Category Archives: Musicabilia

All the other musicals of mine (the ones that aren’t “Speakeasy”)

In Which I complete the 30 DAY SONG CHALLENGE

Posted on July 6, 2017 by

Fun on Twitter.  Last month I took on the #30daysongchallenge. Here are the complete results, lightly annotated:   No kidding.  Kurt Weill’s haunting masterpiece. The subject of one of this blog’s most widely read pieces: Speak Low, Phoenix, Speak Low…   … Continue reading →

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SPAMALOT infiltrates EMILY DICKINSON in A QUIET PASSION

Posted on April 24, 2017 by

Arthur: But I’m alone (Patsy: oh no you’re not!) So all alone (Patsy: I’m here you twat!) All by myself I’m all alone   I’m All Alone (from “Spamalot”) – Tim Curry and Michael McGrath What do Monty Python and … Continue reading →

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CANNIBALISM IN THE CARS – a Musical Take on Mark Twain’s Succulent Satire of Congress

Posted on April 11, 2017 by

Congress … yuck!  A distasteful subject!  Quite literally even, according to Mark Twain. Every year Congress gives us more reasons to loathe it.  This year perhaps more than ever. Thinking ill and making fun of Congress is a sport that … Continue reading →

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SONGS OF JOB’S DESPAIR – “I’m Alive” & “Divine Intervention”

Posted on February 16, 2017 by

“I’m Alive” and “Divine Intervention” are two songs that speak to humanity’s age-old despair, in the person of one man crying out against overwhelming unspeakable events outside of his fault and control. They were written for The Song of Job … Continue reading →

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Jacqui Sutton and the Frontier Jazz Orchestra perform “Grass Dolls”

Posted on January 28, 2017 by

My friend and collaborator Jacqui Sutton has posted a video of her and the Frontier Jazz Orchestra performing “Grass Dolls”, a live performance that also functions as a video submission for NPR’s Tiny Desk concerts. “Grass Dolls” is the first … Continue reading →

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HOPE? Maybe just PRAYING FOR TIME

Posted on January 3, 2017 by

Last year I ushered in the new year with Hope for a New Year, featuring the cathartic finale “Hope” of my oratorio The Song of Job 9:11.  A song of phoenix like rising from the ashes, a gently defiant assertion … Continue reading →

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Holiday Repost: HAPPY HOLIDAYS – How this Carol Curmudgeon Ended Up Unwittingly Writing Three Seasonably Suited Carols Himself

Posted on December 28, 2016 by

(Originally posted last Christmas… Last Christmas … sniff… R.I.P. George Michael…) I plead guilty to being a bit of a Christmas Carol Grinch.  OK, I used to be a BIG Christmas Carol Grinch, really loathing most carols and sometimes resorting … Continue reading →

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Holiday Flee Market in the Classic Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower

Posted on December 21, 2016 by

This post features holiday music from the damn bestest Lesbian holiday album ever: Venus Envy’s 1990’s cult classic “I’ll be a Homo for Christmas” The Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower is the most famous building in Brooklyn.  Completed in 1929 it … Continue reading →

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN with Notes from a Composer

Posted on October 29, 2016 by

As Halloween falls on a Monday this year, I think it makes sense to call this a long Halloween Weekend.  Much costumed celebrating and ghoulish goings-on will have already begun yesterday and continue through today and Sunday into the official … Continue reading →

Posted in Chamber Works, Cinema Scope, Musicabilia, Notes in the News, The Teaching Artist, Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BLUMENAU – OKTOBERFEST IN BRAZIL

Posted on October 12, 2016 by

Brazil – Desi Arnaz The classic tune “Brazil”, performed in a classic style by Desi Arnaz and his Orchestra (yes, the Desi from “I Love Lucy”, he led a Band Orchestra in real life too, not just on TV).  Now … Continue reading →

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September 11, 2016

Posted on September 11, 2016 by

For this day: HOPE from the oratorio The Song of Job 9:11   For the full concert, go to the  Song of Job page.   Also: THE SONG OF JOB 9:11 – 14 year anniversary of 9/11/2001 Posted on September 8, … Continue reading →

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BRAZIL – Upstream into the Pantanal Waterworld

Posted on August 30, 2016 by

Watery Vistas with Sky Filling Flocks of Herons; Jacaré Alligators, Howler Monkeys, Toucans (well, One Toucan), and the wonderfully weird and brilliantly named Tuiuiu! Brazil – Django Reinhardt Our second Pantanal excursion.  You can explore the Pantanal by car in … Continue reading →

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BRAZIL – Floating Forests, Piranhas, and Sunsets of the Amazon

Posted on August 5, 2016 by

Above, the Jungle Lodge, where we stayed for a weekend Amazon Adventure on the Urubu River BRAZIL (Bachianos Brazil Samba) – Michael Kamen Below views of the Urubu River from the Lodge tower. The Urubu river gets its name from … Continue reading →

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NEW YORK NEW YORK in Pieces (of Song and Puzzle)

Posted on July 25, 2016 by

Let’s celebrate New York, New York in pieces!  Musical pieces!  Jigsaw puzzle pieces! The first song must be New York, New York of course! What, you thought It’d be Old Blue Eyes’ New York New York?  No worries, I won’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Live! On Stage, Musicabilia, Notes in the News, Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI – a mini musical adaptation

Posted on July 15, 2016 by

  I recently created the TWAIN page, where you can read about stories and listen to musical excerpts from my Mark Twain musical comedy beTwixt, beTween & beTWAIN.  Below I will reproduce a complete scene from the musical, the mini-adaptation … Continue reading →

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Introducing the MARK TWAIN MUSICAL Page

Posted on July 5, 2016 by

  It’s been a while since I’ve built a new permanent page on Notes from a Composer.  See the black banner border above?  Where you can access the following pages, or skip to the following content: Home Bio Credits & … Continue reading →

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