Changes: Don Music

PERFORMER	Richard Hunt
DEBUT	1974
PATTERN	Orange Gold
DESIGN	Jim Henson

Revision as of 16:42, 19 May 2020

Richard hunt don music — Richard Hunt performing Don Music.

SS50thSpecial-Don — Don in *Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration*

Don Music is an agonized composer who made recurring appearances on Sesame Street, starting in Season 6 (1974).

A typical sketch involved Kermit visiting Don in his studio while he tried to write a new song. To help alleviate Don's frustrations and stop him from banging his head against his piano, Kermit would make suggestions and correct Don's mistakes. The usual result was that Don would write a strange version of a nursery rhyme, such as "Mary Had a Bicycle" instead of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." When he finished, he would perform the song, and would normally be joined by back-up singers (often Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats), who would appear seemingly from out of nowhere, or come through the door to his studio. When the character started appearing in street scenes, he was shown writing original songs not based on established compositions.

Don always kept a picture of Sesame Street songwriter and composer Joe Raposo on the wall, while on his piano he often kept a bust of either Ludwig van Beethoven or William Shakespeare.

Don also appeared in the View-Master Interactive Vision video Let's Learn to Play Together and the TV special, Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting.

His last new appearance on the show was in Episode 2826, but his segments continued to air as part of new episodes until the end of Season 29 in 1998. According to Sesame Street Unpaved, which was published the same year, "The character, played by Richard Hunt, was abandoned because of complaints about his alarming tendencies toward self-inflicted punishment. Apparently, kids were imitating his head-banging at home."

Though absent as a character for decades, Don Music resurfaced in new appearances associated with the show's 50th anniversary, performed by Ryan Dillon. He appeared at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019 in the "Sesame Street Puppets Live!" show,^[1] the special Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration^[2] (where host Joseph Gordon-Levitt mistakes him for Guy Smiley), and in the 2019 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. He also made a cameo in the 2019 animated music video "Christmas with the Count" (YouTube) and appears as an audience member for The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo.

Sketches

Picture

Summary / First Appearance

Description

Mary Had a Bicycle

Episode 0698

Kermit helps Don Music write a remake of "Mary's Lamb," with some back-up vocals from the Monotones.

Video: Sing Yourself Silly, Old School: Volume 2

Online: (YouTube)

Yankee Doodle

Episode 0876

Kermit helps Don Music finish the "Yankee Doodle" song, then because Don finds the idea of calling feathers macaroni ridiculous, they rewrite it to be a song in which Yankee Doodle stays at home cooking for his pony, puts "fat spaghetti" in a pot and calls it macaroni. Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats then come in and perform the song with Don.

Video: Old School: Volume 2

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Episode 0897

"Life is but a... but a..." With Kermit's help, Don Music manages to rewrite the tune to "Drive, drive, drive your car."

Online: (YouTube)

Old MacDonald

Episode 0923

Don successfully writes "Old MacDonald", with the help of Kermit and several barnyard animals.

Whistle, Whistle, Little Bird

Episode 1210

Don Music tries to rewrite "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." He succeeds and is joined by a country-western band.

Video: 50 Years and Counting

Online: (YouTube)

The Alphabet Song

Episode 1227

Don Music successfully "writes" the Alphabet Song, with help from his surroundings.

Can You Tell Me How To Get To Yellowstone Park

Episode 1310

On a stormy night, Don Music tries to rewrite the "Sesame Street Theme". With a little help from Kermit and the outdoor atmosphere, he succeeds and is joined by Little Chrissy & The Alphabeats.

Mystery Guest

Episode 1447

Don was a contestant along with Cookie Monster and Sherlock Hemlock in game show sketch hosted by Guy Smiley. The object of the game was to wear a blindfold and guess who the mystery guest is. The mystery guest was the letter X. Don Music guessed M.

The American Revolution

Episode 2345

Don Music plays Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson has trouble getting a replacement quill to finish the Declaration when Mr. Grover misinterprets what he needs bringing a drill, and a chicken named Phil.

