Lawrence.com

Jordy Altman once served as a song leader at a Jewish music camp. And he's played his guitar a few times at house parties.

This week, he'll be able to add a new line to his musical resume: wandering minstrel.

Altman, a Kansas University sophomore, wrote original music to go with E.M.U. Theatre's production of "As You Like It," and he'll take his guitar to South Park to accompany the Shakespearean production.

"I write music as a hobby," he says. "This is my first full-blown performance."

The idea to add music to the performance came from Laura Leffler-McCabe, the show's director. Plenty of music already exists, she says, considering the play has been around more than 400 years and includes five songs with lyrics.

But she wanted new music, and turned to her friend Altman to get it done.

"I was really interested in having music written specifically for my production so that it would fit in with all the other design elements," Leffler-McCabe says.

In addition to writing music to three songs which had lyrics written by Shakespeare, Altman was charged with adding acoustic guitar music that accompanies much of the show, especially during transitions between scenes.

He sometime takes on the role of a wandering minstrel and other times is off to the side as an accompanist.

The tunes emphasize the contrast between the courtyard scenes (dissonant music) and forest scenes (light and happy).

"All together, 'jazzy bluegrass' I guess would be the style if you're trying to pinpoint it," Altman says.

Leffler-McCabe says Altman has been flexible in making the music fit the production.

"It's been like something out of a dream to have someone who understands what the show needs and what I'm asking for and who is so musically talented," she says. "I want to have a composer for every show I direct now because this has been such a satisfying artistic experience."