Photo by Sonja Zinke

Linda Eder has always had a gift for taking a song that we may have heard many times before and creating a spectacular version of her own. Her multi-dimensional voice and range combined with her heartfelt delivery allows her to thrill her fans time after time. The selections that Linda has recorded for SOUNDTRACK have been covered and performed by numerous artists over the years, but Linda and her creative team have managed to make it all sound so special and new. As he has done so many times in the past, brilliant arranger and orchestrator, Kim Scharnberg, has weaved his magic into SOUNDTRACK.

The EDER-tors of THE VOICE were thrilled to get the chance to chat with Kim about his career once again.

VOICE: It’s been a few years since we last spoke so we thought it was time to do some catching up on your career.

KIM: It’s been a busy couple of years and it seems that coffee has taken a prominent role in my career these days! [All laugh!]

VOICE: How did you come to be involved in arranging and conducting the music for the annual Presidential Gala in June, 2008?

KIM: Ford’s Theatre was doing a concert version of THE CIVIL WAR which I had orchestrated and conducted when we did the concept album years ago. A lot of those original arrangements and orchestrations were used, so it was nice they wanted me to do it again! The Gala actually was held at the Majestic Theatre because Ford’s was being renovated at the time.

VOICE: Did you choose the music that would be performed on that evening?

KIM: No. That was Frank Wildhorn, Jeff Calhoun (the director) and the Ford’s people. I know that there was some political sensitivity to doing too many songs about death and war.

VOICE: What selections from THE CIVIL WAR were performed?

KIM: There were 23 songs and underscored speeches so most of the show really!

VOICE: It must have been a thrill for you to conduct the program. Was the orchestra specially chosen for this event?

KIM: Ford’s Theatre puts together its own orchestra for events like these.

VOICE: Was the music performed solely by the orchestra or were there vocalists also?

KIM: There were vocalists and speakers for THE CIVIL WAR.

ABOVE: Kim on stage (behind "Lincoln") with the cast, crew and President Obama. BOTTOM: Kim shaking the President's hand.

Click the image above to watch video footage of the evening. Kim's much awaited handshake with President Obama is at :50-1:04 on the clip.

VOICE: What performers shared the stage with you on that evening?

KIM: It was quite a star studded affair with President and Mrs. Bush in attendance! Hal Holbrook did an amazing job as Abraham Lincoln, as did Avery Brooks as Frederick Douglass and Maya Angelou as Sojourner Truth. Trisha Yearwood sang “If I Should Lose My Way” and “The Honor Of Your Name,” and Clay Aiken sang “Sarah.” There were also Gospel music performances by BeBe Wyans, Cheryl Freeman, and Patrick Lundy and the Ministers of Music. Writer Maya Angelou and actress Ruby Dee were honored by the President with Lincoln Medals for their accomplishments.

VOICE: Did you have extra “butterflies” since the President and First Lady would be in attendance?

KIM: Truthfully, I couldn’t think about it because the butterflies would’ve been huge!

VOICE: In addition to the performance at Ford’s Theatre, what other events were included as part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience?

KIM: For the 2008 Gala, we had a private dinner at the Capitol and then right before the show a meet-and-greet and photo op with the President and First Lady. Politics aside (the Galas happen no matter WHO is President), it all was an honor.

VOICE: You must have made quite an impression because you were invited to arrange and conduct another Presidential Gala at Ford’s Theatre on February 11, 2009. Were the musical selections different this time?

KIM: Ha! Well, I guess I didn’t screw up so I was good to do it again! [All laugh!] There was much less music this past February… only five or six songs, and it was honoring the 200th anniversary of Lincoln ’s birth so it was all about him. We did two songs from THE CIVIL WAR though.

VOICE: Besides President and Mrs. Obama, what other celebrities shared the stage with you on this evening?

KIM: Quite a few celebrities took part in this amazing evening including: Katie Couric, James Earl Jones, Audra McDonald, Ben Vereen, Kelsey Grammar, Cheryl Freeman, and Jessye Norman. One great moment came when Joshua Bell played a song on a violin that was in the Ford’s orchestra the night Lincoln was assassinated. The instrument hadn’t been played since that time until this Gala. This time around, the Lincoln Medals were presented to director George Lucas and actor Sydney Poitier.

VOICE: What was it like standing on the stage of historic Ford’s Theatre?

KIM: It was AMAZING being on that stage for the reopening Gala! It was just gorgeous and thrilling at the same time.

VOICE: Were you able to share these amazing and wonderful experiences with your family?

KIM: Yes. For the 2008 Gala it was a family event. My son, Will, got to meet Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and had his picture taken at the Capitol dinner. The February Gala came together too late to bring them so it was a solo trip that time. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for more opportunities in the future three or seven years!

VOICE: Are these experiences at Ford’s Theatre at the top of your list of career highlights?

KIM: In a word… yes.

VOICE: In between the two Washington, D.C. events, you were busy with other projects. One of these involved orchestrating four musicals that opened in Europe in October, 2008 through March, 2009. Can you tell Linda’s fans a little about these shows?

KIM: Some were relatively new projects. CARMEN opened in Prague in October, 2008, and I was there in August helping put it together. I made the string players play kazoos for it! IN NOMINE PATRIS was a short run show in Munich in November by Bernd Stromberger. RUDOLF opened in Vienna three weeks before MONTE CRISTO opened in St. Gallen, Switzerland. We’d previously done RUDOLF in Budapest, but it was significantly reworked for Vienna.

VOICE: Did you have to spend some time working in Europe as part of these projects?

