The Play's the Thing. Where's the story?

Telling a Story. Your Story. And Finding out you have a Voice."
Have you noticed how often the famous singers who serve as guest helpers to the contestants on American Idol, during the days before each Tuesday performance, implore the singers to “sing the story”, “tell the story”, “think about the words”, or “sell the song”. All of these declarations are true and should be observed.
Of course, if the performing artist needs to get the story out, how much more the creative source, the composer or songwriter? Not any story, but a "true story." The creative artist needs to get th"in touch" with something that "rings true" within. All creative expression is most powerful when it comes from that “truth” place inside of us. Whether it's a comedic song, play, or film is best when the writer is “bugged” about some quirk in humanity or society, and is perhaps poking fun at it, whether sarcastically or affectionately, the point is if there is a passionate feeling underlying the theme of the work, his or her fellow performers will feel it, as will the audience, all of us being “magnetized” by the message, all proceeding from the heart of the writer.
Ah, the writer! The least famous, least recognizable, most unsung member of the creative team in the public's awareness.
When Richard Rodgers used to meander throughout the Broadway area during the day, he went virtually unnoticed. This was the man who was responsible for top three or four smash Broadway hits running at the same time, at that very moment. These are the shows that those same crowds had traveled great distances and were spending a great deal of money to experience and enjoy, for two hours, beginning at 8 p.m. Does that seem fair? Ah, but the singers, actors, and directors know. They know that “The play’s the thing.” They appreciate the "story tellers".
By the way, who amongst us would recognize Lorenz Hart, Oscar Hammerstein, Tim Rice, or Bernie Taupin, (who wrote ALL of the words for those 50 or so Elton John hits. Song lyricists. More unsung heroes. But all of them knew how to tell a story. Often enough, a whole world would unfold in two or three minutes.
We'll encourage that here, as well. You can create a piece of a world that YOU feel. One that you're yearning for. Or trying to get away from. Lyrics. Your lyrics. The Meter. the Rhythm. (The words will inspire the last two.) And then..... Melody.
And wait 'til you've done it a second time. A third time. And the rest of us at ALT can tell a new song is one of YOUR songs. Because it has the distinctive, recognizable qualities of YOU.
In Theatre and Music we call this "finding or having your own VOICE."
What'cha think?
Yours. Leslie