Review by Matt Wong & Staff
Pauline Frechette is a composer and performer. Her Great-grandfather, Josef Vezina, founded the Quebec Symphony. Her compositions are best defined as “Neo-classical.” Her work has been performed by the Baltimore Symphony, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, New West Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, National Symphony at the Kennedy Center and at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Pauline has composed songs for TV and Film and her musicals have been produced by The Goodspeed Opera House, the LaMirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and the Baruch Theatre in NYC. Her credits include singing on major motion pictures (Aladdin, Rent, Mermaids …) and performing and /recording with many legendary artists including MUSE for the 2012 Olympics; Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson, Leonard Cohen, Cher, and duets with Neil Diamond. Pauline's solo piano album, "An Intimate Story” debuted in September 2019 at #3 on Billboard Classical and Classical Crossover charts. Her holiday EP “Winter Romance" and her album, "Colors of My Heart,” which debuted in the Billboard Top Ten Classical and Jazz charts. Her music is being played on radio in over 150 countries.
“Breathe” immediately draws listeners in with a tight shuffle groove, followed by the vocals shortly after. Setting the tone, actors speak-sing over the track about the crashing waves of bad news, world issues, and a hectic modern lifestyle.
From the first notes of the melody, the song embodies the essence of musical theater with lush orchestration and storytelling. Listeners will enjoy getting familiar with the arc of the story that Breathe is based on.
From the captivating and smooth lead vocals by Hinton Battle’s character, to David Campbell’s outstanding orchestration, all interact, not just to serve the song, but to serve the overall show. The song even boasts a dynamic rap section seamlessly combining multiple genres. The chorus, "Breathe, breathe, Let yourself breath. Stop and Breathe" has jazzy, R & B overtones. Listeners will be mesmerized.
“Breathe” is a number from Pauline Frechette, and Campbell’s show Artaria (Song of Art) which tells the story of a steel town that is going under due to closing mills. However, the artists in the town breathe new life into their community through their creations. “Breathe” with lyrics such as “stop and breathe, dance in the sun, stop and breathe, let yourself run” is about taking a moment to tap into one’s creativity.
“Breathe” by Pauline Frechette and David Campbell, a fantastic piece of music and storytelling. The song’s lyrics are conveyed through the music brilliantly, and allow listeners to connect with the characters emotionally, and understand the sentiment of those who live in this steel town.
Listeners will immediately want to check out the other songs from Artaria (Song of Art) after listening to “Breathe” and more music from Pauline Frechette.
Listen on Spotify.
For more information on Pauline Frechette, please visit her website.
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