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Alanya Bridge

composer lyricist

Australia

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About

Alanya is an award winning composer lyricist. Her work has been performed around the world, including the Lincoln Center, Playwrights Downtown, Feinstein’s 54 Below, The Green Room 42, The Pershing Square Signature Theatre, The Times Center, The Duplex Cabaret Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Tristan Bates Theatre, Leicester Square Theatre and numerous theatres around New York, Australia and London. A music director, pianist, performer and singer songwriter, Alanya is also a passionate educator, having worked extensively with students in the theatre and music for over 15 years.

Alanya is a graduate of the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, Tisch School of Arts, New York University and member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild, Mercury Musical Developments, APRA AMCOS and Maestra. She studied in London at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and is a Licentiate of Trinity College, London. Sheet music for her compositions can be found at ContemporaryMusicalTheatre.com, www.homegrownaus.com and alanyabridge.com.



https://www.amazon.com.au/Journey-Songs-Alanya-Bridge/dp/1648711804

http://www.alanyabridge.com/song-book/journey-songs

Sheets

Interview

What does music mean to you personally?

Music is what makes my heart sing and connects me to myself and the world.

Do you agree that music is all about fantasy?

I think music is a beautiful way to explore and imagine abundant possibilities.

If you were not a professional musician, what would you have been?

I love nature and native Australian animals. Possibly raising orphaned joeys and koalas…or, if I was brave enough, an actor.

The classical music audience is getting old, are you worried about the future?

I do think there is work to be done in connecting the younger generation to classical music.

What do you envision the role of music to be in the 21st century? Do you see that there is a transformation of this role?

I find a lot of students are interested in learning piano solos from movies, so I imagine this may be one way of connecting the next generation to classical music.

Do you think that the musician today needs to be more creative? What is the role of creativity in the musical process for you?

I feel very fortunate that this career allows me to be constantly creative. When starting a new project, there is more freedom as to what you can create, the further you get into a project, the focus becomes clearer, and these constraints are also helpful in the creative process.

Do you think we as musicians can do something to attract the younger generation to music concerts? How would you do this?

I would like to see the younger generation attending more concerts. One way I am engaging the younger generation is by writing songs specifically for that age group.

Tell us about your creative process. What is your favorite piece (written by you) and how did you start working on it?

My creative process varies depending on what I’m writing for. When composing for solo piano, in terms of the musical arrangement, I have more room and freedom as to what I can write. When I’m writing for piano and voice, my creative process is feeling what the character would be feeling, then moving forward from there. When composing for solo piano, I picture images, colours, the story I’m telling, the feeling and journey of the song. As to what my favorite piece that I’ve written is- that is too hard for me to decide!

Can you give some advice for young people who want to discover classical music for themselves?

Listen to as much as you can and if it interests you, learn new compositions! If you have a connection to a composer, I think it’s such a treasured experience to learn directly from the person who wrote the work.

Do you think about the audience when composing?

When I’m writing for musical theatre I do. When composing solo piano music, I think more about the tone, theme, mood or story I’m creating.

What projects are coming up? Do you experiment in your projects?

I’m currently working on a song cycle In Between and a musical Chapters. Both projects go through a workshop process, which allows me to experiment and do rewrites.