Do You Believe In Magic? You might after you're transported to the fantastical world of Wonderhaven. Do You Believe In Magic? (DYBIM) is a brilliantly inventive alternative musical/rock opera for tweens and "kids at heart" who resonate with the fantasy genre (think Into The Woods, Once Upon A Time, Harry Potter). In DYBIM, the magical Kingdom of Wonderhaven is under a malicious memory curse and rapidly losing it's magic. Aoede, the Muse of Song, believes she has no use or magic; yet she is plagued with a big secret and is the only one who can save magic and the Kingdom.

DYBIM combines colorful characters, compelling story, infectious songs, danceable duets, narration, and full musical score. Enter a spellbinding world of enchanted books, a stuttering chameleon, a Master Magician, a 3-headed Goddess of Witchcraft, three dark witches from the Underworld, a High Priestess with an alter ego, a forest guardian with a cold, a rhyming house goblin, and a mere muse of song who carries a tunestone.

To glimpse the enchanted worlds in DYBIM, click the WONDERHAVEN WORLDS map below. The map includes locations from other Aoede musical stories to tie together all of Aoede's worlds, including Is Love A Fairy Tale? (2012) and What Are Dreams Made Of? (2013).

click on map to see enlargement

PRODUCTION
Do You Believe In Magic? (along with What Are Dreams Made Of? (WADMO 2013) and Is Love A Fairy Tale? (2012)) was produced and engineered, as well as orchestrated, by Aoede’s chief collaborator, Scrote, who has worked with Jackson Browne, Van Dyke Parks, Daniel Johnston and The Stripminers. Stellar musicians featured include: Craig Eastman, Peter Adams, Mike Klooster, Tim Young, Isaiah Gage, David Sands, Blair Sinta, Scrote and Aoede/Lisa Sniderman. In addition to the return of narrator Kevin Ponthier (who narrated both WADMO and Is Love A Fairy Tale?) and the spirited David Yow as Luk, the collection includes San Francisco Bay Area musical theater actors, who lend their dynamic voices to characters as well as sing in character (see full credits below). Tracks were recorded in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, California. The project was mastered by Reiner Gembalcyzk.

(click on photo to see enlargement)

FULL CREDITS:
LISA SNIDERMAN vocals, acoustic guitars, ukulele, piano, percussion
SCROTE acoustic and electric guitars, keys, glockenspiel, bass, percussion, drum programming
CRAIG EASTMAN violin, tenor violin, hurdy, psaltery, mandolin
PETER ADAMS piano, keyboards, synthesizers
MIKE KLOOSTER additional synthesizers
TIM YOUNG electric guitars
ISAIAH GAGE cello
BLAIR SINTA drums, percussion
DAVID SANDS bowed bass

KEVIN PONTHIER voice of Narrator
LISA SNIDERMAN voice of Aoede, vocals on Unthinkable, Nobody Can Know, Chameleon, Linger, Sacrifice, Black Magic, What I Want, Magic In The Air
DAVID YOW voice of Luk, vocals on Magic In The Air
ANDRE SAN-CHEZ voice of Shadow/Dain/Foster, vocals on Scribbled Lines, Unthinkable, Magic In The Air
ELIZABETH FINKLER HANASAK voice of Lamia/Bellina, vocals on Unthinkable, Dark Witches, Underworld Madness, Magic In The Air
KATE OFFER voice of Empusa, vocals on What I Want, Dark Witches, Underworld Madness, Magic In The Air
EMILY JOY KESSEL voice of Evlin/Neona, vocals on Unthinkable
MAGGIE TENENBAUM voice of Goetia/Iota, vocals on Underworld Madness, Magic In The Air
DON HARDWICK voice of Curial/Leshy/Tunder, vocals on Unthinkable, Chameleon, Magic In The Air
SONICA LI voice of Mormo/Zoroaster Double/Oona, vocals on The Curse, Unthinkable, Dark Witches, Underworld Madness, Magic In The Air
TINA RUTSCH voice of Hecate, vocals on Horribly Wrong, Underworld Madness, Hades Bind, Black Magic, Magic In The Air
JAY KROHNENGOLD voice of Zoroaster/Zoroaster Double/Spellbinder, vocals on What I Want, Magic In The Air
ENSEMBLE vocals on Goblin Kings Are Rising (Part 2) and Unthinkable
 

All songs, script, concept and story by LISA SNIDERMAN
Produced by SCROTE
Music by LISA SNIDERMAN & SCROTE
Orchestrated by SCROTE
All artwork by RYAN DURNEY
Design by LISA SNIDERMAN & RYAN DURNEY
SCROTE Engineer, Mixing, Editing Engineer
LISA SNIDERMAN & DAVID SANDS Editing, Vocal Engineers
JASON HOOVER Casting
Mastered by RAINER GEMBALCZYK

Printed, packaged and pressed at Sienna Digital
Tracks recorded at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California
Additional tracking in Los Angeles & San Francisco, California

Sound Effects:
pond5.com
sounddogs.com
soundbible.com
freesound.org
soundjay.com
freesfx.co.uk
Cabaret (Loop 03) Artist: Ori Vidislavski