September 4, 1987
Warren Gerds
Critic-at Large
Custom songs strike a chord
It’s neither Tin Pan Alley nor grand opera, but Wanda Truttmann Sieber is whistling a happy tune as she works in a new form of the art of songwriting.
She writes custom music for speeches and meetings.
Because this is such a fresh field, it gives one pause in trying to imagine how it works. Here is one application:
A speaker is engaged, and Sieber reshapes the theme of the talk into a song that is performed as part of the program. This can be done with her singing live or on tape.
In only five months,
the
The catalyst for
this new breed of music-as-a-motivator is Jim Hennig, a
Hennig picked up on specialized music at a national convention of speakers. He then thought of Sieber, whom he heard perform her songs at their church. The connection clicked, for Sieber has the tools and inclination for what Hennig wants.
“I’m extremely pleased,” Hennig said. “Every time we’ve done it, it’s been powerful. There are either people in tears or laughing or whatever. That’s what we’re hoping to accomplish. It adds another dimension of emotions and professionalism to the meeting.”
Sieber is now part of J.F. Hennig Associates, Inc.
Showing her business card, she said, “I don’t even have a title on there because we conldn’t think of what to put. I couldn’t put just ‘musician’ and I couldn’t put ‘vocalist’ and I couldn’t put just ‘composer’ because I’m also a performer. ‘Music associate’ is the closest we can get.”
Sieber had done some public performing in the past as with Music Theater. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, where her studies included music theory and composition.
Her first custom
music “gig” was in May at
Sieber’s song, This is the Day, Look at Me, was written from the perspectives of the feelings of both the speakers being perused and the meeting planners who book them.
Later, she created a song for an association gathering for its retiring board members.
“It was so emotional,” Sieber said, “Everybody was crying. And I thought, ‘These people are going to have to stop crying or I’m going to start, too.’”
She was singing such lines as: “Who can count the hours you’ve given/ Who can count the things you’ve done/ You always gave more than we’ve dared to ask for/ ….For all the things you share with us/ …For all you’ve done, we thank you.”
Sieber said, “That’s when everybody was going aaawww, and they started crying and kept on crying.”
Her music also has been applied in the business arena. This summer, she wrote songs that were used along with a motivational speech Hennig gave for a local insurance company.
Obviously, music has more applications than soothing the savage beast, selling products or being a pop ditty on everyone’s lips.
Sieber has a knack for turning an uplifting phrase, and her songs are of a melodic pop style. What’s more, she has a pretty, clear voice.
The money form her new venture comes in handy. Sieber and her husband have two children, and a third is due in January.
Sieber has written about 10 custom music songs. One, extolling the virtues of Wisconsin, accompanied by slides.
Along with writing for Hennig’s speeches and for business situations, Sieber has pieces in the works for other speakers. She and Hennig felt right off at the first engagement that a chord had been struck.
Sieber said, “That was a neat feeling, of knowing that this might turn out not only fun, not only an outlet but profitable and explosive.”
At present, it fits into her family situation as well as her desire to write religious music; she has five songs coming out in sheet music from soon at Don Poh Music Co.
“We have a little industry, and it might get too big a little industry for just Wanda Sieber to handle,” she said. “I’ve been thinking about it, but I’m not going to think too hard until it actually becomes a problem.”
Sieber whispered, as if telling a secret, “This is a lot of fun.”
- Gerds writes about arts and entertainment.