I’ve heard a quote from motivational speaker Wayne Dyer, “Don’t die with your music still in you.” I can’t think of anyone who takes Dr. Dyer’s advice to heart more than my long-time friend Philip Wade.
At this writing, Philip is…
1) working on orchestrations for a Christmas musical production at Cypress Baptist Church (Think Transiberian Orchestra.),
2) …finishing up background music for the recently-opened Shreveport Aquarium, and
3) …working on the final draft of a novelization of the Pied Piper legend that he intends to make into a movie. He has already written the theme music. (Click here, close your eyes, and image you’re watching the opening credits.)
Recent projects include…
4) His movie 1930s-era comedy film, The Wannabees. The movie is complete after three years in the making and awaiting a distribution arrangement. He has ideas for a sequel, but unless the first film achieves some measure of commercial or critical success, the sequel should probably wait.
5) This past Saturday night, Philip’s Fanfare was performed as the opening number for the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra’s Tribute to John Williams. (Click here to hear the Fanfare on Youtube.)
And those are only the largest and most recent projects. There are others that have been placed on hold or on the back burners, and there are probably some I’ve forgotten to list or never learned about.
I’ve enjoyed the musical dramas he has staged at Cypress Baptist Church for the past twenty-five years or so. One of the most original was a production based on author Calvin Miller’s satirical novel, The Philippian Fragment, which dealt with the problems of the contemporary church by relocating them to first century Greece. Philip’s adaptation included a contentious church deacon’s meeting presented entirely as a rap:
There are not enough thee’s, not enough thou’s./ All you care about are sacred cows./ The music is too loud and that’s a fact./ If the music is too loud, then sit in the back.
The presentation was comedic, but it made its serious points too. I was delighted that Philip managed to get Calvin Miller himself to fly in for the first performance.
If there is any unsung or unplayed music left in Philip when he leaves the planet, it won’t be due to any lack of effort on his part. It will either be due to forces beyond his control or because that music flows from an inexhaustible Source.
Visit Philip’s Website at http://www.philipwademusic.com