Sir Tim Rice reveals many of his compositional secrets in a new series of BBC educational videos.
Sir Tim is the latest name to join BBC Maestro’s platform of world-class experts (see here), sharing backstage access to the world of musical theatre, songwriting and performance.
It's an exclusive and detailed online course, so it isn't free - but anyone with any serious interest in writing musicals will obviously be interested in what the award-winning expert has to say.
Sir Tim – one of only 18 people ever to have won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards – will break down his creative process from initial idea to final performance, sharing insights and his understanding of what is needed to make it in musicals.
The lyric-writing legend behind Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Aladdin, and The Lion King takes viewers through 20 lessons about honing storytelling through writing, performing and collaborating. As well as breaking down some of his biggest hits, the course features technical guidance on performing, the crafting of "timeless" musicals, and writing for film. Rice also goes into financing creative projects, handling career setbacks and exploring what for him is the "shared DNA" between musicals, pop and rock.
“Your musical theatre journey can start anywhere, never let an opportunity pass you by – no matter how small it may seem," he says. "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat originally began as a 15-minute end-of-term play for a school.”
Sir Tim’s course on Writing and Performing Musical Theatre will be available later this summer. The BBC Maestro series features a series of extended lessons filmed in high resolution with an eclectic mix of prestigious experts.
The platform offers individual courses for £80, or an annual subscription for £110.
Find out more here