The Original Artwork

Late in 1999 I was approached by Mr Phillip Erklen, the President of the International Music Syndicate, regarding a "highly secret" project he was working on. He was in the process of planning a surprise tribute evening for the Actress Karolyn Grimes, who played the part of Zuzu Bailey in the classic film "Its a Wonderful Life." Mr Erklen was having a musical piece composed especially for Karolyn by Mr Phillip Keveren and asked if I would be interested in producing the artwork for the music score cover. I was honoured and thrilled to be involved in the event.

Karolyn as "Zuzu Bailey" with James Stewart

The Dedication (Phillip A Erklen)

People familiar with this music’s dedication suggested I use this space to explain why and how it was created. They also requested more information in the biographies than normally found in this type of publication. I am happy to oblige and additional information will be available on web sites indicated at the end of this writing.

In July of 1999, I invited Karolyn Grimes to Colorado Springs to share her experience in her role as Zuzu Bailey in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” in a special event for music teachers, their students, their families, and special guests. As music has been a part of Karolyn’s life, I also asked her to relate to the students how important music is to her and what influence it had on her during childhood.

After the date of her appearance was established (November 3, 2000), I wanted to somehow thank her for coming, and more so for all the wonderful things she does to brighten people’s lives around her. Whichever way I chose to thank Karolyn, I wanted it to be a surprise. From the beginning, I enlisted the aid of Christopher Brunell, who is also known as Mr. Zuzu. He was invaluable in providing me with information I dared not approach Karolyn about.

Because of Karolyn’s musical background, I came up with the idea of creating a piano solo work dedicated to her. While I publish and engage in the impresario arena, composition lies far beyond my abilities. I had to find an outstanding composer that could capture the essence of Zuzu and make it technically accessible for most piano students, I immediately thought of Phillip Keveren, an incredibly gifted artist that I knew could create what I was looking for. I had worked with Phillip Keveren in the past and felt he would be interested in this project. Instead of immediately conveying my idea to Phillip, I wanted to make sure he liked the movie. His response was, “My family and I love the movie.” After listening to my idea, he graciously accepted my offer, and the result is what you hold in your hands.

Not only did Phillip create a beautiful piano solo, he also orchestrated a General Midi accompaniment disk that can be used with digital pianos. After I played the composition, I asked Phillip what his thoughts had been during the creative process, and what had influenced him. I even went as far as to attempt to analyze his music and indicate what I though might have influenced his creativity. His response was, “I think it’s interesting to hear other people’s impressions of my work. It is not always parallel to my intentions, but that is the mystery and magic of music! I had no specific images in mind. However, I was trying to capture the innocence and hope, that this movie brings to our lives. Zuzu had to have a theme that was at once sweet and poignant.”

My next challenge was to find the pianist that was available to perform the piece. Phillip was the logical choice, yet I knew he maintained an incredibly busy schedule and probably would not be available. To my delight, he was available and since he is a Yamaha Artist (one of the many hats he wears), Yamaha Corporation offered to fly him in to perform his own composition at the event.

Then, I needed to determine the cover design and the overall appearance of the bound score. I didn’t want a graphic generated cover and it had to be simple, yet elegant. In the end, even the engraving of the music was carefully chosen to reflect a delicate flowing motion. However, the cover was my main concern; it had to be soft and mirror the feeling of the music. I had already come up with the title, and my first image was Karolyn’s face surrounded by little bells, roses and an angel. I also decided I wanted this image to be in the form of a painting.

I’m about as gifted at painting as I am composing, so I spent the next few months searching for an artist who could meet my expectations. After reviewing hundreds of paintings of different artists, I found Claire Kitcher in England. Claire’s talent was exactly what I was looking for. She was very receptive to my idea and intrigued about the entire project. After Claire reviewed several photographs of Karolyn, she showed me her first sketch. It was exactly what I had envisioned and the beautiful painting now graces the cover. Later on, I realized that there is a little name-play. Do you remember the name of the angel in the movie? His name was “Clarence.” Many people have asked what will happen to the original painting. I believe it should go to Karolyn, and it will be presented to her at the event.

Besides the composition, I wanted to include performances at the event by children who were involved in the same type of musical studies Karolyn had experienced as a child. These exceptionally gifted little angels are Whitney Hayes (vocalist), Allison Mclntire (pianist), and Jacob and Jeno Saghi (violinists). Each artist will give Karolyn a rose after their performance. I will follow at the end of the event which will make a total of six roses, Karolyn’s age when she portrayed Zuzu in the film.

