Musical Theater Masterpieces Come In Every Style

By Mario Tarradell, Public Relations & Marketing Manager

Jonathan Camacho, a music composition instructor at Septien Entertainment Group in Carrollton, got right to the point: “There is not as much of a gap between pop songwriting and musical theater as you think.”

Especially today as contemporary pop, rock, rap, Latin and country styles have been seamlessly woven into the traditional fabric of Broadway’s musical theater history. So Camacho played “Look Down” from Les Miserables, classic Great White Way material, and then cranked up Lorde’s pop-electronic hit “Royals” and Muse’s alt-rock staple “Uprising.” Here are three different songs all examining the same basic subject matter – the dichotomous struggle between upper and lower class, poverty and wealth.

For five eager students, all budding musical theater songwriters, Camacho connected the dots vividly and succinctly. Camacho and fellow Septien instructor Remington Septien spent two hours imparting invaluable songwriting knowledge during the first NEA Songwriting Challenge Workshop from 1-3 pm March 12, 2016 at Septien Entertainment Group in Carrollton.

The workshop aimed to provide high school students with professional, hands-on direction and feedback as they prepare to enter The Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students, a pilot competition spearheaded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Playbill, with additional support provided by Disney Theatrical Group. Big Thought is managing the contest in Dallas; Seattle and Minneapolis are also participating in the inaugural challenge.

The key message of the workshop was linking the power of melody and storytelling lyrics to a musical theater composition. Septien stressed the importance of melody, and potent lyrics to back up that melody. He said that melody should evoke a feeling that is simultaneously found in the lyrics. It’s like a pop song, but bigger. The audience must feel your excitement.

“At the end of the day,” says Camacho, “whether it’s a pop song or a theater song, it’s about telling a story worth telling.”

Many well known musicals were mentioned – Grease, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Cats, and naturally Hamilton, the current Broadway sensation. “Hamilton is huge, and it’s an old story,” says Camacho. “So there’s always an interesting way to tell a story.”

That led to an interactive exercise. Each student was challenged to write a one-line summary of his or her song’s theme. Each theme was individually discussed as each student was prompted to think about these important questions: What is my story about? What am I telling? Why am I here? What draws an audience to my story?

Compelling music and lyrics draw listeners to songs. That’s always at the crux of songwriting whether it’s a pop tune, a rocker or a musical theater masterpiece.