New Musical by Kristin Hanggi, Matthew Von Roderick at KingKing, more Fay Wolf, Puccia CD release updates, etc.
Good times. Busy Week. No sleep. Here’s the skinny.
This week-end is the LAST week-end to see the beautifully written and acted “Praying Small” at the NoHo Arts Center. I composed original music for the play and several of my songs are featured throughout.
Matt Von Roderick, a sickeningly talented singing client of mine, is performing at KingKing in Hollywood on August 2nd. I’m helping him out with vocal arrangements. He’s a fantastic singer and trumpet player and he does this polyphonic thing that you’ve really got to hear to believe. This show will be an extravaganza as it is being directed by Kristin Hanggi. Expect some theatrical magic! Also performing on the bill is the lovely Fay Wolf.
I’m close to getting a date for my CD release party in LA at the Hotel Cafe. Stay Tuned! And PLEASE come out for my NYC release party on August 9th at Rockwell Music Hall. Thx! The album is so close to being finished. It’s been an empowering, challenging, exhausting and exhilarating journey. Here’s a promo shot for the album taken by the BRILLIANT Logan Alexander.
There will be an LA reading of the new musical, Touched, written by Ben Dector and Kristin Hanggi, at the end of August. I’m music directing and doing all of the vocal arrangements. The score is POWERFUL! I’ll let you know if the reading is open. It will also be at KingKing.
Giulietta is shooting her music video for “Vertigo” this week-end. It sounds like it’s going to be really fun. Look for it soon on Yahoo’s music front page. Here’s the vid of the crazy reinvented version of “Vertigo” we did in my studio.
CD Release info, Jonte, Praying Small up and running, MD-ing a new rock musical in July & some other random goodness!
I haven’t posted in weeks! The MAJOR excuse I have is that I’ve been finishing up production for my 3rd full-length CD, Sell-out. I’ll spare you the gloriously gory details, but I will tell you that 5 of the tracks are co-produced by the brilliant Ellis Miah & 4 are co-produced by a tremendous artist named Kazzer . Track 10 will be the version of Hallelujah that I’ve been performing around town for the last 5 years or so, produced by yours truly. I’m beyond excited that Seth Von Paulus who runs shop and engineers at Linda Perry’s studio will be mixing the tracks.
I produced vocals for Jonte a few weeks ago. Incredible artist. First off, he showed up the first day of recording in an emerald green beauty queen/talent competition dress, some high-ass heels and a full face of make-up. Flawless. He was performing at “United For A Cause”, a charity event at The Highlands in a few days and had 4 tracks without proper backing vox recorded on them. We rocked it out in my studio and he blew the ROOF off of The Highlands. No wonder it’s said that Beyonce and Rihanna got their style from Jonte!
Praying Small opened at the Noho Arts Center a few week-ends ago. I got hired originally to compose original underscoring for this play, but at some point I was hornswoggled into doing ambient sound effects for the play as well. I spent about 50 hours total on the sound effects which were cut a few days before the opening to everyone’s great relief! Frankly, because they were horribly distracting to the play. We’d perceived this from the start, but I come from a theatre background and I was taught to give the director what he wants. 50 hours later… Anyway, go check out the play. It’s wonderfully written and acted and my original music remains the underscoring for the play.
I’ll be music directing an LA reading of a new musical that Kristin Hanggi, director of Broadway’s Rock Of Ages & Ben Dector, an LA film and TV composer are developing. The reading will happen in July. Anything Ms. Hanggi involves herself in is a project worth being a part of. I’m honored to be working with her again.
I’ve got some gigs coming up. The shows that are booked are my New York CD release performance and Open Artist’s “We Are Golden” benefit concert here in LA. My NYC release party is Monday, August 9th at 8pm at Rockwood Music Hall. For you New Yorkers, it will mark my first performance in New York City in over a decade. Yikes! The “We Are Golden” concert is on Monday night, September 27th at Arena Night Club in Hollywood, CA. We have some big names for you this year, all to benefit Lifeworks‘ mentoring program for LGBT&Q youth. I will also be doing a CD release performance in Los Angeles and in my hometown of Watertown, NY in August. More info to come!
Also producing music for Kelly Meyersfield, Phoebe Carter, Kurtis Simmons and some other uniquely talented artists this Summer.
Here’s a vid of an artist I’m working with named Giulietta that I’ve mentioned previously. This is an unplugged version of her first single, “Here We Go (again)” arranged by us and shot and recorded in my studio. She’s MAJOR.
