"As the Director of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath in Bartlesville, Oklahoma in 2017, (not too far from the birthplace of the great, Woody Guthrie), I knew I wanted to soundtrack the play with original music that sounded both traditional and fresh enough to appeal to modern audiences. Singer/Songwriter/Musician, Paul Mitchell Wright, exceeded all my expectations with his sensitive and evocative score. Starting with the spare landscape of the Dustbowl, then evoking an arduous move from Oklahoma to California along Route 66, ending in a "land of plenty" that remains just out of reach, Paul Mitchell Wright's music literally hits all the right notes as it takes us on the Joad family's historic journey across our country. Not just the Joads, of course, but a mass migration of people looking for work and most of all, a home. The music evokes this forward movement -- the sense of longing and dreaming about the future, the bearing of sorrow and loss, the closeness of family and the kindness of strangers, and the joyful, playful interactions of these proud people. Wright does all this while drawing on the rich traditions of American music, including blues, country, honky tonk, gospel, traditional hymns, and folk, creating a beautiful synthesis of emotion. As I said, I hoped the music would help create that time and place while still appealing to contemporary listeners. Once heard, I have no doubt that people will return time and again to enjoy this beautiful score, a collection of finely wrought songs and instrumentals whose lyrics and beautiful melodies still resonate today. Shelby Brammer, artistic director Theater Bartlesville, Bartlesville, Oklahoma