NYTheatre Voices
TOM ANDERSEN
My Songs
October 21, 2001

How does it feel to be doing your own songs rather than those of other composers?
It's exciting! I usually sprinkle my shows and my CDs [''Far Away Places'' and ''The Journey''] with my own originals, but I always wanted to do a showcase of my songs because it's the purest expression of myself. My [upcoming] show at Don't Tell Mama is not just about my songs; it's about how I feel and think about things. Normally, when I sing other people's songs, like ''Moonglow'' or ''I Fall to Pieces,'' I give them my own spin, so they reflect my point of view. Take ''Ten Minutes Ago.'' Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote it for Cinderella and in their story, it's bright and bouncy because it's about a young girl just meeting her prince. But when I sing it, I slow down the tempo and turn it into a ballad about a guy who has finally found the love of his life. I've taken someone else's song and made it my own statement. But when I write songs, they come directly from my brain. They're 100% me.

How and when did you get into songwriting? What prompted this?
I've been a singer since I grew up as a kid in Arlington Heights, Ill. And I've had the great fortune to play many wonderful places - Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Tavern on the Green - so I've sung all kinds of songs. But I've always been intrigued by the craft of songwriting. I've always had melodies in my head, so one day back in 1987 or 1988, I went to my good friend Tim Di Pasqua and gave him a tune. He put some chords to it. It was a simple country song about someone who's grateful for the ordinary things in life, and it became ''Every Night I Sleep With an Angel.'' I thought, ''This is fun,'' and I haven't stopped since.

Tell us a little bit about the songs you're including in the show. Why did you choose these particular songs?
I write all kinds of songs - pop, country, rock, blues - but they all reflect my point of view. ''Another Tuesday'' is about a mother having a child out of wedlock. ''I'll Be There With You'' and ''Yard Sale'' are songs that both deal with AIDS. ''Then Again'' is a ballad about trying to salvage what's left of a relationship that's ending. On a happier note, ''Ready or Not'' is a country-rock tune about a guy in love who's going for the gusto. ''Simple Little Tune''' is a peppy number about a guy who remembers the first time his girl told him she loved him. If you hear enough of my songs, you'll find I'm a sucker for romance and the little miracles of everyday life.

Do you have favorite songwriters? Who would you say inspired your own writing?
I'm inspired by so many of the greats: Rodgers and Hammerstein, Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne, Jerry Herman. I've even been lucky enough to meet a few of them. Stephen Sondheim once came to see me sing at Carnegie. He's a brilliant artist who takes lyrics to a whole other level. And I've done concerts with Stephen Schwartz, who is amazing at writing theater music with a pop sensibility. I'm also a big fan of James Taylor, Harry Chapin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nan Knighton, Frank Wildhorn and Hugh Prestwood, who's an incredible craftsman of country hits. And then there are my contemporaries, like Tim [Di Pasqua], John Bucchino, Julie Gold. What I've been trying to learn most is how to be economical in my lyrics. Less is more. Give the audience the scenario and let them paint their own pictures.

Do you have a target audience that you feel will enjoy your work more than others? How universal would you say your songs are?
I've never written for a target audience. If people like my songs, that's great. Audiences are smart. They respond to the truth, and they know it when they hear it. For example, I wrote the song ''Yard Sale'' totally for myself. It was my way of addressing the AIDS crisis. I had to write it. Well, a terrific cabaret star from Australia named David Campbell heard me sing it at the Algonquin, so he picked it up and recorded it. Then others started singing it. I got a publisher [Warner Chappell] out of that, and ''Yard Sale'' won the 1998 MAC Award for Song of the Year [cabaret's Oscar]. It's been sung across America and from England to Australia, and I still get requests for the sheet music at my Web site [www.tomandersen.com]. I could've never, never expected any of this. And though the song is about AIDS, I never use the word ''AIDS'' in the lyrics, so some people have thought it's about cancer or some other illness. I had no idea how universal this song was, but I'm tremendously touched that it has reached so many people.

If you could choose only one, would you rather perform or write?
It's impossible to choose. They're two separate things and I love them both. They use different sides of my brain. I do them because I have to. Sure, I relish getting my tunes out there. I'm thrilled when other singers do my songs. I couldn't be more flattered. And yes, it would be great to hear Celine Dion or Barbra Streisand sing a song of mine someday on the radio, but whether or not that ever happens, I enjoy the process of songwriting. As for performing, I always feel euphoric after I finish a gig. I get such a kick out of making music with others, so I love the idea of a show that combines both my singing and my songs. It really can't get any better than that.

