On Writing a Musical Part 4

In my high school days I wrote rock songs for my band. In college I wrote contemporary art songs for my recitals. The songs in a musical lie somewhere in between cyclical rock chord progressions and complex harmonic and melodic art music. Therein lies the fun and the challenge.

In any kind of pop music the key is to write a song that is going to be easily grasped by the audience and have instant (or near instant) appeal. If you have to hear it five times in order to "get it" it is already too late. The hook as a pop song writing technique is still viable because it addresses this issue. In popular music it is not crucial to craft melody and harmony that subtly comment on or reinforce individual words or phrases of the lyrics.

In classical music, however, the opposite is true. While there are plenty of classical arias or art songs that have a certain instant appeal, the focus in many pieces of art music is on the "illumination of the text." The composers job is to craft a musical setting that enlightens the listener to the meaning and emotions found in the lyrics. The definition, sound, stressed syllable, and context of very word is considered while creating the melody, harmony, dynamics, texture, and accompaniment. Subtlety and attention to detail are critical.

The songs in a musical lie somewheres in between these two extremes. It is always good to give the audience a few tunes that they can go out singing (this is even true in many operas). But there are other places in a musical where the one can sacrifice a catchy melody in favor of melody that pays close attention to the details of the text.

For me, part of the trick to writing a musical is to know when to do which. Generally, opening numbers and finales should grab the audience's attention and be somewhat memorable. Dramatic high points may be places where the emotional content of the music is more critical than a hook based tune. And in at least a couple of places interspersed in the musical there should be some tunes that will stick in the audience's mind long after the final curtain. One may also want to consider leitmotifs, returning themes, and other musical devices that can make a musical work.

Of course, all musical books are different and require adjustments to the above. Furthermore, a song with a catchy melody can capture subtle elements in the lyrics and an "artistic" melody can have a nice hook as well. It is up to the musicality and artistic sensitivities of the composer as to how to navigate between these elements.