KIM: I do most of my work at home in Connecticut and e-mail it in, but I got to travel to Europe for the orchestra rehearsals where there are usually lots of changes.

VOICE: Do you have a favorite country where you spent time working on these shows?

KIM: Switzerland was nice because my family got to come over for a week, and also they were able to go to the Vienna opening!

VOICE: During this time, you also created a new show for Kaitlyn Lusk, a young singer who has been greatly influenced by Linda. Can you tell us about this show?

KIM: Yes. We did a new Pops orchestra show that I developed entitled “FilmSong” that features lots and lots of songs that influenced Kaitlyn - hard to believe she was born the year “The Little Mermaid” came out - sheesh I feel old! I also conducted the debut concert and did all of the arrangements - very fun!

VOICE: Football fans heard some of your work during the 2009 Super Bowl. How were you involved with the show on NBC?

KIM: I had the opportunity to reorchestrate John Williams’ NBC Football Theme for a company called Man Made Music in New York City. We had most of the players from the New York Philharmonic to record this brass-heavy piece that got played about 50 times in and out of the commercials for the game.

VOICE: You’ve also been working on a few long term projects. Please tell us about your recent work with Jason Howland.

KIM: Ah, yes, “Handel’s Messiah Rocks” sees the light of day this year with a DVD and CD being released, and a nationwide tour is planned for 2010. The concert will be seen on PBS this holiday season and it’s amazing! Jason and his wife, Dani Davis, did an outstanding job seeing this to fruition! Check out the Web site at www.handelsmessiahrocks.com for the tour schedule and more information about the project.

VOICE: What was it like working on the DVD for “Handel’s Messiah Rocks” with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops?

KIM: It’s always wonderful working with Keith and the Pops! They are true professionals who are equally at home performing serious classical pieces backing up Linda or rock versions of Handel’s famous oratorio!

VOICE: Will you travel with the company at all when “Handel’s Messiah Rocks” goes on tour next year?

KIM: Only if they need an old trombone player who dresses like Santa!!! [All laugh!]

ABOVE: Kim with Wynonna Judd (the voice of "Loretta Violin") BOTTOM: Kim with Kathie Lee Gifford (the voice of "Reeda Clarinet")

VOICE: The other long-term project involves The Children’s Kindness Network. Please tell us a little about the goal of this organization and how you became involved with it.

KIM: The Children’s Kindness Network was founded in 1998 by Ted and Karen Dreier and is dedicated to teaching children about kindness. CKN reaches 30,000 children per year across the USA with their programs, presentations, and kindness messages. My brother, who is a professional musician, knew Ted and Karen, so my name was put into the hat when they decided to commission someone to write a piece.

VOICE: You were commissioned to compose two pieces for orchestra and narrators. How did the project take off from there?

KIM: It started that I was asked to “musicalize” an existing book for preschool children called Moozie’s Kind Adventure, but then it morphed into a second piece called Moozie’s Orchestra Adventure that teaches children about the instruments of the orchestra. We workshopped that and then it turned into a recording with the 104-piece Arizona State University Symphony Orchestra and 17 “celebrity” voices!

VOICE: You managed to gather together many celebrities, including Linda, to contribute to the recording. Can you tell us about some of them and how this worked?

KIM: I call this my one-degree-of-separation project since almost every person I got to be on it came from either someone I’ve worked with or one person away to get to that person! It really is an amazing list of people so here goes… (in order of appearance) Larry Gatlin, Jessye Norman, Trent Kowalik, Wynonna Judd, Dave Brubeck, Ron an Tynan, Anne Garrels, Kathie Lee Gifford, Kaitlyn Lusk, LINDA, Peter Schickele (aka PDQ Bach), Harvey Fierstein, Chris Bott, Earl Klugh, Sutton Foster, Ben Vereen and Richard Thomas! For more information on the Children’s Kindness Network, visit their Web site at www.ckn-usa.org.

VOICE: What an amazing group! Do you know when the CD and download will be available to the public?

KIM: Not yet, but you all will be the second to know! [All laugh!]

VOICE: That brings us to the subject of movies and music, especially since your most recent work with Linda involved her new CD of songs from the big screen. Have you ever scored a movie? What is involved in that process?

KIM: Yep! I’ve worked both as a composer for smaller films and as an orchestrator for big films. It’s a very collaborative effort with a short turnaround time so lots of coffee is usually involved. It’s fun seeing characters and scenes come alive and have definition or purpose once you add music. Working on Linda’s new CD definitely reminded me I’d like to do more of it again!

VOICE: Can you tell us some of the films you have orchestrated?

KIM: I worked on the orchestrations for “A River Runs Through It,” Quiz Show,” Flying Home,” “Made In America,” and others.

VOICE: What do you think of Linda’s idea to record movie themes?

KIM: I loved it! There are lots and lots of songs on there that I’ve loved too and some new takes on some old ones!

VOICE: What was your involvement in this recording?

KIM: I got to arrange all the strings and other orchestral instruments for it. We spent two intense days in Nashville with a wonderful group of players who work together all the time. Some of the parts were close to the original recording but others were able to go in a very different direction, which I always enjoy doing. Linda, of course, sounds amazing and overall I think it's a very unique treatment to a lot of these well known songs… everybody involved did a really nice job. I haven’t heard the final mixes yet but can't wait until it comes out… that'll be ME at the front of the line at Barnes & Noble! [All laugh!]

VOICE: Do you have a favorite song off SOUNDTRACK?

KIM: Hmm… it changes every day but my pick today would have to be “Everything I Do (I Do It For You).”

To learn more about Kim and his career, be sure to check out his Web site at www.kimscharnberg.com.