Andrew Edwards is a Chicago-based film and theater composer, who just completed his MFA in Music Composition for the Screen from Columbia College. Originally from Urbana, IL, his New York and regional theater credits include original music for: Metamorphoses (Athena Theatre, LA), Fitz & Walloughs Get It in the End! (NYC), Fraulein Else (Theatre Five, Edinburgh), Kala: A Musical Faerie Tale (Parkland College), and The Hourglass and the Poisoned Pen (Chicago Tap Theatre). Film credits include the scores for Message from the East (Endless Eye), Nancy Picks & Chooses (Columbia College), Sans Pertinence (SVA), and the cult fan feature, To Know a Jedi. The short films he has scored have been screened at film festivals internationally, including the Hollywood Black Film Festival, Motion Film Festival, (Tampa), and Cannes International Film Festival. He has released three albums with his band, Cellardoor, including the 2006 LP Distance (available on iTunes). www.rugbyroadstudio.com

Andrew kindly spent some time talking to us about his most recent project, composing the score for Chicago Tap Theatre's fairytale tap opera, Little Dead Riding Hood.

SS: So, Andrew, how long have you been involved performing and composing music?

AE: I've been playing the piano since I was in early grade school, and singing and playing the trombone since high school. I started seriously composing in college, at which point I promptly sold the trombone for cash. I also began music directing musicals and writing incidental music then. I continue to do nearly everything - except for anything trombone-related - to this day. If we're talking numbers, we're pushing 30 years of performing and 20 years of composing. Gosh, I'm old.

SS: What kind of music do you most like to perform/compose?  What's your personal style of composition?

AE: As a child of the 80's, my first love is 80's British Indie Rock/Pop music, especially The Cure, Depeche Mode, and The Smiths. I'm a big musical theatre snob, but I adore Sondheim -- to listen to and to play. My personal style leans towards the melancholy. There's a fair amount of sweet-sadness to my music, although I do like to toss in jazz and club elements to keep it from being too maudlin. As for inspiration, in addition to the above bands, I'm influenced by several living concert composers -- especially Steve Reich's early stuff and Arvo Part, as well as film composers -- especially Elliot Goldenthal, Howard Shore's work with David Cronenberg, and Danny Elfman.

SS: How did you become involved with Chicago Tap Theatre (CTT)?

AE: Board Member Jason Cox and I go way back, and -- after I'd moved to Chicago from NYC -- he hired me to be a substitute House Manager for Mixology [CTT's 2008 live-music show]. I wound up becoming the regular House Manager, and, at some point, I gave Mark [CTT Artistic Director Mark Yonally] my demo reel. I did the final mix and some transition music for "Hourglass" ["The Hourglass and the Poisoned Pen," CTT's 2008 story show, which went to New York as part of the New York Musical Theater Festival] and talk of a full original score came up naturally after that.

Incidentally, I'm still the House Manager, so if you need tickets, let me know!

SS: How did you come to be asked to compose the score for Little Dead Riding Hood?

AE: I think that I just offered to do it, or it came up naturally in conversation during "Hourglass". The concept went through a few iterations before we arrived at its current state. I started out with an idea for a score incorporating music from several different countries' folk traditions. That ended up going by the wayside, and I think for the best.
I still want to do a global folk dance score, though.

SS: What is the instrumentation and/or "feel" of the score like?

AE: It's a hybrid score, featuring some fantastic local performers and other electronic components. It was produced and recorded in my home studio using a wide variety of software instruments and instruments lying around the house.

The music is bright and epic -- there are a few disparate eclectic styles represented -- and follows Little Red on her quirky journey. Everything from Baroque and Classical to Pop and Dance, Rock and Jazz all appear in the score. Themes, textures, and melodic devices weave through the whole show and tie it together.

It feels like an amazing evening of dance, is what it feels like!

SS: What is the story about (no spoilers!)?

AE: Little Red Riding Hood breaks out of her story and starts sowing the seeds of dissent amongst the other characters in Fairy Tale Land. Mother Goose isn't having any of it, death begins looming around every corner, and a philosophical exploration of Free Will vs. Determinism ensues. Also, there is inter-species dating.

SS: What interested you most about the project?

AE: I've long been a fan of modern dance, and have wanted to write for dance for a long long time. I never imagined it would be tap, but I have quickly grown to love the art-form. The idea of collaborating with such an awesome and energetic group as CTT, as well as working closely with Mark -- who has always been incredibly encouraging and enthusiastic -- really turned me on to the project.  

I was also intrigued at the idea of doing a dark fairy tale, given my somewhat gothic sensibilities. I was initially planning on going significantly darker in tone, but through the shaping of the narrative we quickly realized that the show was going to have to be vibrant and joyful in addition to dark. It was great fun figuring out how to resolve that musically. I still want to do a morbidly dark dance score at some point, though.

SS: What has the creative process been like - what kind of interaction do you have with the dancers and/or Artistic Director?

AE: I've been having meetings about the project with Mark once or twice a week since January -- discussing plot points and musical styles. I would email him mp3's, and he would suggest revisions, changes, and ways to make the pieces more "tap friendly." I've been to a few rehearsals to see how things are working, and that has just been a joy. The dancers are amazing, and it adds an unreal dimension to the music to see and hear it being danced to. The company has played a big role in shaping the narrative and helping to flesh out what the characters' intentions are, and how that can be reflected musically.