There is no way I can foresee the outcome of this event, and providing you with some type of follow-up was an issue I needed to address. I now take the liberty of employing modern technology. Besides my biographical notes, you can obtain additional information about the artists and the outcome of the event at Karolyn’s web site (www.zuzu.net) and mine (www.nelkre.com).

As you play or listen to Zuzu’s music, I hope it reminds you of how important your life influences those around you, and how those lives enrich your own.

I wish you a wonderful life.


Phillip A Erklen
President, International Music Syndicate
November 2000

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One day I asked Karolyn if she would write a few words of encouragement and wisdom to music students.
Following is her wonderful response. I am sure she would want me to share this with you.

Dear Music Students Who are Studying The Language of the Heart.

I call it Music!

There is no other form of communication. that is more universal than music.
It is a wonderful gift that we have been given to enrich our lives.
Some of us can only listen while others like you have the ability to make music.
That is a gift that you will embrace all your life.
To share that gift with others is a beautiful way to touch lives.
It is also a treasure that you can enjoy yourself.

Practising can be a challenge, but I encourage you to have patience
and you will reap many rewards. With your talent, you can make it a wonderful life.

I wish for the music of your hearts to surround you always.

Karolyn Grimes
ZuZu

Karolyn Grimes

There were four children in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Each child was certainly important and contributed specific elements to the movie. However, I believe that Karolyn’s role as Zuzu Bailey is the most memorable. Endless references to Zuzu’s petals and to her famous words at the end of the movie -- “every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings” -- have certainly helped to immortalise the movie; they help people recall the story’s warmth and important message.

Karolyn appeared in fifteen other films, including “The Bishop’s Wife” with Loretta Young, Cary Grant and David Niven. This is another favourite of mine! I can’t resist listing here a few of the legends Karolyn worked with during her acting career; Fred Astaire, Lionel Barrymore, John Carradine, Gary Cooper, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis, Jr., Glenn Ford, Paulette Goddard, Betty Grable, Danny Kaye, Boris Karloff, Buster Keaton, Maureen O’Hara, Fred MacMurray, Rosalind Russell, Randolph Scott, Howard Da Silva, John Wayne, and many more. Some of the directors she worked with included Frank Capra, Cecil B. DeMille, and John Ford. Working at some of the best known motion picture studios -- including 20th Century Fox, Columbia, Paramount, Republic, and United Artists -- Karolyn was certainly immersed in the Hollywood scene. Her stories of the studios, directors, and actors she worked with are charming and captivating.

Movies like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “The Bishop’s Wife” are adored by millions around the world. These movies are certainly classics, with “It’s a Wonderful Life” being rated number eleven out of one hundred with the American Film Institute. - The movie certainly has many themes, however, I think one of the main points is how one person influences the lives of many and how the absence of that person could leave an incredible void. Their absence could even preclude certain positive elements from happening in a person’s life and so on down the chain of events. Actors can have a very positive influence using a character in a movie as a tool to brighten the lives of those around them. I asked Karolyn if she had realised this during her many appearances around the world. Her response was, “I was 6 years old when I was picked for the part of ZuZu. Since 1980 my life has once again been drawn to the entertainment industry because of my participation in IAWL. Be it divine guidance or whatever, I feel it is a privilege to be ZuZu simply because people seem to be happy to meet someone associated with the film. I or ZuZu do not want to take any credit for any earth shattering experiences for any other human being. I am lucky to be who I am and I will be forever grateful for having the ability to meet and greet people who love the movie.”

During one interview, Clay Eals commented, “You cringe a bit when someone calls you a child star.” Karolyn responded by stating, “I don’t even consider myself a starlet. I was a bit player, just a character kid with buns and braids. There’s no two other ways about it. I happened to be in the right movie.” Karolyn’s response to Clay’s question is technically correct, but there is no doubt in the hearts of millions that Karolyn is indeed a star. “Star,” after all, is far more than a position in one’s acting career. Stars also have meaning in what we do with our lives and how one person can influence the lives of many. Stars are people who make a difference in the world by enhancing the lives around them. Karolyn’s own life has not always been as wonderful. She has suffered many personal tragedies, however, she continues to uplift those around her. Her smile suggests that she has the compassion of someone who has a profound understanding of life’s challenges. Today, she is a speaker who travels around the world sharing her experiences in the movies as well as in her personal life.

