Hello Beautiful People,
It’s the day after The 67th Tony Awards and I could not think of a more perfect time to introduce you all to the next featured musician in our Music Magic Series, Drew Gasparini. I have no doubt that his work will one day be recognized and honored at the momentous celebration – yes, he’s that good. I am notorious for playing soundtracks and songs on repeat, like, hundreds of times. Truly inspirational music will never get old, and Drew’s music is part of that category; the dude’s a genius. In the age of iTunes, I will sometimes pick and choose songs that I like, instead of purchasing an entire album. (Terrible, I know!) I will tell you this, the entire album of If I Could Use a Drink is outstanding. The ENTIRE ALBUM, and trust me when I say that, cause I’m quite picky. There’s not one song that’s “eh” – they’re all more like “holyshitthisisbrilliant”. He’s the type of composer and lyricist that speaks to the heart and soul of a generation, and he still manages to be quite humble and gracious about his talents. I was honored that Drew agreed to participate in this Q&A Series, blessed to now be able to call him a friend, and super pumped to share this exclusive Q&A will all of you! Ladies and Gents, meet Drew Gasparini…
TWT: Did you always want to be a musician?
DG: My little start into this venture was always with the mindset that I’d be an actor or a singer/songwriter. I didn’t think I’d be a lyrist/composer. My first song I ever wrote was for my mom about me being…born. It was pretty funny. I played the drums in middle school and high school. At one point in high school I wanted to go solo and just be on my own. I started writing my own stuff, I taught myself guitar and piano. I would play in little coffee shops, and then I moved to Los Angeles to go to college, which I ended up dropping out of, so I could tour as a musician. I opened for Third Eye Blind, Jason Mraz, and The Plain White T’s. Amidst that, I wrote a musical. I was playing around with ideas, I had gotten dumped, I got bored, and I wrote a musical, Crazy Just Like Me. I remember mailing it to NYMF, and then they sent me a rejection letter, but it was something to the effect of we’re not going to let this show in this year, because we don’t think it’s good enough. But, we think you’re a rally good writer and you should move to New York. It was an actual personal letter, which is part of the reason why I moved. A few years later, Crazy Just Like Me was in NYMF, and it won Best of Fest, and eventually went on to do regional productions. I wrote Make Me Bad (book by Alex Brightman), which was accepted into Pace New Musicals; I also wrote Turn of the Screw (book by Michael Kimmel), which was presented at Lincoln Center, and an evening of my music was also presented at the Kennedy Center in D.C. Then SMASH came along, so, that’s how I got to where I am now. But that’s how it is in the New York Community, and I can’t overemphasize the word community enough. Community is such a strong part of the business; once you kind of involved in it, everything just keeps coming. There might be slow months, but jobs are out there and you will find them. And then all of sudden you’re hanging out with Ryan Scott Oliver and Joe Iconis and those guys and becomes a new generation, a new crop of composers that I’m so happy to be a part of.
TWT: Your latest album, I Could Use a Drink, has received, and continues to receive, glowing praise. What was the whole process of creating that album like?
DG: In late 2011, early 2012, I was performing at Joe’s Pub a lot. Our shows are fun, they’re different, and after one of the shows, a producer came up to me and asked if I had ever considered putting out an album. This was during the time that Kerrigan and Lowdermilk just came out with their album and composers were starting to put out compilation albums of their stuff. And so I said no, not really, because I didn’t think anyone would care to buy it. But he convinced me that it would be a good idea, and we started recording, right around the time that SMASH announced that I was part of the new musical writing team. It was a crazy time, because the buzz around my music was starting to generate. Getting into the studio was relaxed and awesome, and yes, we may have had a drink. I’m sure the singers may have heard the track and thought that it wasn’t a perfect take, but in my opinion it was because it was raw, relaxed, and a ton of fun. It was great.
TWT: In honor of you album title and just for fun, what’s your favorite drink?
DG: I’m a beer-drinking dude by nature. Sierra Nevada. But, if we’re talking some serious drinking, I really like Bulleit Bourbon on the rocks. It’s delicious.
TWT: Just for fun, what sound do you love?
DG: Ice cubes clinking in a glass.
TWT: Just for fun, what sound do you hate?
DG: The entire catalogue of mouth noises that happen. It makes me want to throw up.
TWT: Just for fun, what movies would you want to have with you on a desert island?
DG: The Big Lebowski, High Fidelity, and The Birdcage.
TWT: Just for fun, what’s your favorite television show?
DG: I will always love Seinfeld.
TWT: Just for fun, what musical character is most like your personality?
DG: Jamie from The Last Five Years.
TWT: Just for fun, what musical character is least like your personality?
DG: Fagan from Oliver. I mean, he’s like a creepy pickpocket with little kid friends.
TWT: What advice would you give to aspiring artists?
DG: I would say the best advice for anyone getting into the community of artists is to treat people kindly. People don’t want to work with assholes. If you’re kind and show that you want to work hard, then sky’s the limit. The other thing I would say is to try to attend everything having to do with your craft – concerts, showcases, shows – anything having to do with the arts… this is your world! See what else is out there. Learn from it and get inspired!
TWT: What’s next for Drew Gasparini?
DG: June 24th at Le Poisson Rogue I will be doing a concert read of a musical that I’m working on with Michael Kimmel called #UntitledPopMusical. On July 29th I’ll be doing a concert at Joe’s Pub featuring songs from the I Could Use a Drink album.
TWT: In today’s economic climate, arts programs are being cut. What reasons would you give a politician for preserving the arts?
DG: I would say that it doesn’t make sense to take away something that not only teaches structure, but it also teaches creativity. And in terms of music programs, in a world that so heavily depends on communication, music is quite literally the only universal language. Why would you take away such something that is so important in shaping a young mind?
TWT: Who is /was your greatest teacher?
DG: Emily Gates she was my high school music teacher, and pretty much the first person who wasn’t my Mom or Dad who expressed that music didn’t have to be just a hobby, that I could make a living doing it. She still comes to shows – I just love her. My parents go without saying; I come from a very supportive family.
Thank you, Drew!
The concert read of #UntitledPopMusical is TWO WEEKS from today! This show/concert reading encompasses dance songs, crotch shots, public meltdowns, twitter rants, little monsters, mean girls, media overload, paparazzi, drugs, clubs…there’s something for everyone, really. #UntitledPopMusical is a new collaboration from Kimmel and Gasparini that shows the meteoric rise of Pop sensation Jenna Styles and what instant fame means in our new digital age. Many of us from The Write Teacher(s) Team will be there, and we’d love to see you at the show!
Live, Love, Learn,
Megan &