Also, Mark and I talk about video games and Battlestar Galactica a lot.

SS: What special challenges arise for someone composing for tap dancers?

AE: One thing I've become aware of in working with tap dancers, specifically, is the need for the music to breathe. Not just to add stop-time or tap-breaks, but to allow for a range of emotions; both within each individual piece, and throughout the entirety of the show. That's true of any given song or piece of music, but here, since we don't have the benefit of speaking or text, the music has to help the dancers convey the narrative as clearly as possible. That can be a really fine line, and it's incredibly fun to find the sweet spots.

Additionally, I've found out what the frequencies of tap shoes hitting a wood floor are, and it is quite beneficial to write the music around these frequencies so they don't get in each others' way. Too geeky?

SS: What special challenges arise when creating a long narrative piece like this (as opposed to single songs)?

AE: I'm a structure nut. I love for everything (Film, Theatre, Dance, Buildings, etc.) to be as structurally sound and interesting as possible. When you don't have the benefit of text or speaking (we wanted to forego using projections this time around), some of the responsibilty for conveying the narrative falls on my shoulders. The dancers are amazing performers, and my role is to help identify the threads of the plot with musical reinforcement. There are are several motives and textures scattered through the show -- each one associated with different characters and situations. Weaving these motives into the show at key points has been a particularly delightful challenge. For example, taking the theme from an electronic piece early in the show and weaving it into an orchestral piece later -- tying the two scenes together -- and giving both the dancers and the audience signposts through the story.

I have also striven to make each tune unique but connected in subtle harmonic and textural ways to the rest of the whole. The balancing act here is between wanting a coherent show and not having it be homogenous and boring. Did any of that make sense?

SS: What has surprised you most about the process?

AE: The amount of time I ended up spending on the score, probably! I'm a fast writer, but this has been quite time consuming. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it has contributed to how I plan on doing this again in future. I've been working solidly on film for the past two years (for my MFA program and other projects), and I rediscovered my love for working on theatre projects on this show. I missed it terribly, and all of the little things that happened have been delightful. I will definitely be starting earlier next year!

SS: What is the best thing about working with tap dancers?

AE: The rhythmic innovation these guys come up with blows my mind daily. It's such a free and fascinating mindset, and I continue to be captivated and inspired by what they do. I'll write a piece with an idea in my head of what taps might end up over the top of it. I'll then go in to rehearsal and be gobsmacked by the end result. It is almost always far more creative and interesting than anything I could have come up with. They are brilliant, and I adore working with them.

SS: Will you be doing future projects with Chicago Tap Theatre?

AE: Absolutely!! We are already talking about ideas for next year. As I said before, we definitely need to start earlier on the spring shows, and I'll be raring to go in August!

SS: What advice would you give to other composers working with dance companies, tap or not?

AE: It's really important to be open to the collaboration. With dance, a lot of things come out in the wash, and a piece of music that you love might have to be chopped up, rearranged, and put back together again if it doesn't work with the dancers. Setting your ego aside is paramount, as well as not being too precious about your music in the early stages of the process. I can guarantee it will change...probably multiple times. Be open to it and I firmly believe that your music will be exponentially better than your first drafts as a result.

SS: What advice would you give to dancers working with new compositions?

AE: Don't be afraid to tell your composer what does and doesn't work. It's important for them to know when they are writing stuff that works, and even more important for them to know what can be made better. Sometimes a casual aside or a comment during rehearsal can teach your composer volumes. They're not going to know that unless the dancers speak up!

SS: What future projects of yours can we look forward to?

AE: I've just completed the scores for a couple of short films that are screening in festivals in Texas, Hollywood, and Florida this month (May). I'm wrapping up my original score for a beautiful documentary called Message from the East, about Islamic poet/philsopher Mohammed Iqbal. I'm really proud of the work the team did on this, and the score -- featuring some amazing Chicago-based world musicians -- has turned out better than I could have ever expected. Finally, the film that my thesis score will be accompanying just finished principle photography. I'll be headed out to LA in July to record the score with a Hollywood orchestra at Capitol Records. I'm incredibly honoured and excited for that, and I can't wait!

I just don't have anything to do with all of this free time!!!

SS: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

AE: Little Dead Riding Hood is going to be something very very special, and I hope that everyone will come out and support these amazing dancers! Also, the music turned out pretty well.

So that's it - many thanks to Andrew for sharing his time and expertise!  Those of you who want to catch Andrew's fantastic score and/or the amazing dancers of Chicago Tap Theatre can see Little Dead Riding Hood at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport, Chicago, on May 29-31, June 5-7, June 12-14.  Friday and Saturday shows are at 8:00 and Sunday shows are at 3:00.  Purchase tickets early, since shows tend to sell out. If you're a presenter who wants to see this show in your town, contact Artistic Director Mark Yonally to inquire about Chicago Tap Theatre's touring schedule.  More information on Chicago Tap Theatre and Little Dead Riding Hood is available at www.chicagotaptheatre.com.

Also, if you want to purchase copies of the soundtrack to Little Dead Riding Hood, they will be available at CTT performances. Later in the summer you will also be able to purchase digital copies on iTunes. I, for one, would be interested to hear what other tap rhythms our readers might come up with for Andrew's music!

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