Online: (YouTube)

Episodic appearances

Book appearances

Gallery

Sources

[1] Ryan Dillon on Instagram (July 22, 2019)

[2] Ryan Dillon on Instagram (November 2, 2019)

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{character|image=DonMusic-Bust.jpg|performer=[[Richard Hunt]]|debut=1974|design=[[Jim Henson]]|pattern=[[Orange Gold]]}}
+{{character|image=Don Music.png|performer=[[Richard Hunt]]|debut=1974|design=[[Jim Henson]]|pattern=[[Orange Gold]]}}
+[[File:Richard hunt don music.jpg|thumb|300px|Richard Hunt performing Don Music.]]
+[[File:SS50thSpecial-Don.png|thumb|300px|Don in ''Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration'']]
 '''Don Music''' is an agonized composer who made recurring appearances on ''[[Sesame Street]]'', starting in [[Season 6 (1974-1975)|Season 6]] (1974).
+__TOC__
-A typical sketch involved [[Kermit the Frog|Kermit]] visiting Don in his studio while he tried to write a new song. To help alleviate Don's frustrations and stop him from banging his head against his piano, Kermit would make suggestions and correct Don's mistakes.  The usual result was that Don would write a strange version of a nursery rhyme, such as "Mary Had a Bicycle" instead of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." When he finished, he would perform the song, and would normally be joined by back-up singers (often [[Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats]]), who would appear seemingly from out of nowhere, or come through the door to the room.
+A typical sketch involved [[Kermit the Frog|Kermit]] visiting Don in his studio while he tried to write a new song. To help alleviate Don's frustrations and stop him from banging his head against his piano, Kermit would make suggestions and correct Don's mistakes.  The usual result was that Don would write a strange version of a nursery rhyme, such as "Mary Had a Bicycle" instead of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." When he finished, he would perform the song, and would normally be joined by back-up singers (often [[Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats]]), who would appear seemingly from out of nowhere, or come through the door to his studio. When the character started appearing in street scenes, he was shown writing original songs not based on established compositions.
 Don always kept a picture of ''Sesame Street'' songwriter and composer [[Joe Raposo]] on the wall, while on his piano he often kept a bust of either [[Ludwig van Beethoven]] or [[William Shakespeare]].
+Don also appeared in the [[View-Master Interactive Vision]] video ''[[Let's Learn to Play Together]]'' and the TV special, ''[[Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting]]''.
-He stopped appearing in new material after his performer, [[Richard Hunt]], died in 1992, but his segments continued to air as part of new episodes until the end of [[Season 29 (1997-1998)|Season 29]] in 1998.  According to ''[[Sesame Street Unpaved (book)|Sesame Street Unpaved]]'', which was published the same year, "The character, played by Richard Hunt, was abandoned because of complaints about his alarming tendencies toward self-inflicted punishment. Apparently, kids were imitating his head-banging at home."
+His last new appearance on the show was in [[Episode 2826]], but his segments continued to air as part of new episodes until the end of [[Season 29 (1997-1998)|Season 29]] in 1998. According to ''[[Sesame Street Unpaved (book)|Sesame Street Unpaved]]'', which was published the same year, "The character, played by Richard Hunt, was abandoned because of complaints about his alarming tendencies toward self-inflicted punishment. Apparently, kids were imitating his head-banging at home."
+Though absent as a character for decades, Don Music resurfaced in new appearances associated with the show's [[Sesame Street: 50th Anniversary|50th anniversary]], performed by [[Ryan Dillon]]. He appeared at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] in 2019 in the "Sesame Street Puppets Live!" show,<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/B0OuLo6gL4S/ Ryan Dillon on Instagram (July 22, 2019)]</ref> the special ''[[Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration]]''<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/B4XzUK-Dmcb/ Ryan Dillon on Instagram (November 2, 2019)]</ref> (where host [[Joseph Gordon-Levitt]] mistakes him for [[Guy Smiley]]), and in the 2019 [[Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade]]. He also made a cameo in the 2019 animated music video "Christmas with the Count" {{youtube|s7B5FsxL7Gk}} and appears as an audience member for ''[[The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo]]''.
