Welcome to the spark file. Your one stop podcast for creative inspiration.
I'm Laura Camien.
and I'm Susan Blackwell. Right about now you may be asking yourself, what exactly is a spark file? Where do I get one? What do I file in it? These are good questions and we have got answers.
A spark file is the place where you consistently collect all of your ideas and inspirations and fascinations, and if you're anything like us and you're making stuff all the time, you know that sometimes the wellspring of inspiration can run a little dry, which is why we are here to refill it .
We are on the lookout for fresh ideas, images, and inspiration that spark creativity and pique curiosity. Things that inspire us to get up off of our asses and make things like this podcast...
...Or a vehicle for our deepest self-expression...
...Or project that weaves together everything we're passionate about into one weird, awesome package.
Every episode, we're going to reach into our spark files and exchange some sparks. And from time to time we're going to talk to some folks who spark us too, they might be Broadway fancies, singer Songwriters, directors, entrepreneurs, could be artists of all kinds.
And if you're not careful, your pants might just get blasted off. So without further ado, let's open up the spark file. Camien, let's start by talking about the bucket of sparks that is the opening theme song for our show.
Yeah, let's do that. Susan, you wrote our theme song. So why don't you start by telling us what was your initial spark for that song?
Pridefullness is a sin, but here we go . Um , full disclosure counselor, I wanted to write a theme song so that when, when, when we two are live, when we perform this live, that the audience can sing along with the opening of the theme song. So there's a place, there's a part , there's like a lead, and then there's a part that the audience can totally sing along with. So that's what I had in mind when I read it .
Yeah. I wanted to write something that was brief cause it's just little theme song and in as few words as possible to let the listeners know what a spark file is, what you put at, like for instance, it could be something that inspires you creatively or it could be, you know, like a guiding principle that you want to incorporate into your life.
Right. Something you want to make or how you want to be .
Don't you quote that back at me. Um , that won't make sense to you yet because you haven't heard it.
Oh, that's right.
That's okay. Patience. Um, I also wanted it to rhyme. I wanted it to be really sticky so you couldn't get it out of your head, but in a great way. So Camien and I were teaching at The Performing Arts Project in Winston Salem, which is like a summer arts program there. And with the help of Broadway star, Gavin Creel and our musical director, Ian Axness and the entire student body of The Performing Arts Project, we recorded the opening theme and it was deeply satisfying.
But then Camien, you had a little precious spark of inspiration.
I'm Super Proud of this contribution. I really, really am.
You should be.
The night before we had one of these magical moments where we were working diligently.
Yes. Prepping everything for the next morning's podcast recording.
Yeah. Yeah. So we were in the thick of it and all the sudden we hear a voice singing in the hallway, which isn't that unusual. It's a summer camp. So a lot of amazing voices and amazing students. But this voice in particular we.
It sort of reminds me of a cartoon where they're over the fence...there's like the smoke finger.
Oh my God.
A big leg of lamb or something like comes and beckons the dog and he floats up.
Yeah. And that's like what happened... We set down what we were doing, unbeknownst to each other. We both set down what we're doing and silently turned towards the door.
Yes, we were beaconed back to the door by the smoke finger. Who's o ut here?.
Um , but we did, we were like, who was singing? Whose voice was that? And Lilah Guaragna, this lovely, wonderful human being says "it was me" and we're like, come in here, Lilah. Honestly, she's amazing .
She was doing an imitation of another singer like, I forget who it was but it's like a famous pop singer and it was a great imitation but I was like, Lilah, do you know what your voice sounds like yet? Because sometimes it takes a while [to develop]...
Yes, but then she delivered... She says, I think I do and here's my voice. She was incredible! And there we were the next day we were recording with the entire group and this was a bit of a chance because we were not planning on plucking anyone, or singling anyone out unexpectedly--
--but your awesome idea just was like, wait, we need Laila on this song, real attack style. She had no idea what she was about to happen because you came up with the idea so spontaneously on the spot. She was so nervous. She was shaking God we had to like, we were like, will it help you? If like her peers, her fellow students like laid hands on her to ground her, Gavin Creel is sitting next to her sort of like, music directing it and man, she might've been nervous, but...
...but man, did she bring it, she stepped up in one of those incredible, magical, unforgettable moments where you see someone feel fear and do it anyway!
And then Gavin had the idea to try take another pass at it and for him to duet with another student named Sophie Hearn. That's right. And so we just, again, just pulled Sophie up out of audience.
and both of them! Can we just say props to both of them, they're so willing like, okay, I don't know what I'm doing but I will try.
They're such gifted vocalists though that they just like jumped in with, you know, with two feet, four feet--
--with Gavin, you know, directing them.
Yeah. And Ian Axness sort of music directing all of it.
Oh my god, amazing.
And so that's how we came up with so Lilah Guaragna sings the opening theme song, Sophie Hearn and Gavin Creel duet on the closing theme song, all recorded TPAP, all featuring the voices of The Performing Arts Project community and , and we're so lucky that Lilah and Sophie and Gavin,
Oh my God. Thank you!
And all the TPAP sparklers--
--the sparklers, they're all so phenomenal!
-- anyway, thats a bit about the theme song.
I think we should let our listeners listen to it.
Hope we didn't build it up too much. I don't know.
She delivers.
I love it ladies and gentlemen. Lilah Guaragna singing the opening theme to The Spark File.
When I bump into something that inspires me, I dump it in my Spark File [Spark File]. Could be something that I wanna make or how I want to be, I pump it in my Spark File [Spark File]. I jump into my Spark File [Spark File], Let's open up The Spark File...
That was Lilah Guaragna singing the spark file opening theme song.
And wait until you hear Gavin Creel and Sophie Hearn singing our closing theme song.
Different. Equally delicious.
Equally delicious.
But to get a load of that, you've got to come back and listen to a full episode of The Spark File available September 10th everywhere you get your podcasts.
That's right. In the meantime, please be sure to subscribe to this delicious podcast so you never miss a delicious episode of.
--the delicious
It's all delicious!
The Spark File!
The Spark File!
The Spark File Workshop is coming to story gathering in Nashville, Tennessee on Wednesday, September 18th.
It's going to be fun and deep and we won't just be talking about you making, you'll actually be making.
This is for people who aspire to have more creativity in their lives, all the way to seasoned professional makers who are feeling a little burnt out, and everyone in between.
Join us on Wednesday, September 18 at story gathering in Nashville, Tennessee. Visit the spark file.com/tsflive to reserve your spot. We look forward to seeing you there!
Bye!!