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Meet George Gagliardi-
Hello and welcome to my web site. Since you’re here I suspect you’d like to know a bit about me, some background information, if you will. Well, I was born at a very early age. (That’s a one liner for all you Henny Youngman fans out there.) But seriously folks, I was born in Paris, Texas and attended college here in the Lone Star state, majoring in music. I’m self taught on guitar and piano, both which I’ve been playing for close to 40 years. I’ve written over 700 songs and had a handful published and/or recorded – both solos and choral pieces. My performing career has taken me to a variety of places, both figuratively and literally. Back when I lived in Nashville I did some studio work and the same holds true for my time spent in LA. I’ve worked with church groups, comedy improv groups, big bands, small bands, various vocalists of all styles – I was even the singing emcee for a rare holiday traveling venue called the Santa Claus Express, an actual train that went from town to town doing Christmas shows. In short, I’ve spent my adult life as a working musician. If it’s a venue that requires music, most likely I’ve done that gig at one time or another in this lifetime.
About 15 years ago my love for theatre prompted me to channel more and more of my energies in that direction. While in LA I had a revue of my songs, Music By George, performed locally at the Crossley Theatre there in Hollywood. Since moving back to Dallas in 1992 I’ve played guitar and/or piano for several local musical productions. There’s also been occasions when I did the musical direction as well, particularly for my own shows. These shows, produced by the Pocket Sandwich Theatre in Dallas, had their beginning back in 198 when Rodney Dobbs and I first got together to write Dues and Don’ts of Dating, featuring my music and lyrics with Rodney as the book writer. Since then, with Rodney sometimes being a co-lyricist, we’ve collaborated on other shows including The Cloak trilogy, a spoof of a 1940’s radio hero featured in Cloak and Dagger, Spy in a Mini-Skirt and the latest, Stars and Spies Forever. My involvement with the local theatre scene here in Dallas has afforded me the opportunity to work with a variety of production companies including Undermain Theatre, where my musical direction on their production of The Joy of Going Somewhere Definite earned me a Leon Rabin nomination, a local theatre award. On Our Endeavors Theatre Collective production of Gorey Stories I was once again musical director and I’m pleased to say that show won a Leon Rabin award for best production of a musical that year.
In 1996 I received a commission from C.A.T.S (Creative Arts Theatre School in Arlington, TX) to collaborate with local playwright, Natalie Gaupp, and create a children’s musical based on the Japanese folk tale, Urashima Taro. I’ve also written incidental music for various plays produced here locally including Ms. Gaupp’s drama, Big Band.
Having spent a great deal of my life inside the church walls I’m very much at home with the people of faith and continue to enjoy many opportunties to share my music with fellow “seekers” on the way. My latest CD attests to as much even by its title, Poet and Pilgrim – Reflections of One Man’s Spiritual Journey. And as for the journey, an important part of the journey has been connecting with kindred spirits and even more so kindred musical spirits. Certainly gospel music legend, Cynthia Clawson, easily falls into that category. It’s primarily through her efforts that my songs have made the inroads into the mainstream they have. In fact Words and Music, a song of mine Cynthia recorded, was nominated for a Dove award in 1980. Then only a few years later she recorded My Finest Hour and it was the title cut on an album that was nominated for a Grammy. On my aforementioned CD there is song that she and I co-wrote, How Do You Build A Bridge (To That Other World?) and I anticipate we’ll continue to find ways to share even more musical moments together. So stay tuned.
Besides my performing and writing I do a good deal of teaching, both privately and in public schools – the latter through the auspice of Young Audiences of North Texas, a part of the Big Thought organization. And as if guitar and piano were not enough to occupy my musical pursuits, I’ve decided to try and learn to play the tenor saxophone in my spare (what?) time, try being the operative word. But one day, who knows … So watch out Kenny G, you’ve been warned! (Ha!)
Thanks for stopping by my home on the web!
- George Gagliardi