-{{TOClimit}}
 ==Sketches==
 {| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=8 valign=top
 |- bgcolor=#eeeeee
-! Picture !!width=100| Summary / [[Muppet Wiki:Earliest Known Appearance|EKA]] !! Description
+! Picture !!width=100| Summary / [[Muppet Wiki:Earliest Known Appearance|First Appearance]] !! Description
 |-
 | [[Image:Ssnfbicycle.JPG|250px|center]]
-| align=center | [[Mary Had a Bicycle]]<hr>[[Episode 0698]]
+| align=center | [[Mary Had a Bicycle]]<hr/>[[Episode 0698]]
 | [[Reporter Kermit|Kermit]] helps Don Music write a remake of "Mary's Lamb," with some back-up vocals from the [[Little Jerry and the Monotones|Monotones]]. {{sketchrelease|video=''[[Sing Yourself Silly]]'', ''[[Old School: Volume 2]]''|online={{Youtube|RrJnzBFzEEY}}}}
+|-
+| [[Image:DonMusic--YankeeDoodle.jpg|250px|center]]
+| align=center | [[Yankee Doodle Boy|Yankee Doodle]]<hr/>[[Episode 0876]]
+| Kermit helps Don Music finish the "Yankee Doodle" song, then because Don finds the idea of calling feathers macaroni ridiculous, they rewrite it to be a song in which [[Yankee Doodle]] stays at home cooking for his pony, puts "fat spaghetti" in a pot and calls it macaroni. Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats then come in and perform the song with Don. {{sketchrelease|video=''[[Old School: Volume 2]]''}}
 |-
 | [[Image:Rowrowyourboat.jpg|250px|center]]
-| align=center | [[Row, Row, Row Your Boat]]<hr>[[Episode 1063]]
+| align=center | [[Row, Row, Row Your Boat]]<hr/>[[Episode 0897]]
-| "Life is but a... but a..." With Kermit's help, Don Music manages to rewrite the tune to "Drive, drive, drive your car."
+| "Life is but a... but a..." With Kermit's help, Don Music manages to rewrite the tune to "Drive, drive, drive your car."{{sketchrelease|online={{youtube|51LT4kBwAGY}}}}
 |-
 | [[Image:DonMusic-OldMacDonald.jpg|250px|center]]
-| align=center | [[Old MacDonald]]<hr>[[Episode 1076]]
+| align=center | [[Old MacDonald]]<hr/>[[Episode 0923]]
 | Don successfully writes "Old MacDonald", with the help of Kermit and several barnyard animals.
-|-
-| [[Image:DonMusic--YankeeDoodle.jpg|250px|center]]
-| align=center | [[Yankee Doodle Boy|Yankee Doodle]]<hr>[[Episode 1152]]
-| Kermit helps Don Music finish the "Yankee Doodle" song, then because Don finds the idea of calling feathers macaroni ridiculous, they rewrite it to be a song in which [[Yankee Doodle]] stays at home cooking for his pony, puts "fat spaghetti" in a pot and calls it macaroni. Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats then come in and perform the song with Don. {{sketchrelease|video=''[[Old School: Volume 2]]''}}
 |-
 | [[Image:DonMusic TwinkleTwinkle.jpg|250px|center]]
-| align=center | Whistle, Whistle, Little Bird<hr>[[Episode 1210]]
+| align=center | Whistle, Whistle, Little Bird<hr/>[[Episode 1210]]
-| Don Music tries to rewrite "[[Twinkle Twinkle Little Star]]." He succeeds and is joined by a country-western band.
+| Don Music tries to rewrite "[[Twinkle Twinkle Little Star]]." He succeeds and is joined by a country-western band. {{sketchrelease|online={{youtube|Jfqc07-C4Vw}}|video=''[[50 Years and Counting]]''}}
 |-
 | [[Image:Ssnfalphabet.JPG|250px|center]]
-| align=center | [[The Alphabet Song]]<hr>[[Episode 1227]]
+| align=center | [[The Alphabet Song]]<hr/>[[Episode 1227]]
 | Don Music successfully "writes" the Alphabet Song, with help from his surroundings.
+|-
+| [[Image:Yellowstone.jpg|250px|center]]
+| align=center | Can You Tell Me How To Get To [[Yellowstone National Park|Yellowstone Park]]<hr/>[[Episode 1310]]
+| On a stormy night, Don Music tries to rewrite the "[[Sesame Street Theme]]". With a little help from Kermit and the outdoor atmosphere, he succeeds and is joined by [[Little Chrissy & The Alphabeats]].
 |-
 | [[Image:SesameGame show.JPG|250px|center]]
