ABOUT
Over seven years in the making, “Follow Your Dreams (A New Musical)” marks the debut musical from the creative minds of Christopher Dayett and Barbara Gallagher.
The idea came to Chris after re-reading some of his college graduation cards. He began developing the story in November of 2005, and spend the next few summers jotting his ideas down in a little black notebook while on the beach at Masonboro Island. In the fall of 2008, Chris transferred his notes to the computer in script format, and the story started to develop.
Chris knew that music would help drive the story, and in mid 2011, Chris enlisted the help of renown composer, Barbara Gallagher, to collaborate on the 15+ musical numbers in the show.
The show follows the story of a struggling actor, Adam, who becomes trapped inside his son’s storybook...in Storyland. While there, Adam encounters many helpful friends who help him along his journey across Storyland. But the evil Choregus has plans for all the talented inhabitants, and Adam and his friends must unite if he is to be stopped.
MULTIMEDIA
CREATIVE TEAM
Christopher Dayett
(Music/Lyrics/Book)
Barbara Gallagher
(Music/Lyrics)
Barbara Gallagher's music has charted on iTunes charts in the UK, Canada, and Austria, and has been broadcast worldwide on NPR's "Thistle and Shamrock" show, played on Sirius/Dog Star Radio and NPR and religious stations nationwide. It is featured on merry-christmas.com, accuradio.com's "Textures" channel, Celtic Radio and Pandora. Her orchestral music has been performed regionally in the Carolinas by ensembles such as Wilmington and Florence Symphonies, Western Piedmont Youth Symphony, Tallis Chamber Orchestra and Duke String School.
Her piano CD music is in contract with Muzak Corp., Platinum Music Ltd.(UK), Transition Music Corp., Drama King Music Library, Pump Audio of Getty Images, and is available through The Catholic Co., Celtic Hills, CDBaby, itunes, Rhapsody, and other digital outlets. It also has recently been released for upcoming use by EWTN. "Kildare Hymn" is theme music for WPBL-FM's "Carolina Catholic" program. Publishers include Hal Leonard Corp. and G.I.A. Inc.; commissions include Florence Symphony (for the Inaugural concert of the opening of the Frances Marion Performing Arts Center), New Onyx Theatre, Ad Hoc Theatre, Jacobin Arts and Exilir Films.
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An ASCAP member, awards include Special Mention in MusicAid's 2009 and 2006 International Music Awards, Finalist in IAMA and UK Songwriting Contests, David Faith Memorial Prize, N.C. Composer Award from the Federation of Music Clubs, Regional and Emerging Artist Grants from the Arts Council of the Lower Cape Fear and Cumberland Arts Council, Irving Berlin Fellowship (Juilliard) and Vittorio Giannini Scholarship (U.N.C. School of the Arts). Her works include piano music, songs in classical, broadway and pop styles, as well as orchestral and chamber instrumental pieces.
Early studies were with Fr. Kenneth Geyer in piano at Belmont Abbey College; she holds degrees from U.N.C. School of the Arts (B.M.) where she studied composition with Sherwood Shaffer and Robert Ward, and The Juilliard School (M.M.) where Vincent Persichetti was her principal teacher and she was a teaching fellow in Ear-training and Solfege, assisting Dept. Chair Mary Anthony Cox; in New York she served as house pianist for Manhattan Savings Bank and was workshop artist for Hospital Audiences, Inc; organ studies were with Marsha H. Long. Upon returning to her home state of North Carolina, she taught at Brunswick Community College, wrote reviews for "Encore" magazine (Wilmington, N.C.) and also studied Gregorian Chant notation and performance at NPM Chant School at St. Meinrad Monastery in Indiana, writing an article for "Pastoral Music" magazine.
Currently residing in Wilmington, she is producer of the "ComposerWorks" concert series, which to date has presented works of over thirty-five North Carolina composers and is now in its twentieth year; she has recently served as Accompanist Coordinator for the Carolina Ballet's Summer Intensive and Residency at UNC-W, Composer-in-Residence for Magic Trunk Theater Company, Instructor at Cape Fear Community College and also wrote "The Music Within", an article for "Hearing Health" magazine. A longtime church musician, she currently holds positions locally as Director of Music for Fifth Avenue United Methodist Church and Pianist and Contemporary Choir Director for St. Mary Catholic Church; she also maintains a private teaching studio. In addition to her musical activities, she is a graduate student in East Carolina University's Department of Technical and Professional Communication.