Writing Lyrics and Melody for Arabian Nights the Musical

Abstract

          The research article is part of the creative research entitled “Writing Lyrics and Melody for Arabian Nights the Musical”, which draws from the study and the interpretation of the Arabian Nights, a collection of Eastern folktale such as Arabian, Persian, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Chinese. It aims to 1) study the process of writing lyrics and melody for Arabian Nights the Musical; 2) write lyrics and melody for Arabian Nights the Musical; and 3) publicize the pieces by performing the entire production of Arabian Nights the Musical in the form of musical theatre with a wind band.

          The results are that 1) the process of writing lyrics and melody for musical theatre starts with song spotting by choosing where to put the songs in the musical. Then, the function and structure of the melody and lyrics are set to match the libretto, the character’s personality, the emotion, and what the character wants to convey at each particular time and place of the scene. The next step is selecting modal and scale systems that are connected to Arabian, Persian, and Chinese cultures and using those materials to build the identity of each folktale. 2) The 14 original songs move the story and the characters forward in their journey and usually occur at crucial points or emotional high points in the story. 3) The pieces were publicized by performing the entire production of Arabian Nights the Musical with Kasetsart Wind Symphony.