≡ Menu

A Musical Day

Over the past few years my affinity for music of the old Hollywood studio composers has grown strong. Their singing melodies and charming words belie the musical sophistication in these songs of the cinema. The combination of the beautiful scores and gripping, passionate playing of the studio orchestras make those old movies come alive even today.

After listening to so many wonderful songs by various composers and studios I wanted to try my hand at writing a few myself. The result is a new set of five songs, A Musical Day, for voice and piano. My goal was to unapologetically channel the aforementioned composers with no concern for my songs sounding derivative. To my surprise, these songs turned out to be “musically honest” despite their obvious nods to the studio composers: they feel just as much a part of my musical voice as my other pieces.

What began as a light-hearted project became one that I love dearly. I hope you’ll find a piano, bring your friends, and sing these songs together. The only thing better is an evening on the patio!

A score can be downloaded from the compositions page.

– Bryan Dunnewald, 21 July 2022