COMPOSER FEATURE:

Faye Chaio on her and Dudley's experience creating Banding Together

What was your inspiration for Banding Together?

Banding Together tells the story of a group of misfit animals who join to form a musical band.  In doing so, they also learn that families come in all different forms, shapes, and sizes. We wanted to craft a new musical story exploring this concept and celebrating diversity, inclusion, and family.

When did you first hear the story, and what drew you to it?

We have been longtime fans of the traditional folk tale "The Musicians of Bremen,” which tells how a misfit group of animals are brought together through music. At the heart of this tale is the idea that music can transcend individuals' differences and build community: music is something everyone can share.

What is your favorite character or part of the story?

Naturally, we love all our characters equally; we are most excited about the ideas that families come in all shapes and sizes and that music is our universal, human language.

What’s been the most challenging part of the composition process?

Finding a fluid and entertaining way to weave together lyric, narrative, and orchestral music was an exciting challenge.  In the end, we created a new form of theatre that is inspired by conventional theater, musical theater, and story theatre as well as chamber music.

What are you most excited about or curious to hear in real life?

The performance!  The wonderful thing about working with live performers is that each performance is different, new and exciting.  In Banding Together, the main characters are animals; we are excited to see an audience engage with the humanity of these animals: their dreams, fears, humor, hearts, and, of course, their voices, brought to life by both singers and orchestral instruments!