Music Minute - Tara Trudel - Fractured: Fairy Tales Remixed

 

In the leadup to Grammy voting, noted children’s music artist Tara Trudel is releasing the visual album companion to her popular kids release Fractured: Fairy Tales Remixed, on October 13. 

Tara Trudel is a versatile songwriter and composer based in Los Angeles. She started her career teaching early childhood and elementary school music all over Chicago for The Merit School of Music and Chicago Public Schools. As a teaching artist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Tara performed her students’ original composition with guest artist Yo-Yo Ma. Tara left teaching to perform around the country as a Music Director with the Second City Touring Company. She was lucky to meet some of her favorite long-term collaborators there, and then she asked them all to appear on her album.

Tara’s work has been seen in SXSW, Amazon Prime, Sony's Voces Nuevas, and Vulture's Best Comedy Shorts of The Year. Her score for Chelsea Devantez’s short film BASIC won Best Score at the LA Film Awards and the Festigious International Film Festival. Tara also writes theme songs for children's books, including Amy Krouse Rosenthal's NYTimes bestselling UNI THE UNICORN.

The album features several noted actor/comedians including Emmy winner Ashley Nicole Black who won for her work on Ted Lasso, and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and was also nominated for her work on A Black Lady Sketch Show, and The Amber Ruffin Show. It also features Eddie Mujica who had two nominations and won an Emmy for his work on The Talk. Chelsea Devantez who was nominated for an Emmy for her work on The Problem with John Stewart is also on the album.

Other noted talent who are on the album include: Carisa Barreca (Girls Night In), Neal Dandade (Freestyle Wraps), Mary Sohn (A.P. Bio), and Niccole Thurman (The Opposition with Jordan Klepper), along with Tara’s sister and lifelong collaborator, Rachel Trudel.

I had a chance to interview Tara to learn more.

Can you share what a visual album is in the context of being a songwriter?

I like to approach songwriting through a storytelling lens, incorporating elements like characters, setting, themes, and point of view. A visual album is another way to expand the storytelling possibilities. I had a lot of fun bringing the music to life in a new way and finding places to add visual jokes. I like to call it the Fractured Cinematic Universe.

 

Why is it important to link music and art?

Both music and art have powerful effects on kids. Music and art can inspire their creativity, help them process their emotions, and improve learning outcomes. Most importantly, music and art are both fun for kids to experience and try on their own! 

 

Why is it fun for kids to hear new, updated versions of familiar tales?

Kids love being part of an inside joke. When you twist something familiar to them, they can identify what's different and find the humor in those differences. That humor can help open up important conversations about things like inclusion, representation, and other points of view they might not have thought about before.