ST’s UnOfficial Biography
This is an UnOfficial Biography composed of several sources (we are quoting Stephen Trask directly).
Stephen Trask’s School Records: Williams School (1984):
Stephen Trask, class of 1984, award-winning composer and lyricist of Hedwig and the Angry Inch (also featured in the movie version of his stage play)
Alumni News Brief
Trask’s Tremendous Track Record
Following his success with Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Stephen Trask ’84 has received accolades for film scoring including The Station Agent, Camp, and A Hole in One. His accomplishments attracted the attention of the The New York Times and Connecticut magazine, both of which recently featured articles on his work.
Stephen Trask ’84, award-winning composer and lyricist of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, thanked Mrs. Jane Martineau for teaching incredible discipline. He cautioned all the procrastinators in the audience that from personal experience discipline will probably always be a struggle. Still, he has obviously learned well from Mrs. Martineau – Stephen has scored numerous feature films including The Station Agent, A Hole in One, and Camp. As one of the creators of Williams’ Compchorea, Stephen quoted an important mantra that got that tradition – and his exploration of music-off the ground, “Nothing is too weird!” His closing advice: “Don’t get on a mindless path; have goals that you really want.”
copyright ©2005. The Williams School, 182 Mohegan Avenue, New London CT 06320, phone 860-443-5333 All Rights Reserved.
Wesleyan University 1989:
Notable Alumni
Wesleyan graduates are successful in every profession imaginable, including law, science, medicine, business, politics, and the creative arts. They are often leaders and innovators in their fields. Here are just some of the University’s prominent alumni:
Stephen Trask ’89: Composer and lyricist for the musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Stephen Trask on how it all started:
“I left Wesleyan, went to New York to play in a band. I went to New York to be a rock musician. In addition, I also wanted to do work with bands and film.
I lived in Brooklyn for a few years, delivered pizza, made cappuccino. I was a foot massager, too.
I sprinted in my $10 Converses until my knees gave in.
During long periods of unemployment, I would write songs and practice with my band and try and make it.
I had a band call Bimbo Limbo Spam and a band called Cheater. Cheater was started in the early ’90s. I figured I would make it as a musician, and everything else would fall into place.”
“I just figured that it would all work out. You had to just have the belief that it would work out. There were times that Cheater got hot, and then our bass player went to rehab. That kinda was a problem.
Then I started performing at Squeeze Box regularly. I was the founding member of the band and the musical director, too. It was a hot club for a couple of years. That was a good time.” Stephen trask.
Stephen Trask on life and the “Other Half”:
“The idea that we are incomplete and that we need to find someone else to be complete is a bullshit idea. I mean, it’s really great as a story. As a way of running your life, it’s kind of retarded. As a life philosophy put into practice, it would be a disaster. I would try to give up that paradigm. Also, to celebrate the idea of yourself and community is what I was encouraging.” Stephen Trask.
Extracts taken from the following sources:
Published Monday, February 11, 2002
‘Hedwig’ creator speaks about life
BY SWATI PANDEY
Staff Reporter.
Copyright © 1995-2004 Yale Daily News Publishing Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published Friday, September 26, 2003
Stephen Trask stoops to conquer
“Hedwig” composer, Yale boyfriend & New Havenite scores new films
STEVEN ABRAMOWITZ.
Copyright © 1995-2004 Yale Daily News Publishing Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
