BWW Exclusive: Broadway's Hottest Singer/Songwriters: BOOK OF MORMON's Adam Ray

Welcome to the first entry of BWW's new feature - "Broadway's Hottest Singer/Songwriters", featuring some of theater's hottest talents sharing insight into their own original music.

Today, we meet Adam Ray who is currently touring North America in the hit musical, BOOK OF MORMON.

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As Seen In: "The Book of Mormon"

Latest Project: Debut Album "The Clown Parade"

Writing Process: I've stared at a finished song shaking my head thinking "Wait - how did I write this?" so many times. Too often I'll sit down hoping to write something brilliant but spend the entire time staring at my hands on the keys. Three Chipotle burritos and a side of carpal tunnel later...nada. Other days, I'll bang out five songs in couple of hours like it's nothing. Writing requires a lot of patience and persistence, but it can be an intensely spiritual and sometimes out-of-body experience when it's good. I'm most creative when I'm emotional and need a release (or when Mercury is in retrograde). I do my best work late at night when it's quiet. My lyrics usually manifest after and are inspired by a melody or chord progression. I'm always surprised by what comes out. I'm rarely successful if I sit down and say "I'm going to write a song about _____ now." It has to happen organically. When the perfect combination of ingredients eventually do combine (lyrics, melody, arrangement, etc.) the result is pure magic. I don't want to get too theoretical about the whole thing - I'm addicted to the magic.

Musical Point of View: My music stems from a desire to be understood and to understand myself. It's simply my truth and my experiences. The soundtrack of my life. I'm curious about the human experience and where mine aligns or deviates from the seven billion other human experiences being had on this planet. I had a pretty turbulent childhood that, if I'm honest, made me scared of people for a long time. I know - sob story. But even as an adult I can be socially withdrawn and tend to hide out in my head. I shut down in social settings and I have a hard time communicating exactly who I am or what's going on in my mind outside of my music. This is where "The Clown Parade" concept came from. I related to the metaphor of painting on a happy face or creating a false persona to hide behind. Behind my 'happy face' I was hiding a lot of pain and all of these stories I was afraid or ashamed to tell. Writing music makes it easier for me to connect to the world and to people. I hope that my music speaks to others and is as healing for them as it has been for me. My musical point-of-view is simply, the truth is beautiful.

Song that defines you: Song of mine: "Loaded Gun"; Song I didn't write: "All I Really Want" Alanis Morissette

Music influences: Joni Mitchell, Missy Higgins, Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Alanis Morissette, James Taylor, Jewel

Website: www.adamraymusic.com

Twitter/Instagram: @AdamRayMusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adamraymusic

PHOTO CREDIT: https://www.facebook.com/adamraymusic