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Composition

Arranging & Songwriting

Judy Kessler Piano Teacher Hawthorne NJI have been writing music since I was in elementary school. At that young age, I would write little songs about my dog, guinea pigs, a horse or my goldfish. Or I might write a funny poem about an annoying classmate at school and then put it to music with angry chords. That always made me feel better and it was a productive way to channel hurt or angry feelings.

As a preteen, I began singing in my  Temple’s  Junior Choir. I was intrigued by the sounds of the sad minor Hebrew melodies.  At home, I would write out the melodies of these songs and create a musical setting that emulated some of the textures I would currently be learning in my classical books.

In later teen years and beyond, I wrote dozens of love songs. Infatuation, drama, heartbreak, scandal — you name it, I wrote it.  Years later, when I moved to be closer to New York City, I found someone to arrange my best original songs, and produce these into a jazz/pop style. We went into the studio with wonderful musicians, and after weeks of hard work, I had my first CD, Secret Words. It was initially sold at Tower Records, Barnes and Noble and Borders Books. Now it continues to be sold online through iTunes, Amazon, and other entities.

Throughout my career, I have also improvised or written music for dance classes, shows, and as collaborations with my students. Read some testimonials.

I have written compositions in many styles:  Jazz, Country and Western, R and B, Classical, Ragtime/Stride, Latin and blues.

More recently, I wrote two suites, The Chanukah Suite and The Passover Suite. They are each in 5 movements, each movement based on a well-known song from that particular holiday. The aforementioned musical styles are embodied in these  two works. It brings a very modern, energetic feeling to these ancient songs. Whenever I perform them, the audience is quite enthusiastic. I am happy to say they are now available for purchase.

 

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Judy Kessler NJ Composition & Arranging