Megan Piffas Peace’s Journey to Sesame Street
What started as an internship in March 2020 has evolved into a permanent role as the voice of Gabriel, a 6-year-old “fun-loving” black muppet who loves singing, dancing, animals, and nature.
new york – Sesame Street returns for its 55th season next week. Star-studded musicians will perform, including SZA, Chris Stapleton, Noah Kahan, Renee Rapp, and Samara Joy.
The next season will also focus on lessons about mental health.
When will “Sesame Street” come back?
It debuts on January 16th on MAX, with new episodes released every Thursday. “Sesame Street” will be available on PBS stations in the fall and will also be streamed on PBS Kids.
Who will be the guests?
No one is more excited than Elmo himself.
“There’s a lot to learn from music. Yeah, timing, harmony, melody, different styles, different cultures,” the 3-1/2-year-old monster told The Associated Press. “It’s so amazing! So many amazing people come to ‘Sesame Street’ and do music with us, like Dr. Renee Rupp and SZA! Chris Stapleton, Noah Kahan, Samara Joy, all the amazing people. There are a lot of us!”
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“Sesame Street” features songs that double as life lessons, from an alt-R&B pop track about gratitude with SZA to an emotional acoustic number with rap.
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 9: Sesame Street characters (LR) Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Abby Cadabby perform at Sesame Street’s “Magical” event held at Metrograph in New York City on November 9, 2017. Attended the HBO premiere of “Wand Chase”. (Photo credit: Slaven Vlasic/
“SZA is really cool and really talented, and the word ‘gratitude’ was also new to Elmo, so Elmo learned all about gratitude from SZA,” he said.
“Elmo felt really, really happy after his playdate with Miss Renee. It was a really beautiful song. She has a great voice, so Elmo hopes she’ll be back soon.”
What’s the secret behind the great “Sesame Street” songs? According to Tony and Grammy Award-winning composer, producer, and “Sesame Street” musical director Bill Sharman, it’s “earworm upon earworm.”
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“If the verse is an earworm, then the chorus is an earworm. In most pop music, the chorus is an earworm and the verse is just a jumble.” The difference is that pop songs are about three and a half minutes long. He explains that it is about being. Children’s music is approximately 1 and a half minutes long. “There is only so much time available to do what needs to be done.”
Typically, the show’s writers provide Sherman and his team of songwriters with a script and lyrics detailing the moral of each episode, as well as the names of musical guests. They then go to work composing music that is true to each artist’s genre and spirit.
Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster and Elmo appear in Cameo Kids
Elmo and Cookie Monster are the first “Sesame Street” characters to join the platform. (Credit: Cameo appearance via PR Newswire)
These musical guests participate on various levels, but the results are always awe-inspiring.
Other highlights from this season include Kayhan performing a foot-stomping folk song about music and emotions, Joy doing jazz improvisation to teach a rotating lesson, Music and Friends courtesy of Stapleton and country hymns to.
“Chris Stapleton really wanted to write his own songs,” says Sherman. So they hopped on Zoom and wrote the song together, with Stapleton holding his guitar and brainstorming ideas. “It was one of the most surreal two-hour Zooms I’ve ever actually experienced in my life.”
Joy took a different approach. “Samara Joy insisted on singing live,” says Sherman. “That doesn’t happen very often on ‘Sesame Street.’ I can only count a few times, but back in the day, we had Stevie Wonder, we had Billy Joel, we had John Legend, we had people who actually sang live. There were several people.
Her reasoning was simple. “She said, ‘This whole episode is about improvisation and thinking hard. So if it’s pre-recorded, that’s what we’re trying to teach. It will be the opposite.
Elmo focuses on mental health
If there is a theme that interconnects all these performances, it is the spirit of connection. At least, that’s Elmo’s theory. “Elmo thinks that music brings people together, right? And sometimes people who like one thing and people who like something else somehow come together because they like the same kind of music. And , that’s the kind thing to do!” Cool! ”
Throughout the show’s 50 years, there has been no shortage of great musical guests. So who would you like to see visit in the future? “Miss Taylor Swift! Maybe she can revisit her ‘Red’ days?” Elmo chimes. It’s his favorite of her albums.
“But Elmo would like to sing with Beyoncé. Destiny’s Child was on ‘Sesame Street,’ so Elmo would like her to come back.”
