--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Normally, for a musical, the first step…" description: "\"Normally, for a musical, the first step with my collaborators is to figure out the story and the outline and really be clear about the structure. But t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/stephen-schwartz-3036_first-step_normally-for-a-musical-the-first-step-wi_2420080.jpg" --- # Normally, for a musical, the first step with my… ![“Normally, for a musical, the first step with my collaborators is to figure out the story and the outline and really be clear about the structure. But then, by that point, ideas for musical numbers will have emerged and I can pretty well start on musical numbers.” quote by Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/stephen-schwartz-3036_first-step_normally-for-a-musical-the-first-step-wi_2420080.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/stephen-schwartz-3036_first-step_normally-for-a-musical-the-first-step-wi_2420080.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/stephen-schwartz-3036_first-step_normally-for-a-musical-the-first-step-wi_2420080.jpg) > “Normally, for a musical, the first step with my collaborators is to figure out the story and the outline and really be clear about the structure. But then, by that point, ideas for musical numbers will have emerged and I can pretty well start on musical numbers.” [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The creative process starts with defining story and structure, after which musical ideas naturally appear. **In simple terms:** Start with story, then music follows. Key Takeaway Plan the narrative before composing songs. Themes creativity process collaboration Mood focused inspired Type practical process When to use this quote - theatre production - songwriting workshops - creative brainstorming - project planning Key Concepts storytelling musical composition structure Questions to Reflect On - How does a clear outline influence your musical ideas? - What happens when the story evolves after music begins? A Different Perspective If the story is unclear, musical ideas may feel forced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [First step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) ## Related quotes > [I had pretty much raised my kids and my first wife and I were divorced, so I began, in earnest, to start my musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carl-black/i-had-pretty-much-raised-my-kids-and-my-first-wife-and-i-were/) [Jimmy Carl Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carl-black/) > [Musical numbers should carry the action of the play and should be representative of the personalities of the characters who sing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kern/musical-numbers-should-carry-the-action-of-the-play-and-should-be/) [Jerome Kern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kern/) > [Originally I had a block about appearing in a musical. I went to a voice teacher for a while, but that did no good.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-harrison/originally-i-had-a-block-about-appearing-in-a-musical-i-went-to-a/) [Rex Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-harrison/) > [I have mixed feelings about 'Car 54, Where Are You?' Because we shot it as a musical and whoever the studio head was at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-mcginley/i-have-mixed-feelings-about-car-54-where-are-you-because-we-shot-it/) [John C. McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-mcginley/) > [I wanted to focus on songs that I was inspired by growing up. I love so many of them from the last 100 years,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-groban/i-wanted-to-focus-on-songs-that-i-was-inspired-by-growing-up-i-love/) [Josh Groban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-groban/) > [How do you turn the invisible into the visible? 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If wise, he has not fashioned his thoughts to accommodate his incidents; but having conceived, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/a-skillful-literary-artist-has-constructed-a-tale-if-wise-he-has-not/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [“How, then, do you make failure into something people can face without fear? Part of the answer is simple: If we as leaders can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-catmull/how-then-do-you-make-failure-into-something-people-can-face-without/) [Ed Catmull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-catmull/) > [Larry Kramer wisely realized so early on that to change the world, people have to know you. If they know you and see that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-murphy/larry-kramer-wisely-realized-so-early-on-that-to-change-the-world/) [Ryan Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-murphy/) > [At least before my hip replacement, I had a quick first step. I could get by you off the dribble. My business game is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/at-least-before-my-hip-replacement-i-had-a-quick-first-step-i-could/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [“I remember wondering, within a year or two of taking my first steps, why only men sat to drink tea and converse, and why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-hill/i-remember-wondering-within-a-year-or-two-of-taking-my-first-steps/) [Lawrence Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-hill/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) ## More by Stephen Schwartz > [Bringing your show to Broadway is an economic decision on the part of producers and investors that may or may not happen, but sharing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/bringing-your-show-to-broadway-is-an-economic-decision-on-the-part-of/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [You wouldn't walk into a music store and walk out with a piece of music under your arm. So why would it be acceptable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/you-wouldn-t-walk-into-a-music-store-and-walk-out-with-a-piece-of/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [There have always been discussions about a 'Pippin' movie. I think it would lend itself very well to film if one could solve how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/there-have-always-been-discussions-about-a-pippin-movie-i-think-it/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [When I was in high school, I worked at a theatre on Long Island, where I grew up, in the box office and parking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/when-i-was-in-high-school-i-worked-at-a-theatre-on-long-island-where/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [When I perform I try and focus on the lyrics and my interpretation of the lyrics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/when-i-perform-i-try-and-focus-on-the-lyrics-and-my-interpretation-of/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [I think it would be really cool to see 'Enchanted' on Broadway - there's been discussion of it from time to time. 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In my last year there, I even wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/i-had-always-been-interested-in-opera-going-back-to-my-college-days/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [With Bernstein, because we wound up always working music first, it was where I really feel I learned how to write lyrics as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/with-bernstein-because-we-wound-up-always-working-music-first-it-was/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [In 'Wicked,' we developed the concept that Glinda has a public persona who sings in soprano and a private persona who is, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/in-wicked-we-developed-the-concept-that-glinda-has-a-public-persona/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [Alan Menken is so gifted in terms of coming up with these great melodies. What I learned from working with him was how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/alan-menken-is-so-gifted-in-terms-of-coming-up-with-these-great/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [I like works about familiar stories, where one spins the point of view and looks at it from another angle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/i-like-works-about-familiar-stories-where-one-spins-the-point-of-view/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [Excuse me, there's no pretense here. I happen to be genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/excuse-me-there-s-no-pretense-here-i-happen-to-be-genuinely-self/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [Dancers are the unsung heroes Broadway musicals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/dancers-are-the-unsung-heroes-broadway-musicals/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) [Explore all 141 Stephen Schwartz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) ## More First step quotes > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. 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The first step is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-doblin/the-cultural-integration-of-psychedelics-won-t-happen-overnight-and/) [Rick Doblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-doblin/) > [“Women create an idealized, hopeful vision for the future to inspire other women. Fiction and fantasy are the crucial first steps to changing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-rodale/women-create-an-idealized-hopeful-vision-for-the-future-to-inspire/) [Maya Rodale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-rodale/) > [“What liberty we find when we trade self-esteem for God-esteem, relying on what God’s Word says about us rather than looking solely to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-gallier/what-liberty-we-find-when-we-trade-self-esteem-for-god-esteem-relying/) [Laura Gallier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-gallier/) > [How do you turn the invisible into the visible? The first step is to define your dream precisely; the only limit to what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/how-do-you-turn-the-invisible-into-the-visible-the-first-step-is-to/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Russia may soon get another chance to move closer to the West, to make a step - I do believe the first step toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-voinovich/russia-may-soon-get-another-chance-to-move-closer-to-the-west-to-make/) [Vladimir Voinovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-voinovich/) > [The first step toward maintaining autonomy in any programmed environment is to be aware that there's programming going on. It's as simple as understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/the-first-step-toward-maintaining-autonomy-in-any-programmed/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [I can turn an idea into a business before you know it's going to be important. 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