Other Songs
I rarely write stand-along songs, so at one point in time, all of these orphaned songs were part of some project on which I was working. Either they didn't end up fitting the tone of the show or the project got put on hold. Despite lacking a home they will always be fun fodder for my inevitable cabaret concert.
"Seeing Red" | Winter 2015 - This song is from the short musical Mars One that I wrote with Katie about the Dutch program of the same name currently trying to send the first humans to Mars on a "One" way only trip. We wanted to write about the people crazy enough to apply for it.
Late in the show, graduate student Caruso learns the selection committee has chosen him as a Mars One finalist. His last test involves calling his one emergency contact, his sister Sylvie, and saying goodbye forever.
The conversation proves challenging for both and after a very heated argument with Caruso about to hang up, Sylvie tries one last approach to try and dissuade him from leaving.
"Flaky Friend" | Spring 2014 - This song was inspired by one of my best friends after our plans fell through one night and I'd had enough of their constant BS. I wrote the whole thing on the long, disgruntled subway ride back to Brooklyn, but I can't begrudge them for it now, since it gave me such great material to work with! (Demo sung my me)
"Worry Less, Smile More" | Fall 2015 - Just a small ditty I originally wrote for a project about an older version of a woman looking at a past version of herself and giving her this advice, but it turned into a light hearted song good for a gentle pick-me-up.
"Only Me" | Summer 2015 - This song was inspired by the memoir "Whipping Boy" about a middle aged man who was tormented as a kid by a bully at a Swiss boarding school, and despite his attempts to move on, he is continually haunted by those memories. The story follows his subsequent quest to find and confront that bully in hopes of finally being free. This was envisioned as an opening number in which the entire cast sang this to the main character, acting as the embodiment of his demons.
"Boomerang Kids" | 2009 - 2010 | Music and Lyrics
This is a musical that I was working on my last year of college, but put on hold once I graduated and started in the BMI Workshop. It started when I wrote Neverland as a stand-alone song, and I felt like it would make a great launching point for a full-length musical. I might still write it, so I won't divulge plot details here, but the first three songs are the ones I used to audition for BMI, so they will always be special to me for that reason.
"Neverland" | Fall 2008 - This one doesn't need much explanation, as most anyone can relate, but it's about the woes of moving back in with your parents as an adult. (Demo sung by me)
"Little Things" | Summer 2010 - Two Friends coming back to their home town after college and reconnecting. (This demo features my friend and talented songstress Sarah Dooley along with myself)
"Moving On" | Summer 2010 - Meant to be sung by the main character's best female friend and love interest midway through act 2. The main character's big dream at the time was to be a hugely important graphic novelist, hence the copious literary analogies present. (Demo sung by me)
"No Place But Home" | Spring 2010 - initially written as part of an opening number, before the show got put on hold. (Demo sung by me)
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"Fabulous Frown" | Spring 2012 - This song was originally written for one of my musicals in development, but it was too much of a tonal departure to click within the score, so now it lives as a stand alone charmer. Music by Benjamin Velez | Lyrics by Benjamin Velez and Kathryn Hathaway. (Here's the original demo, sung my me.)
"Going Out Song" | Fall 2007 - This is the song Katie and I first wrote together when auditioning to write the Varsity Show at Columbia. Music and Lyrics by Benjamin Velez and Kathryn Hathaway, also performed by the aforementioned.