Wednesday, Aug. 28, 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.
Continuing our song series we come across a song uniquely written not for the musical stage, radio, or LP – but a movie! While not becoming popular until television reruns of thr 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in the 1980s, “Pure Imagination” has captured the hearts of listeners and musicians alike across the last several decades, including a burst of popularity after Gene Wilder’s death in 2016.
Written by the British composing/songwriting team of Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, best known for writing the songs that originally appeared in shows like Stop the World – I Want to Get Off (1961) and The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd (1965), whose songs have become modern-day standards. Newley was also an actor and filmmaker, giving him a unique perspective as a musician and composer.
“Pure Imagination” has been covered by numerous artists with ride-ranging imagination. Join us as we explore the unique style of Bricusse and Newley, and why this song remains extremely popular today!
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.