Here's a list of Tom's original songs, and what critics have written about them:

"Before We Say Goodbye": "After he rips your heart out with 'Yard Sale,' he hands it gently back with this original." -- Laurie Lawson, Electronic Link Journey. This new song premiered at Tom's new show at Eighty Eight's.

"Every Night I Sleep With an Angel" (co-written with Tim DiPasqua): "A sweet blue-collar ballad that sticks in your head for days and could be a big hit for someone like Garth Brooks." -- Marisa Cohen, Time Out New York. **

"I'll Be There With You": "Mr. Andersen hits an incandescent peak with this original song which deals with AIDS, a suicide and a heavenly reunion." -- Stephen Holden- N.Y. Times. *

"I Never Knew": A new song that debuted at Tom's "Songbook" concert at Donnell Library in November 1997.

"I Will Wait for You" (co-written with Tim DiPasqua): "One of the saddest songs ever written." -- Michael Portantiere, In Theater. Tim DiPasqua also performs this. *

"Let Love Lead the Way": "A rousing number where Tom graciously lets brilliant musical director Ian Herman cut loose with a bravura jazz solo." -- John Hoglund, BackStage. A 1997 MAC nominee for Song of the Year. Also sung by Teri Lynn Paul.

"Opening Song" (co-written with Tim DiPasqua): "Tom's uptempo numbers got the biggest response, and one of them was this lively opener." -- John Hoglund, BackStage.

"Simple Little Tune": "This handsome tenor can swing, and this he does in spades with this bouncy tune." -- John Hoglund, BackStage. * *

"Someone Like You": A new song last sung at the Donnell concert.

"Time and Tears": A new song last performed in '96 at Catch a Rising Star.

"Two Chairs": "The emotions the song evokes (about Tom's parents) touch many people." -- Peter Leavy, Cabaret Scenes. **
Chicago singer Tom Michael features it on his new CD, "Sailing On."

"Wheels" (co-written with Ian Herman): sung at Maxim's in March 1997.

"Who Knows?": "I loved the thoughtfulness underlying this original." --Chip Deffaa, N.Y. Post. Debuted June 5 at Eighty Eight's.

"Why?" (co-written with Ian Herman): "It possesses bright, clever lyrics, pushed by a driving, upbeat tempo." -- Scott and Barbara Siegel, Drama-Logue

"Words" (co-written with Ian Herman): A calypso number. **

"Yard Sale"**: "Haunting and deeply moving; Andersen sings it with heartbreaking directness, tenderness and beauty." -- Roy Sander, BackStage. Also sung by Helen Baldassare, David Campbell, Claiborne Cary and Sean McDermott. A 1998 MAC Award winner for Song of the Year.

"You Should Know": A toe-tapper, also recorded by David Gurland on his new self-titled CD. *

* Appears on Tom's debut CD, "Far Away Places."

** Appears on Tom's newest CD, "The Journey."

''Everything Old Is New Again''
David Campbell reveals what sold him on 'Yard Sale'
Feb. 24, 2002 on WBAI (99.5 FM)

David Campbell, the award-winning Australian singer-actor, in a radio interview with David Kenney, recalls how he found Tom's ''Yard Sale'' song and the reaction he's received to it: ''I saw Tom [sing it] at the Algonquin [in 1996], and I thought he was fantastic. And he talked about this story about living in San Francisco and going to these yard sales. And I'm glad he described it because we don't have 'yard sales' in Australia. We call them 'garage sales.' Although I've actually now seen some signs for yard sales there and I wonder if Tom and I had an influence. Anyway, Tom did this song and I was floored. I don't think I had ever heard a story song like that, ever. The closest thing I'd ever heard was 'Mr. Tanner' by Harry Chapin. 'Yard Sale' was incredibly personal, and I couldn't get it out of my mind. I knew it was audacious, but I asked Tom if I could sing it.

''Whenever I've done it, the reaction has been incredible. Now in Australia, when I do it, I usually set up what a yard sale is, and that it's not my story. It's Tom's song. Usually, when I sing it, you can hear a pin drop. It just has a magical effect on people. I know Tom wrote it because of the AIDS crisis, but I have had so many people come up to me and say that that 'cancer song' is so great. And now the song has a life of its own. The great thing about that is that one day when this is all over, maybe the song will take on a new life for something we haven't found a cure for yet.''