"We are about to witness another Renaissance!" - Drew Gasparini Discusses His Writing Projects and Much More
Kevin Ray Johnson
I would like you to meet Drew Gasparini! Drew is an award-winning musical theatre composer and lyricist, a singer/songwriter, a comedian, and a teacher. Drew is currently developing a number of new stage musicals such as the Broadway-bound musical adaptation of The Karate Kid for Gorgeous Entertainment (book by screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen); It’s Kind of a Funny Story for Universal Theatrical Group (book by Alex Brightman); Night Shift for Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures (book by Babaloo Mandel & Lowell Ganz); The Whipping Boy (book and co-lyrics by Alex Brightman), We Aren’t Kids Anymore (a song cycle); and The Drum Bridge (with Brandon Ellis).
Some of Drew's other projects include the award-winning Super Bowl publicity stunt Skittles Commercial: The Broadway Musical starring Michael C. Hall (book by Will Eno, lyrics with Nathaniel Lawler, directed by Sarah Benson); Everything in its Place: The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers, a one-man-show starring Marc Summers and Make Me Bad (both with Alex Brightman); Crazy, Just Like Me (2011 New York Musical Theatre Festival “Best of Fest”); Turn of the Screw and #UntitledPopMusical (both with Michael Kimmel); and songs for Hit List on the NBC television series SMASH, the children’s cooking program “Monica’s Mixing Bowl”, and Hot Mess in Manhattan (“The Text Message Song”).
Drew has also performed sold-out concerts at venues such as The Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center as well as Joe’s Pub and 54 Below. As a writer myself, Drew is an artist that I have admired for years, and I am very thankful to have the chance to interview him!
How old were you when you knew you wanted to have a career in theatre and when did writing come into the picture for you?
I was 12 years old when I knew for sure that theatre was going to be a part of my life forever. I had done some community theatre shows, starting in tiny roles, then eventually getting lead roles, and I really thought my journey was going to be that of an actor instead of a songwriter. The first song I wrote was also when I was twelve. I wrote a song for my mom for Mother's Day. It was about how I karate chopped my way out of the womb. It was silly and cute, but it got a response from my family, and that validation was enough to make me say, "I should write songs for real." So, I started taking it seriously.
It didn't surpass my dream of being an actor until I was about 17 years old - it was my senior year in high school when I fully made the switch. I put acting aside, and I was very very determined to be a songwriter. However I could, whatever that meant... whether it was as a solo artist, writing songs for other artists, or writing a score for a musical, I was hell-bent on becoming a songwriter.
Where did you study? Are there any people and/or mentors who helped you on your journey?
High school is still where I believe I got my best music education. My high school music teacher, Emily Gates, is a superhero. She offered guidance, support, and all the know-how needed to get started on a serious musical future. I had a brief education after high school at a music college called The Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA. I dropped out after a short time because I realized I didn't need a degree in order to be a songwriter (Which I still think is true). One of my favorite teachers there was a man named Mike Campbell. We are still in touch, and he's a wonderful support. I was also part of the BMI fellowship in NYC where I learned the fundamentals of theatre writing.
Studying songwriting is great for the fundamentals, but you can't grow as an artist if your whole artistic journey is being taken over by assignment based writing, or teachers telling you whether they think your song is good or whether it lives up to a standard that they've created. In other words, I didn't mind being taught how to build a foundation, but I wasn't a fan of being told what the house I'm building should look like. Ya dig?
We are all living in a very unprecedented time. How have these times been for you and what is your daily routine like now?
This global crisis has affected me in many different ways. The looming uncertainty that comes with times like this creates an emotional rollercoaster. I've actually had COVID-19 and went through almost 4 weeks of truly hellish symptoms. So, while I was sick, and while the world was figuring out what we should all be doing, I found it very hard to self-motivate. But after that initial month of "what the hell is happening to the world?," I put the fire back under my ass to continue working on the several projects that I have on the books right now, and also to start new projects.
Once this all goes away, artists are going to be needed like never before. We need to keep creating so that we have a surplus of stories to tell, songs to sing, and shows to see. The escapism created by artists is going to be needed more than ever. I'm treating this quarantine delicately, but I'm not slowing down.
My day looks like this:
Wake up around 6:30 am
Emails for a couple of hours.
Do a 45 minute home workout around 8:30.
By 10-10:30 I am usually at the piano or at my desk writing.
I write until I can't, and whenever I hit that wall I take myself on a long long long walk around my neighborhood and listen to music.
Days and evenings are also peppered with zoom meetings, classes I'm teaching, podcasts I'm speaking on, etc.
And yes, there are the moments for a Netflix show, or cooking, or whatever time-wasting activity is needed.
Your career has been great and I am so excited for you and your upcoming projects which include The Karate Kid Musical. Are there any shows or performances that you have done in your career that will always be near and dear to your heart?
Thanks very much for the kind words! These careers take such a long time to build that you become so focused on "what's next" and hardly reflect on the things you've done. But I guess there are two projects that come to mind. The first is "It's Kind of a Funny Story," a musical adaptation of the novel that I'm co-writing with Alex Brightman for Universal. The source material is really, really, really important to me. The whole show is so special and unlike anything I've been a part of.
The other is a song cycle that I wrote fully for me without a commission or a producer or anything, and we just released the cast album for it. It's called "We Aren't Kids Anymore" and I'm very proud of it!
What advice would you give any aspiring artist during these crazy times?
Don't be discouraged if you can't find a way around your mental blocks. Times are very weird right now and that takes some adjusting, so there is no pressure. BUT the minute you have the strength and the vision, start at it again. Start creating. Once the world is back to okay, your creative goods are going to be needed in a way that they've never been needed before.
We are about to witness another Renaissance!
To learn more about Drew and any of his current projects make sure you visit - www.thedrewgasparini.com