Michael Friedman
(piano '89-'91, Junior Session staff '94-'96) died Se
ptember 10 at age 41 in New York City.
Michael was a prolific composer and lyricist. He wrote the music and lyr
ics to the 2010 musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
, which the New York Times characterized as a "
sharp, sexy and satirical musical, drawing on contemporary emo music." His collaborator on that show, Alex Timbers, said, "If you look at how diverse his shows were and how prolific he was, you see what a restless mind he had. He would write shows where he was quoting Kurt Weill one moment, Sondheim the next, and then John Philip Sousa." Michael's
TEDx talk on writing songs for theater is available on
YouTube.
In a recent interview, Michael said he
wrote his first compositions at Kinhaven. "The first was a deeply embarrassing orchestral work called 'Overture de la vie et de la mort,' or something to that effect," he said.
He also fondly recalled Kinhaven traditions like
Pi
lfer the Plunger, Inspection, the Garden House, the Regatta, candles on the last night, and dancing and going barefoot.
"
Oh and cold days when we made a fire in the main house."
Michael said that at Kinhaven, "I learned to explore the repertoire in ways I'd never understood. I started writing music and was encouraged. I learned Bach chorales and the orchestral repertoire and about collaboration and how to enjoy the process of working on a piece as much as the performance," adding, "I never learned how to throw a clay pot, though."
We'll miss Michael and send our deepest condolences to his family.
|
