loud
“Andrew Lloyd Webber,” Vern explains. “He’s the luckiest man in New York City.”

Haaaaa!!!!!!! I am still laughing. And if you know of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, you probably are too. And if you haven’t heard of Andrew Lloyd Webber? Well, you’ve probably heard of these musicals? Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Phantom of the Opera - He’s the composer and he’s written over a dozen more that you know. Get your google on here ….
More about Sir Andrew

Most importantly – Why should you care? Musicals are for Geeks, right?
Maybe, but stick around songwriters & I promise you can learn something from those show writers as well as from the history of Musical Theater.
( In addition to being a Theory nerd, I think I also just admitted to being a Geek)
Til Next Time, perhaps watch an Old Musical and instead of focusing on the costumes and choreographed routines, listen to the music, hear the lyrics, notice the orchestration - you might be pleasantly surprised by this element of the craft of songwriting :)