28
September 2012
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Cue of the Week: “A Consultation”

This cue, from the political thriller The F-Zone, is a good example of how composers are lazy and like to recycle. The music opens with a suspenseful harp passage, which is really just the movie’s main theme re-purposed as an accompaniment. I then shamelessly recycle an earlier plot-development theme from this cue, now played by the celli and violas. The oboe player then begins the film’s love theme, which by this point the attentive audience member has heard half a dozen times.

Quite a lot of mileage with barely any new music written! (If pressed, composers will refer to this process as “motivic development”.)


(Click on the play button to stream, or the cue title to download.)

A Consultation
14
September 2012
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Cue of the Week: “The Lowlanders”

This week’s selection intermixes lots of drums with cimbalom, mandolin, and recorder. (An alternate name for this piece might be “massacre at the Renaissance fair”.)


(Click on the play button to stream, or the cue title to download.)

The Lowlanders
07
September 2012
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Cue of the Week: “Sudden Blooms”

This week’s selection is a bit of mid-tempo electronica-plus-acoustic-guitar-plus-vibraphone (yes, that old cliche) written for Culture, an XBox Live game.


(Click on the play button to stream, or the cue title to download.)

Sudden Blooms
31
August 2012
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“Super Sidekick: The Musical” wins accolades at NY Fringe Festival

Super Sidekick: The Musical, with book by Gregory Crafts and music and lyrics by Michael Gordon Shapiro, has earned a number of accolades and positive reviews at the 2012 New York Fringe Festival. Some honors include a Critic’s Pick designation by New York Magazine, and a glowing review from NYTheatre.com .

The music was also one a small number of shows to be granted a one-month extension in the Fringe Encores series, and was the only children’s show to do so in the festival’s history.

Super Sidekick: The Musical will be included in the fall 2012 catalog from stage publisher Samuel French.

Morituri Te Salutant // Michael Gordon Shapiro - Highlights
  1. Morituri Te Salutant // Michael Gordon Shapiro - Highlights
  2. Emerald, Texas // Highlights
  3. Mythic Battle // Highlights
  4. The Yard Sale // Michael Gordon Shapiro - Highlights
  5. Investigations // Highlights
  6. Home Room // Highlights
  7. Sands of Arabia // Highlights
  8. Spider Cult // Highlights
  9. Poker Night // Highlights