That’s all I got. Word to yer mama. XOXO KP
Carmen Perez, Marta Krupa, Diana Gone Wrong, Toni Braxton & oodles more
Things have gotten busier and I love that. But I’m definitely committed to doing this once a week. It’s fun, keeps me on track and I hope it inspires a fellow artist every once in a while. I choose words carefully. My blog will never be bitchy or negative. I’m focusing in on the purpose of my blogging.
- To write about live shows that I see. To promote my brilliant friends who are producing art here in LA.
- To keep you up to date on what’s happening in my world musically, with a personal twist of course.
- To write about music news, developments, album releases, etc.
I didn’t see any shows this week…so that part is easy! But Carmen Perez’s single, “Overload” was #43 on the Billboard dance charts & was #1 for the 2nd week in a row on the NJ dance charts. We’re looking forward to seeing it enter the UK pop charts very soon. Her last single, “Emergency” went to #10. I co-wrote both of these singles. Carmen is a working actress here in LA and she’s become a wonderful painter too. Ms. Perez is a TRUE artist and I’m very proud of her accomplishments & hustle. Because it’s ALL about the hustle!
Diana Gone Wrong, is doing an east cost tour! The band is currently stocking up on merch and practicing a LOT. One of the best things about touring is that it really tightens up a band. When they return they will showcase for the Majors. Diana, lead singer and creator of the band, deserves GREAT success. She’s also an artist through and through.
Another singing client, Marta Krupa, was featured on TMZ this week. It’s a really cute segment. -And she’s as talented as she is beautiful. There will be more to come from Marta & her music soon. Her star is on the rise.
I spent a lot of my time this week getting several of my singer/dancer clients ready for the Bring It On, The Musical audition. The musical based on the movie is starting it’s run in Atlanta with an eye on Broadway. We made a great showing I must say! 5 of my clients got callbacks. It’s always reassuring to know that I’m helping people to get work in the industry…to achieve their dreams.
In my career, things are moving along nicely. -More work on the movie musical, focus on the music I’m composing and covering for Praying Small (at the NoHo Arts Center in April), working on my album (adding a few wonderful songs by other writers), and some songwriting sessions.
I’d like to clarify what I mean by “movie musical” in the above paragraph. My writing partner, Darryl Stephens, and I have tried to figure out what to call the piece that we’ve written. -Because it’s not really a movie musical at all. It’s a movie about an aging rockstar’s comeback tour. There is plenty of music but it is all sung on stage, at award ceremonies, in recording studios…all settings where music happens in LIFE. So what would you call that? I guess it’s a movie. -with music. -sung by characters who are singers. But that’s not clever at all. Thus, I’ve defaulted to the vague, yet identifiable genre of “movie musical”, because it’s far easier to say.
Right now I’m listening to Sade’s new album, Soldier of Love. It’s gorgeous. Definitely an album that needs to be listened too. It doesn’t make much of an impression as background music. It’s times like the moment I’m in now where the album really shines. It’s sophisticated, it breaks my heart, and it’s the Sade that we know and love.
I’ve also been listening to Toni Braxton’s new CD, Pulse. I’m trying so hard to like it, because I’ve always liked her. The songs are very good. (I especially like “Wardrobe”, “Stay”, “The Break-up”, “Get Loose”, “I Hate Love”, I mean MOST of the songs are good!) -So why doesn’t this album hit me like I want it to? I think it has something to do with the way her vocals have been produced. They are drenched in reverb & delay. Most singers of Toni’s ilk are being produced more dryly these days, although Alicia Keys‘ new album, The Element Of Feedom, is also pretty reverb heavy. Personally, It bothers me. For me, too much reverb creates a distance between the artist and the listener. I want to feel like the artist is in the room with me. -So I hear the lyrics more clearly & I relate more deeply to the performance. We don’t look at fine works of visual art through smokey glass. Why are pop vocals being so heavily diluted? Discuss. :)
The week ahead is full and exciting! I REALLY need to get back to the gym this week. I’ve been procrastinating since the new year and it’s…MARCH! UGH! I’m much better on a deadline, like a performance, for example. -But with nothing scheduled while I work on new music… OK, I’m just GOING! I’m so much happier when I’m working out. That should be more than enough incentive. I’m going. -At least 3 times. I’ll report back.
All the best! Enjoy your week and create some beautiful art. XO
PS: I just saw this quote tweeted by my friend Kristen Hanggi. It’s a good one!
iam100k.com
