Meet Gabriella Hirsch | Composer | Lyricist | Music Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gabriella Hirsch and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gabriella, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I didn’t always think of myself as a risk taker, or of my choices and life decisions as particularly bold. However, I now recognize that taking risks has played a huge part in finding my voice and finally pursuing a career in composition. There is a certain level of nerve/delusion that you kind of need to have if you’re going to go for something so uncertain! Vulnerability is a major piece of it, too- when you care so much about a piece of music, for example, sharing it can feel like a risk since not everyone is going to love it. For me, the fact that that step has gotten easier over the years feels like a really good sign.

Back in my undergrad, I was extremely intimidated in classes where we had to share our original work. If anyone had told me that I would want to pivot to composing professionally one day, I never would have believed them! But being out of school and exploring more DIY music, theater, and comedy spaces in Chicago helped me learn to express myself just for fun. Even when I flopped, it was really addictive. Once I felt that the pieces I identified with were resonating with people, and I had my own network of artistic collaborators whom I loved working with, fear and uncertainty began to balance out with self-belief and a sense of direction.

Almost everyone I know has gone back to school for tech, law, or medicine at this point; it feels kind of wild to get to focus my energy on writing music. But the joy that it gives me has helped me worry less about accolades and prestige, and makes this leap of faith feel more manageable. It also must be said that having a support system is so critical in being able to make a lot of these choices. At the end of the day, life is short and it has felt great to put myself and my work out there!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a composer and lyricist for film, TV, and musical theater. I also music direct for theater and comedy, accompany musicians and dancers on the piano, and gig as a pianist at various kinds of events. While piano is my main instrument, I also sing and play guitar, and I really enjoy writing for different styles of instrumentation (orchestral, electronic, pop, etc). Recent scores that I’m proud of include animated short films from the School of Visual Arts (Dear Yeda, Little Kamera, GOLD), as well as an upcoming romantic comedy short called Yes, Andrea. I avidly consume sitcoms, dramas, and musical television, so those kinds of projects are really exciting to work on- however, beyond specific genres I am always thrilled to work with directors and writers who have a unique point of view and a love for the collaborative process!

I now live in Brooklyn, but I spent most of my twenties in Chicago, which is where I developed my sensibilities as a composer and songwriter and learned how to collaborate. One especially formative project was “Lucky: A Musical”, which won Best Lyrics and Most Promising Musical at the 2019 Chicago Musical Theatre Festival. We originally produced “Lucky” on a small stage at The Second City, and now you can listen to the studio album on Spotify! I was also a staff music director at iO Chicago, and a company member of PlayMakers Laboratory, which is a nonprofit that teaches creative writing to 3rd and 4th-graders and then turns the students’ stories into sketches, songs, and shows for their school. Those pieces were some of the funniest things I’ve ever seen or been a part of, and they really spoke to who I am as a writer.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
After one year in Bushwick, I do have a couple of favorite spots nearby. I could brunch at Newyorktitlan every day- it’s a fairly priced and absolutely delicious Mexican spot. I love going to see films at Nitehawk Cinema in Williamsburg, which has awesome food and drink service in the theaters. Old Stanley’s is my go-to dive bar, but I also need to go back to Oddly Enough, a new queer bar in that has gourmet Jello-shots (they’re legitimately works of art). Ornithology is my new favorite for live jazz, and… I gotta say, it’s not exactly right down the street, but you can’t beat a nice day in Central Park!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Barbara Strong, who is shown in one of my photos, taught me piano lessons for eight full years when I was growing up in Virginia. She also taught me guitar, introduced me to community theater, and has been an overall major force in my life! My music instructors throughout high school- Nancy Atkinson, Marie Jo, and Read Gainsford- helped me grow immensely, as did JB Floyd and Tian Ying during my undergrad. In Chicago, I gained more confidence in my art thanks to coaching from Andel Sudik at The Second City and Brandon Cloyd at PlayMakers Laboratory. My co-writers and best friends, Jen Allman and Sarah Frasco, invested countless hours and resources into producing our show and cast album, Lucky: A Musical. Lastly, I of course must shout out my family who have always been excited to have a musician in the family!

Website: https://www.gabriellahirsch.com/

Instagram: hirsch_so_good

Other: Spotify: Gabriella Hirsch https://maestramusic.org/profile/gabriella-hirsch/ https://theawfc.com/user/gabriella-hirsch/

Image Credits
Aalisha Jaisinghani, Cassiel McEvoy