The first word that comes to mind in describing Karolyn is wonderful. The second word is angel. Christopher’s beautiful dedication says it all, and there is nothing more I could add. Nor can I provide a glimpse of Karolyn’s life on this one page. To really get an idea of this wonderful and fascinating lady, I suggest you obtain the book “Zuzu’s Wonderful Life In The Movies,” by Christopher Brunell.

For millions of people around the world, Karolyn Grimes will always be Zuzu Bailey, the sweet little girl who asked George Bailey to paste her fallen petals back on her flower. Nor can we forget those famous words: “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.”

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Phillip Keveren

I have known Phillip for many years and am invariably delighted to hear his new creations. His accomplishments are so numerous that they extend into every realm of the music world. Because of his versatile styles, it’s not always easy to recognise a Keveren composition. Phillip is also an exceptionally gifted performing artist. Some of his performances include his Carnegie Hall debut as soloist with the New York Pops, conducted by Skitch Henderson; keyboard soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the West Coast Premiere of John Adams’ “Fearful Symmetries”; and guest performer on the Merv Griffm Show. His performances also include numerous television ads for Ford, American Plastics Council, Continental Airlines, and Hampton Inns.

Phillip’s commercial composition credits include “Straight To The Top” (co-author) as the theme song for the nationally televised Miss America Pageant in 1992, and Industrial Film scores for Yamaha Corporation of America and Twentieth Century Mutual Funds.

Phillip co-authored the Hal Leonard Student Piano Library, a comprehensive method of piano study that includes the accompaniment recordings in CD and GM disks. This outstanding piano method makes the study of music fun while incorporating important elements of musicianship. His credits also include an incredible amount of additional compositions and arrangements for the Hal Leonard Corporation, Woodland Music Press, Lillenas Music, Ron Harris Music, and Warner Brothers Publications.

Phillip led the way in the field of MIDI arranging and orchestrating and has created many piano solos with MIDI orchestra recordings for Yamaha’s PianoSoft Library. As Director of Keyboard Instruction, he developed keyboard instruction methods for the Yamaha Music Education System, trained teachers in seminars nation-wide, and composed and produced music for corporate films and radio ads. He also created arrangements for the PianoSoft catalogue of software for the Yamaha Diskiavier piano, and for the MusicSoft catalogue for Yamaha Electone and Yamaha Clavinova keyboards. In addition, he created the Clavinova orchestral accompaniments for the Alfred’s Basic Piano Library series.

In the music software programming area, Phillip is an international consultant for Yamaha Music Corporation in software and hardware development and product demonstration concerts involving tours in Japan, Europe, the United States, and Canada.

A recent project of Phillip’s involved his collaboration with Billy Joel and Hal Leonard Corporation. Mr. Joel’s request in having many of his piano solo works arranged for classical piano initiated the search for the right person. That person turned out to be Phillip Keveren.

Phillip received his Master of Music in Composition in 1986 from the University of Southern California, where he was the recipient of the “Outstanding Graduate Award.” He received his Bachelor of Music in 1984 from California State University, Northridge.

These are just a sprinkling of Phillip’s endeavours. It will be impossible to note all his accomplishments at the event, so I was able to acquire over one hundred of his works and will exhibit them in five displays at the event. I thought the visual approach for the audience would serve as a testament to Phillip’s versatility and immense contribution to the music world. Of course, many in the audience will be piano teachers and students who are quite aware of Phillip’s artistry. Phillip does not know about my plan, as his modest and gentle spirit would have tried to dissuade me from doing so.

I recently asked Phillip why he chose music as a profession and what influence he hoped his music would have on others. He replied, “From the time I was old enough to sit at a piano bench I wanted to play the piano. It was magical to me. It still is! Although I make my living as a composer and pianist, music is so much more than a profession to me. It is an integral part of who I am. I hope that this passion for music moves the players who interpret my works and touches the listeners who hear them.” Phillip is another angel on earth that enriches the lives of those around him.

Phillip presently records on the Simplicity Records label and lives in California with his wonderful wife Lisa, and two adorable children, Lindsay and Sean.

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