All About Suz’s Composing and Songwriting
Suz has been composing music professionally since 1996, and is affiliated with ASCAP (American Society of Composers and Publishers) and with Taxi A & R (Artists and repertoire).
She has composed songs for musicals, for numerous albums, and for production use worldwide for a variety of clients. In addition, she is known for her on-the-spot songwriting, in which (since her teen years), she creates complete songs in the moment based on audience suggestions or various inspirations.
Suz & Charles Fox at the 2011 Taxi Rally
A multi-instrumentalist (piano, guitar, ukulele, bass, mandolin, cello, charango), Suz has performed in choirs since childhood, and in a diverse array of bands since the 1970s, including tunes from the Great American Songbook, novelty songs from the early 1900s, torch songs, and songs from almost every era and style. This informed her ear for melody and harmony, and gave her extensive experience in popular music from the 1800s on. Vo de oh Do!
Ethan Okamura & Suz jamming at a the Westin in Los Angeles.
In essence, Suz is a multi-era genre-juggling composer who specializes in music that includes: Quirky, childrens, comedy, genre/ style/ era parodies (e.g. film noir, game show
Casey Hurowitz, Suz, & Sylvain, Taxi rally, 2011
themes, TV sitcom and news themes) smooth jazz, new age, Gospel, Broadway music, big band standards, meditation/ relaxation music, Taize style chanting, and reflective, hospice music.
She is influenced by Nelson Riddle, Danny Elfman, Marc Shaiman, Dan Fogelburg, Kenny Rankin, Windham Hill, and — of course — Monty Python, Allen Sherman, and Weird Al.
Improv and On-the-Spot Songwriting
Since her earliest days of performing music, Suz has been known for her unique ability to make up cohesive, complicated and often hilarious songs in the moment, based on
Suz & Niels Nielsen, Uketoberfest
everything from audience suggestions to spur-of-the-moment encounters in airports, on trains, or even walking down city streets. (Hmmm. Why did those people all run away screaming?)
She has done full concerts of songs made up on the spot (at Westwind Tunes in the Dunes Uke Camp,
Suz & Brook Adams, Uketoberfest 2018
for example), and sprinkled them in to other performances over the years at places such as Uketoberfest (Eugene, OR), Sacred Grounds Coffee House (San Francisco, CA), Women’s Retreats and keynote concerts, and with Music Improv groups at Springboard Studios and Infinite Improvabilities.
While conventional composing is fun and rewarding, Suz LOVES the immediacy and challenge of Writing Songs ON THE SPOT! Now where did that spot go? !
