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The composer of "Pocahontas,"
"Pippin" and "Godspell" gives
his own voice to a new CD.
ture about Moses, Prince of Egypt, and
SUZANNE CHESSLER
is working on the songs for an upcom-
Special to The Jewish News
ing TV special about Pinocchio's father,
Geppetto, takes particular pleasure from
efore the lyrics for Pocahon-
his CD.
tas and The Hunchback of
"This is a real departure for me
Notre Dame were heard in
because, up until now, I basically have
movie houses around the
been writing songs for characters in
country, they were voiced, in part, in
shows and movies," said Schwartz, who
suburban Detroit.
wrote the hit music and lyrics for God-
That's because award-winning song- •
spell and Pippin while still in his 20s.
writer Stephen Schwartz, who works
"When I write for other characters, I
out of his Connecticut home, often vis-
use my own emotions and feelings and
its family in the area and takes his writ-
thoughts, but they're obviously some-
ing with him.
what disguised and filtered through the
The words and music for his new
characters. This is the first time I'm not
CD, Reluctant Pilgrim, also came to
hiding behind these others, and that
life, in part, during his travels to
feels great."
Motown.
Schwartz began working on the
"All I need is a piano, writing pad
CD's songs four years ago at the
and me," said Schwartz, 49, whose
encouragement of a pop composer
daughter is a junior at the University of
friend.
Michigan (U-M) and whose mother-
"A couple of people heard some of
in-law, Lucille Piasecki, and brother-in-
them and wanted to sing them in clubs
law, Jerome Piasecki, live in Farming-
and on recordings," Schwartz recalled.
ton Hills.
"I had to make demos so people could
"I don't know that I have a Detroit
learn them, sing them and get them to
song, but I've done a lot of writing
their musical directors.
while I've been in Michigan."
"I got calls from producers who said
Schwartz, who just composed the
they really liked the guy doing the
words and music for an animated fea-
1/9
1998
78
junior-year project. After graduation,
singing and would love to use him
Schwartz moved to New York and tried
some time. Of course, that was my
singing, which began to make me think to sell that show. Instead, producers
who heard it asked him to compose fOr
I should write a collection of songs and
Godspell, which included the song "Day
put them out as a CD."
by
Day" and brought him two Gram- _
Schwartz wound up with 11 songs
my Awards and the first of three gold
that express a range of feelings toward
records.
people he has known and observations
Schwartz's next project was at the
he has made. "Crowded Island," for
invitation
of Leonard Bernstein. The
example, tells about actual friends, who
two
collaborated
on Mass, the inaugur-
joke about knowing which line is about
al piece for the Kennedy Center for the
them individually.
Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
"When a writer sings his or her own
Pippin came next and was followed
material, there is an undiluted picture
The Magic Show, a Broadway musi-
by
of exactly what the song is supposed to
cal
introducing audiences to magicia,
be," said the composer, also at the key-
Doug Henning.
board for the recording.
Subsequent plays — Working,
Schwartz has been thinking , Stephen
Rags,
Baker's Wife and Children
about composing since he was
Schwartz: "I of Eden — did not meet with
6, when his parents took him
tell the truth the success of his previous
to see a Broadway show with
and make it endeavor, and there were many
music written by a Long Island
rhyme."
years out of the spotlight before
neighbor. Immediately after,
he began working with Alan
the piano lessons began and
Menken on animated features.
later the writing.
"The most important lesson I've
A drama major at Carnegie-Mellon
learned about both composing and
University in Pittsburgh, he wrote
writing lyrics is that if I'm . really true to
musicals for extracurricular college
myself — if I don't worry about sec-
shows. What ultimately became Broad-
ond-guessing my audience — if I write
way's Pippin was the essence of his