– Life as a Vocal Music Director | Composer –
Paul Rudolph is a musician, composer, arranger, music director, 3-time Emmy-award winning music editor, and instrument-builder.
Much of his work has been done on a little show a few of you may be familiar with, Sesame Street.
Massive Accomplishment
There, Paul has been nominated multiple times for an Emmy in Music Direction. From 2016 to 2018, he captured 3 consecutive Emmys for Sound Editing.
Since 2008 he has been the vocal music director at Sesame Street and been part of this powerhouse program which continues to capture major awards and praise.
Unique Experiences
In that role, Paul is no stranger to working with global superstars during musical guest appearances including the likes of Bruno Mars, Jimmy Fallon, Elvis Costello, Jason Mraz, John Legend, Usher and even the U.S. Marine Corps Band.
Further, his work is also comprised of composing music for Sesame Street, Sesame Place live shows, games, apps, voice-overs, as well as the recording of Muppet character and guest vocals. Finally, Paul also music-directs live performances.
Other Professional Endeavours
Outside of Sesame Street, he is musically active on many other fronts too. Many of his original compositions have been featured on Netflix, Amazon Prime, National Geographic programs and in film.
As a percussionist / instrument builder, his unique found-object instruments have been featured in film, Super Bowl ads, and other commercial work.
His percussion performance art group GLANK has been entertaining audiences of all ages since its formation in 2002.
Education
Paul attended the University of Illinois where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and a M.A. in Music Composition.
Reasons to Listen
This will be a talk worth listening to for:
- those interested in learning what being a Vocal Music Director and Composer means on a program such as Sesame Street
- those wanting to uncover what it takes to pursue a career involving music and entertainment
- those who are looking for inspiration in so far as hearing from a professional who has truly found his passion
Listeners will come away with insights on:
- what makes being a Vocal Music Director on Sesame Street such an utterly unique experience
- what his approach is as a vocal music director when a celebrity talent guests on the show
- how he approaches the composing aspect of his work on Sesame Street
- how Paul went from being a band director and music teacher within Illinois public schools to the bright lights of Los Angeles
- a day in the life on Sesame Street
- how Paul engages with puppeteers on the show in his role
- how Paul managed to bridge the chasm between having a passion for music with the establishment of a successful musical career
- unique challenges and rewards of working on a program like Sesame Street as a Vocal Director, Editor and Composer
- the realities of working with celebrity talent as illustrated by Paul’s encounter with musician John Legend, Gwen Stefani, Usher and others
- advice Paul recommends to young people who want to pursue a musical career
- Paul’s take on the future of music based professions when factoring in AI
- much more!
A Memorable Quote from the Episode:
“My pathway to Sesame Street started with my DNA of being a music teacher. I’m kind of doing the same thing with a performer, whether it’s Big Bird, or Abby Cadabby or The Count. I’m making people comfortable singing a song wherever that may be in their range or whatever complex rhythm that they have to do.”
-Paul Rudolph
Check out the Video Conversation:
For those who desire to view video highlights of the conversation, you can do so via Youtube.
Discover More
For those interested in learning more about Paul and his work, you can check out his portfolio website, his percussion performance art group GLANK his place of work or follow him on the following platform:
Keep Listening!
I hope you enjoyed the episode. For more, check out additional episodes here!
Hello! Great podcast subject – exploring a life in different occupations has always been interesting to me. I am a hairstylist of 39 yrs. I do get an inside look into the life of different occupations through client’s stories – the good, bad and the ugly. I like this one in particular because I knew young Paul Rudolph. I can attest he has a unique passion for music and teaching. He was our jazz choir drummer in high school, I was a singer for a band he formed in college (for short time before I moved away) Thank you for featuring this incredibly talented human 🙂
Great questions!