Jason Robert Brown

In today’s installment, marketing advice, queries from the UK, wonky piano questions, and the story of “Music of Heaven.” (I really will get to the business of blogging one of these days, but there are so many questions sitting in the “ASK JRB!” pile on my desktop that I just want to push through them so I can clear my desk!)   Jason Rasmussen writes: You talked about how you were a “cult” composer. Well, I have a couple marketing ideas for you (and hey, I have a Bachelors in music management, so I think they’re somewhat credible). First of all,Read More »

More Q & A with everyone’s favorite cranky composer! I think my responses are a little snippy this time out, I’m sorry about that; I really do appreciate all of your questions, keep ’em coming! Thomas Hodges writes: I was curious about your advice composing in today’s world and the road to making it in “The Business.” When you were much younger did you have many trepidations? And if so how did you surpass them? Is there any overall advice you would give to a composer? JRB responds: Wow, that’s a heavy question. I think I had fewer trepidations whenRead More »

Something you’re not likely to say: There aren’t enough JRB interviews on this site. Something else I won’t expect to hear from you: I need one more chance to read the same stories over and over again. Well, if I did hear either of those things from you, I’d have an answer: relief is in sight. Actually, even better than the same old crap, there’s a very thorough interview with me available in book form, featuring a very detailed exegesis of the creation of “Parade” as well as a pretty good explication of what a musical director does. The bookRead More »

To celebrate the publication of “The Jason Robert Brown Collection,” two previously unreleased recordings of songs you’ll find in that book. One of the main reasons I signed on to “Urban Cowboy, The Musical” was the opportunity to work with Jenn Colella, absolutely one of the most talented young actors in the musical theater. (The other main reason was the money.) I got to write a song for Jenn in the second act of the show, after her character “Sissy” has been dumped by “Bud.” We recorded this version for radio play, which explains why Jenn sings “Drop dead” insteadRead More »

What, ho, why do those birds chirp so merrily? What is that glorious scent upon the breeze? Seems not the sky ever more cerulean? Why doth nature rejoice so? Yea, verily, finally after months of speculation, Hal Leonard has released “The Jason Robert Brown Collection,” featuring full piano and vocal scores for twenty-four of my songs. Included are several previously unpublished numbers, including “Someone To Fall Back On” and “See I’m Smiling,” as well as all the old JRB favorites like “Stars and the Moon” and “The Old Red Hills of Home.” You can buy it right here from Amazon.com.Read More »