Jun 122006
 

Origin/Composer: Claude-Michel Schönberg Year: 1990 People may disagree, but I think this is the best song from Les Misérables. The way all the characters contribute their own story and feelings into the song and the way they all meld together at the end is so incredibly powerful. Only the finale can equal the power of this song. Maybe. You need to listen to it while reading the lyrics, or else the full effect just isn’t there.

Jun 052006
 

Origin/Composer: Aaron Copland Year: 2006 Amy Weaver from Eden Prairie High School first gave this to me a few years ago for me to accompany, but then a week later or two, she dropped it because it was too hard. Being the stubborn person I am, I asked Munika Lay from Stanford to do this and she, being another stubborn person, agreed. We started fall quarter, and finally got it down pretty well by spring quarter. I included it in the Junipero Soundtrack. My blurb from the Soundtrack: It’s the first piece I’ve done that has had breath marks for me, the pianist. It’s been a great time practicing with Munika and trying to get the two parts to fit [more . . .]

May 292006
 

Year: 2006 Daryl Zalan lived right down the hall from me freshman year at Stanford. The night I went into his room to listen to this song he said he just recorded, I was amazed. First of all, it didn’t sound like his voice, and secondly, it was all…pretty good, and he did it all himself. Daryl, hope you make it big, man.