Have music composed for your play, within your budget.

In the spring of 2009, I was asked by the Cedarville University Theater Department to compose music for their stage production of Mitch Albom's play, Tuesdays with Morrie. The play calls for eight songs to be used (Cheek to Cheek, All the Things You Are, etc.), and getting copyright clearance would have stretched the budget beyond comfort.

I wrote short piano pieces, tailoring them to the show and matching the mood of the original songs, saving them about $800 in the process.

Then it hit me: how many other directors want to do this show but are reluctant to spend the necessary money to have the songs performed? And how many need music written for a different play but don't know whom to ask?

Now, you can have music written and arranged specifically for your production. You will save money and have something unique on your stage. I can write music in a variety of styles: classical, gospel, jazz, rock, country, new age, pop, Broadway, bluegrass, Celtic, and more.

Whether you need a few minutes of music for an overture, a handful of specifically timed pieces for set changes, or several full-length songs, I can help. Whether your production is a high school play, community theater production, or college senior project, you can have music written specifically for it.

I want everything I write to be playable and idiomatic to the instruments; years of playing in pits have taught me that eliminating frustrations for musicians helps the sanity of the entire cast. Music will be put into a software program and printed, so everything will be logical and legible; transpositions, transitions, cuts, and other adjustments can easily be made. I can also make professional-quality recordings, in case your circumstances don't allow for live performances.

Thank you for taking the time to visit MusicForPlays. Please email me at grinninglion@hotmail.com if you have any questions.
~Stephen Estep