Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Our special Songs of Summer series explores some of the most covered songs of all time in any genre! Join us for coffee and discussion as we dive deep into a song’s historical and cultural context, learning about the song’s original composers and the story behind its creation. We’ll listen to the music and lyrics, seeking to try and answer the question: what makes this song great? Finally, we’ll explore different interpretations of the song and discover how great artists can truly make a song uniquely their own.
Originally appearing on Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel’s 1970 fifth studio album Bridge over Trouble Water, the song by the same name was penned by Simon, and recorded by he and Garfunkel in New York while musicians from the Wrecking Crew (a loose collection of studio musicians from Los Angeles) provided additional instrumentation. The song won five awards in 1971, including Song of the Year, and became Simon & Garfunkel’s most successful single and signature song.
Simon received the inspiration for the song from the Swan Silvertone’s 1959 version of the 1915 spiritual: “Mary Don’t You Weep,” (which includes the line “I’ll be your bridge over deep water if you trust in my name”) as well as Johann Sebastian Bach’s “O Sacred Head Now Wounded”, yet still remains surprised that the melody came to him so quickly. Covered by legions of artists, the song’s message of hope and comfort has been an inspiration for over half a century, and continues to be covered today by numerous incredible artists.
Instructor
Josh Condon
As a pianist equally adept in the genres of jazz, pop, and classical, Josh Condon has served as music director/supervisor for over 40 musical theatre productions, in addition to leading concerts with symphony orchestras, choirs, jazz ensembles, and pop/rock bands. He has traveled the world as a music director and pianist for the Norwegian, Celebrity, and Princess Cruise Lines where he worked with numerous Broadway and West End performers.
Currently, Josh serves as Resident Artist and Director of Community Music Programs for Arizona Musicfest in Scottsdale, an organization which features concert performances of the music industry’s top talent. In addition to serving as Assistant Conductor for the Musicfest Festival Orchestra, he lectures on topics surveying a huge breadth of music history and analysis, including popular song, symphonic repertoire, jazz performance practice, musical theatre, and everything in between.
He also serves as Assistant Conductor for the North Valley Symphony Orchestra, and has appeared as Guest Conductor with the Scottsdale Symphony Orchestra, the Scottsdale Philharmonic, and the Arizona Musical Theatre Orchestra. Josh is passionate about using flexibility, positivity, and encouragement to create spaces where all can learn and perform to their best ability. He holds a BM in Jazz Studies from Ithaca College and an MM in Musical Theatre/Opera Music Direction from Arizona State University, and resides in Phoenix, AZ with his wife Lexy, their son Arlo, and their cat Sadie.