-| align=center | [[Mystery Guest]]<hr>[[Episode 1447]]
+| align=center | [[Mystery Guest]]<hr/>[[Episode 1447]]
 | Don was a contestant along with [[Cookie Monster]] and [[Sherlock Hemlock]] in game show sketch hosted by [[Guy Smiley]]. The object of the game was to wear a blindfold and guess who the mystery guest is. The mystery guest was the letter [[X]]. Don Music guessed [[M]].
-|-
-| [[Image:Yellowstone.jpg|250px|center]]
-| align=center | Can You Tell Me How To Get To [[Yellowstone National Park|Yellowstone Park]]<hr>[[Episode 1845]]
-| On a stormy night, Don Music tries to rewrite the "[[Sesame Street Theme]]". With a little help from Kermit and the outdoor atmosphere, he succeeds and is joined by [[Little Chrissy & The Alphabeats]].
 |-
 | [[Image:Tomasjefferson.jpg|250px|center]]
-| align=center | [[The American Revolution]]<hr>[[Episode 2345]]
+| align=center | [[The American Revolution]]<hr/>[[Episode 2345]]
 | Don Music plays [[Thomas Jefferson]]. Jefferson has trouble getting a replacement quill to finish the Declaration when Mr. Grover misinterprets what he needs bringing a drill, and a chicken named Phil. {{sketchrelease|online={{youtube|eXoXtoiAGXo}}}}
+|}
+==Episodic appearances==
-|-
+*[[Season 14 (1982-1983)|Season 14]]: [[Episode 1729|1729]], [[Episode 1814|1814]], [[Episode 1824|1824]]
-| colspan="4" | <h3>Other Performances</h3>
+*[[Season 15 (1983-1984)|Season 15]]: [[Episode 1915|1915]], [[Episode 1935|1935]], [[Episode 1936|1936]]
-|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
+*[[Season 16 (1984-1985)|Season 16]]: [[Episode 1971|1971]], [[Episode 1972|1972]], [[Episode 1989|1989]], [[Episode 2035|2035]], [[Episode 2043|2043]]
-! Picture !!width=100| Summary / [[Muppet Wiki:Earliest Known Appearance|EKA]] !! Description
+*[[Season 17 (1985-1986)|Season 17]]: [[Episode 2132|2132]], [[Episode 2210|2210]]
+*[[Season 18 (1986-1987)|Season 18]]: [[Episode 2285|2285]], [[Episode 2325|2325]]
-|-
+*[[Season 19 (1987-1988)|Season 19]]: [[Episode 2415|2415]], [[Episode 2481|2481]]
-| [[Image:2324d.jpg|250px|center]]
+*[[Season 20 (1988-1989)|Season 20]]: [[Episode 2560|2560]]
-| align=center | Flabbergasted<hr>[[Episode 2324]]
+*[[Season 21 (1989-1990)|Season 21]]: [[Episode 2693|2693]]
-| [[Buster the Horse]] gives Don Music the idea to write a song about the word "flabbergasted." Don plays the song for [[Luis]] and a couple of [[the Kids|kids]] and titles it "Buster's Song."
+*[[Season 22 (1990-1991)|Season 22]]: [[Episode 2795|2795]], [[Episode 2826|2826]]
-|-
-| [[File:DonMusicCookingChoir.jpg|250px|center]]
-| align=center | The Cooking Choir<hr>[[Episode 2407]]
-| Don has heard that [[David]] would like some music at [[Hooper's Store]].  He brings his piano but David is unimpressed by the classic showtunes he plays.  David wants music that makes people think about food.  So Don brings in a group of [[The Kids|kids]] as "The Cooking Choir" to sing "When David likes to cook."
-|-
-| [[Image:DonMusicandMeryl.jpg|250px|center]]
-| align=center | Beginning, Middle, and End<hr>[[Episode 2415]]
-| Don pitches a new song to [[Meryl Sheep]], hoping she will sing it in one of her productions. The song is directly about the beginning, middle, and end of itself. Once its finished, Meryl rejects using it; she doesn't do musicals.
-|-
-| [[Image:2795p.jpg|250px|center]]
-| align=center | Re-opening of Hooper's<hr>[[Episode 2795]]
-| [[Gina]] and [[Mr. Handford]] are excited about all of the shirts and giveaways they have. Don Music pushes his piano into the store and plays the song he's written for the reopening, but he can't recall the last word. When Gina and Mr. Handford tell him that it's 'need' that rhymes with 'seed,' Don, with some [[Anything Muppets|Anything Muppet]] backup singers who pop up out of nowhere, performs a definitive version.
-|}
 ==Book appearances==
@@ Line 96: / Line 85: @@
 ==Gallery==
 <gallery orientation="square" widths="200" spacing="small">
+DonMusic-Bust.jpg|
-Don_Music.png|
 Image:DonMusic.jpg|In "Mary Had a Bicycle", a bronze bust of Beethoven sits atop Don's piano.
 Image:Donmusicsketch.jpg|Sketch by Jim Henson.
-Richard hunt don music.jpg|Richard Hunt performing Don Music.
 </gallery>
+==Sources==
+<references />
 __NOWYSIWYG__
 [[Category:Muppet Characters]]