southern vermont:
making music
Adam Guettel (continued)
“To try to make the
perfect song for a
situation that has
been prescribed
by either a
director, book
writer, or myself
is a process that
I think is boring,
drudgery—
homework.
If it feels like
homework, it is
going to sound
like homework.
So, I prefer to
make stuff that
sounds really
cool and weird—
and ‘wow what is
that for?’—and
then figure out
how to bend the
storytelling so
that the actually
inspired ideas can
find a safe and
effective home.”
–Adam Guettel
get to perform and understand how theatre was made, then I sort of popped
into existence…to see the absolute chaos that is the beginning of the project
and the absolute sublimity of a project that really works out well—that can
move an audience. To see that happen at the age of 9, 10, 11 was a formative
experience and really set the template for how I deal with my work today. I
learned that things take time, and people make mistakes—and there’s nothing
wrong with that—and that’s part of the process.”
On Process
“I work in a way that is different from the way many people work. To be
specific, one is often given an assignment, ‘We need a song here that does this’
or ‘We need to do this for the character’ or ‘We need a lift in the score here—
and here, we need a solo.’ I understand all that—and respect it—and eventually
abide by it. But the way in which I abide by it is that I either have it sitting
around, or I make something up in a scattershot kind of way where I will make
music that suggests a slight departure from the assignment as given. To try
to make the perfect song for a situation that has been prescribed by either a
director, book writer, or myself is a process that I think is boring, drudgery—
homework. If it feels like homework, it is going to sound like homework. So, I
prefer to make stuff that sounds really cool and weird—and ‘wow what is that
for?’—and then figure out how to bend the storytelling so that the actually
inspired ideas can find a safe and effective home. And that’s my process. I’ve
never liked homework. I never did it.”
On Mentoring
“I have a lot of music in me that I want to get out into the world, but one of
the reasons I’m grateful for being a teacher, as well as a writer, is that when
you don’t feel you have that originating generative spark that a writer must
have, it is a great privilege and a great reassurance to know that you can still
be an effective teacher—and pass things on, and be generous, and listen and
try to help and develop the great new people who are coming along. That’s a
cantilever for me. It’s a great balance.”
On Vermont
“I always knew I wanted to live in Vermont. Even when I was a kid. I was
a plant maniac, even when I was a boy. All I wanted for my birthday was
plants…we faced south—and I had these incredible plants. I heard about
Vermont, like, it was this place that was all about plants. My whole life I
wanted to live here. And, eventually when I was 29, I moved here. And I’ve
been here 25 years.”
48 manchester life | manchesterlifemagazine.com