Rhonda Kess
Composer/Lyricist/Conductor

Can you tell us a little bit about what you do? I write musicals. I write the music and lyrics and collaborate with another writer on the book. One of my first shows, OKAYBETTERBEST was done off Broadway, and after that production, at Feinstein’s 54 Below, Fullerton College did a production in their Music Theater program. Before composing I was a conductor/pianist, and conducted American and British premieres in LA, NY, and London. I was a 20th century specialist, conducting everyone else’s music. Now I still conduct, but I conduct my musicals, often from the piano.

How did you first become interested in music? There was always music in my parent’s house, from Broadway musicals to Beethoven and Aaron Copland. And there was a big piano in the bay window, and that’s where I learned how to play. I studied at CalArts, the USC School of Music, and the Mozarteum in Salzburg.

How does art enrich a community, and what are some ways people can engage with art in Burbank? This is a great question! Besides going to concerts, there are usually rehearsals that are open to the public. If a person is interested in learning more about music and the process of preparing a program, contact the organization and ask if you can sit in on rehearsals, or attend programs or meetings where artists are brainstorming how to present new works to the community. The arts have so much to offer us, and you don’t have to have formally or informally studied arts to feel that they’re enriching your life. Music, the visual arts, dance, film, and words make us think and feel, and inspire us in ways that surprise us. There are a lot of art programs going on right here in Burbank, look around and ask questions.

If you could share with our community one thing about art, what would it be? Another great question…..I would say in a resounding voice: READ! Open a book! Burbank has great libraries, and library books are free! Enter a new world every time you open a book, get inspired every time you open a book. A book will inspire you in ways you can never imagine.

For more information about Rhonda and her work, visit her website, www.rhondakess.com