Oh the frustrations we found along the way

So just when you think things are going smoothly, someone comes and steals the laptop with the script on it. Just when you start to rewrite the script, the website does strange things that take hours to fix. Just when you think you can focus on your character, you have to pack up your apartment and move. Just when you are getting really close to someone, they leave on a moment's notice. So I must remind myself of the GOOD things happening right now: We have an awesome team of people that really care about our show. We have donations rolling in on kickstarter. We will have a yard at our new place! And the script might be even better because of this rewrite. Ok, off to pack some boxes. The show must go on.

The wind is so wild to the heavenly child

Themes of Hansel and Gretel. Been thinking a lot about them. Have not been writing in complete sentences today. When you are writing a song, everything seems to be in phrases.

Today, the whole show took sort of a turn in my head. The story is still in it's infancy, but it's definitely growing up.

Witches Have Red Eyes. And they can't see very far. That's the song I almost finished today. As of right now, it will be sung when Hansel and Gretel are planning their escape from the witch's house. The wind is so wild to the heavenly child. Little by little, we'll grow tired of this place. Only a moment we wanted to stay anyway. I want this song to convey a loss of childhood innocence while gaining strength through temptations and challenges. Hansel and Gretel left their home, as all of us are taught to do, to grow up and find their own way.

It's funny how some songs can be written in minutes and others written through the span of weeks. People ask me a lot what I write first, the lyrics or the music. It's always different. But for this musical, the lyrics have been coming out first. In a way, it's so easy to pull lyrics right out from the Grimms' story. The sentences are so dark and descriptive but very short and simple at the same time. There is so much imagery and symbolism that is exciting to play with in the original tale. Witches Have Red Eyes is based entirely on three sentences from the story.

The SparrowTree website (our theatre company) will be up very soon. In the near future, be on the look out for some music samples, pictures, and trailers for Hansel and Gretel, our first show!
Drawing of Hansel and Gretel by Angie Trygg

What a daunting task!

So, first day of blogging. Hmmm, do I like this? Don't know yet.

I have re-written this first blog over and over...and deleted it over and over. It started as a post about the beginning of my theatre company but I couldn't stop deleting everything I was writing. This is harder than I thought it would be! What is the purpose of this post? Is it to talk about starting a theatre company, is to talk about the show we want to produce? Is it to talk about songwriting, websites, spaceships, snails, guitars, music, ice cream (mmm...half baked), the traffic on the BQE...There are so many directions I can go in. What if I post all of my ideas about the show I want to write and then someone steals them? Aaaahh!! All of a sudden I feel like I am back in college writing a 10 page paper that's due in an hour. My heart is beating fast and my shoulders are getting tight...and why can't I take a deep breath? Woah...relax... isn't one supposed to enjoy blogging?

So...I am getting up now and taking a walk around the apartment. Let's see what will pop into my head to write about next.

I know you are waiting in suspense.....This is what it was: I love dogs. Whenever you just need to get your mind off of something, you can play with them, or snuggle them, or talk to them. And they never talk back! So, in conclusion... here is a picture of my dog, Gracie....who should have been named Cubby. Or Clover.

More to come on the theatre company! Our name is SparrowTree and the website will be up soon! I am adapting Hansel and Gretel and starting to write the music to it. There! I said it. Now I have to do it!