Artistic Statement
Some would say I was born in the wrong time. Chivalrous, patient and passionate, better suited for living during the Romantic Era of the 1800’s, where intense emotion was conveyed through the noble arts of music and literature. Yet the duality of mixing the past and present remains…
A musician for over 30 years, I started with percussion in blues and hard rock bands. Drums are my passion, but they lack the ability to convey the wide variety of emotions that I feel for others. People I know, strangers I see, fighting internal/external conflicts, falling in and out of love. Not exactly something that can be channeled through a drum solo…
Moving to piano, I started by playing the songs of others. I soon found my emotional voice, writing several songs with a similar classical, medieval feel. Those songs became Forevermore.
Forevermore started out as a classic fairy tale romance musical based on the passion I have for my spouse of 25 years. If just a romance, Forevermore would miss out on so many aspects of the human condition that had their own stories to tell. Adding a diversity element created so many levels of wonder, discovery and conflict. Another element of a visually impaired singer/character added a level of awareness of the inclusion struggles that some face and many may not be aware of. These thematic elements should be celebrated. Forevermore does just that.
Along with the themes of diversity and inclusion, Forevermore deals with women’s empowerment, as stories of the plight of strong women should be told to inspire others. The antagonist of Forevermore is a staunch Nationalist, who goes against the main character’s wish to bring both of their peoples together in the name of peace. An allegory to current political climate, it is both familiar and new. The perfect villain for the female heroine to overcome.
Another of my interests is screenwriting, which is a perfect fit for musical writing in terms of book writing. I learned structure and the importance of interpreting feedback at screenwriting workshops, such as BluecatScreenwriting founder Gordy Hoffman’s workshop.
Forevermore has had three live Zoom readings through Create Theater, a Theater company in NYC in 2021/2022 and two rounds of feedback through NMI (New Musicals Inc), a West Coast musical development company. My ultimate goal would be to complete the piano transcription and remaining song recordings to have Forevermore live on stage for feedback to develop the musical further.
Thank you for your time, consideration and duality.
