The Greatest Show on Earth
Music Tour
1. Welcome to the Show! – (Music and Lyrics) A rousing rock-pop anthem filled with stacked choral shouts and chants, written to catch the audience with a memorable hook. I wrote the lyrics with the goal of exciting the audience about the return of the Ringling institution while also calling out specific acts through the verses of the song as they appear on stage in the opening number.
2. Aerial Act – Diamonds – For several acts of the show I was tasked by the producers with transforming popular songs into act scores, to connect with the audience through familiar tunes while maintaining the drama of a circus act. For this aerial acrobatic number I reinterpreted the song “Diamonds” by Rihanna, blending electronic textures with lush live strings and brass (recorded at Ocean Way in Nashville) and wordless vocal choirs. The song was elaborated with some new original material as well as dramatic changes of key and pace to follow the spinning movements of the aerial acrobats.
3. Highwire -Fast-paced and filled with electronic drums and percussion, live brass, and acoustic guitars, the music for the Highwire act blends a variety of influences from flamenco to salsa to reggaeton to spaghetti western without sticking to any specific genre as it adds excitement to an already thrilling display of skill on the triple highwire.
4. This is Our Song – (Music and Lyrics) An audience participation number for the end of the first act, this song is built as a layering of looping parts, with sing along chants for the audience to join in on, and features performers sampling sounds from the audience and elsewhere to incorporate into the rhythm and “build” the song as it goes. The lyrics were designed to convey this idea of audience and performers creating the song and by extension the show all together. This is Our Song and Welcome to the Show! were released together as The Greatest Show on Earth EP on all major music streaming platforms.
5. Double Wheel of Destiny -The death-defying Double Wheel of Destiny act features 2 giant wheel structures spinning simultaneously. I scored the act with a futuristic driving techno number echoing the look of the glistening metallic wheels with pulsing and fizzing synth arpeggios and melodies.
6. Trapeze – For the spectacular flying act with a criss-cross double trapeze formation, I provide an epic cinematic accompaniment to real life flying superheroes. Heroic brass and driving strings again recorded live at Ocean Way Nashville.
7. Balance – Edge of Glory -Another popular song transformed, this time Lady Gaga’s “The Edge of Glory”, this time featuring orchestra and drums with a high cello solo. An original middle section of African mallets leads to a romantic reprise and then a return to the song’s original synth-pop roots for an energetic conclusion.
8. Chinese Poles -A joyously hyper brass and percussion-accented funk with scratched samples for the kinetic performers of Ethio Selam and their Chinese Pole act.
9. Finale – Every Day – (Music and Lyrics) For the show’s Grand Finale, we return to a reprise of the opening song, Welcome to the Show, but this time rewritten with a brand new chorus on the lyric “Every day, dream the impossible!” engaging the audience to bring the spirit of the circus with them as they leave the show.
