The Music Behind Artistic Director, Stephanie Pizzo’s New Work
Our performances of HERE on October 17th & 18th at the Schaap Center for the Performing Arts feature a world premiere by Artistic Director, Stephanie Pizzo, set to an original musical composition by Madeline Merwin, performed live by the Warren Symphony Orchestra.
Ahead of this new work’s premiere, we interviewed composer, Madeline Merwin, seeking to learn more about her artistic process and what inspires her.
Tell us a little bit about your background. Do you have any dance training? Or have you always been a musician?
I was a competitive dancer growing up, but quit in high school to focus on music! So I do have a basic understanding of the choreo process and mechanics of movement, which definitely does help me compose music for dance. I went to a boarding arts high school and majored in music composition, then kept going all the way through to my master's degree in music composition! I was lucky to be able to work a little bit as a rehearsal pianist for dance classes after my master's degree, which refreshed me on the dance process. The intersection of music and dance has always been super interesting to me, and I feel so honored that the lovely team at Detroit Met have been such excellent collaborators!
How did you get into composing music for dance? What do you learn about composition and music from working with dancers?
The first time I composed music for dance was for a solo dancer on a whim when I was 17 years old - strangely enough, that piece ended up winning the American Prize in Composition a couple years later! It was then that I realized I might have a knack for it, and started doing more projects with orgs like the Nashville Ballet and Contemporary X Ensemble. Those experiences continued to fuel my love of music for dance, and when I had the opportunity to compose a full ballet during a fellowship year, I jumped at the chance. Composing music for dance has taught me a lot about leaving space in the music for the audience's interest to shift to the dancers - I approach it as more of a conversation and less of a monologue, which I normally do for orchestral concert music. Leaving room in the music for the dance to fill in has been an excellent exercise in managing the attention economy.
“Composing music for dance has taught me a lot about leaving space in the music for the audience's interest to shift to the dancers - I approach it as more of a conversation and less of a monologue, which I normally do for orchestral concert music. Leaving room in the music for the dance to fill in has been an excellent exercise in managing the attention economy.”
- Madeline Merwin
What would you consider the most challenging aspect of composing music for dance?
Coming from a classical concert music background, it's certainly challenging to consider the movements that would be happening while I'm composing the music. Because the choreography is not set until after the music is done, it is a bit of a shot in the dark as to what music would work best with the dancers. The most similar thing would probably be when I compose music for film - in filmscoring, the music is supposed to elevate the action happening on screen, not distract the audience by being too convoluted or cerebral. I try to use this same approach when composing music for dance, except it's more challenging when I don't know yet what will be happening on stage!
What was it like working with Detroit Met Dance (formerly Eisenhower Dance Detroit) and Stephanie Pizzo?
Detroit Met Dance has been fantastic to work with! I was fortunate to attend an event which Stephanie choreographed a couple of years ago, and I think her style is really emotional and out-of-the-box original. I'm super excited to see what she does for this piece!
What is the most rewarding part of the collaborative process you had with DMD, and why?
Stephanie was a really instrumental part in coming up with the concept for this piece (being a sort of biography about a same-sex love story), and I feel really lucky that we were on the same page about what the vision should be. I've had meetings with the DMD team for years now about this piece, and they've never wavered in their commitment to giving it their all. Having creative people to bounce music and ideas around with is super fun and rewarding!
Detroit Metropolitan Dance in rehearsal with Artistic Director, Stephanie Pizzo
What advice would you give your younger self?
RELAX. It's only as I've gotten older that I've realized that everything turns out better if you just relax. Approaching projects without putting a ton of pressure on yourself lets your creative expression come through without judgment, and that's where the magic happens.
What is your favorite musical composition? What makes it special to you in your eyes?
This is such a hard question! One of my favorites is definitely “Rhapsody in Blue” by Gershwin - a bit obvious, but I think you can really feel Gershwin's musical instinct come through. I also love the story behind it - according to urban legend, he didn't realize he had agreed to write it until he saw it announced in the newspaper - he had less than a month to compose it. Personally, I also think some of my best work is made under pressure, when I don't have time to second-guess anything!
Is there anything else you'd like to add? Please leave us with any closing thoughts you might have!
Just thank you so much for having me! I'm super excited to be involved and see the magic that DMD pulls off with my music.
We are thankful to see this collaboration with Madeline Merwin come to life. Learn more about her on her website. We are also excited to be partnering with the Warren Symphony Orchestra for the live music for this performance. Learn more about the Warren Symphony Orchestra on their website.
Don’t forget to get your tickets for HERE at the Schaap Center for the Performing Arts on October 17th at 7:30pm and October 18th at 2:00pm.
