Don Chaffer
Don Chaffer is a composer/lyricist who has had a parallel career in the music business as a producer, engineer, musician, songwriter and recording artist (when solo as Don Chaffer, and when with a band he shares with his wife, Lori Coscia Chaffer, as Waterdeep).
The musical The Sparkley Clean Funeral Singers (with Lori Fischer) has had productions at Capital Repertory Theatre, Albany, NY (2013) and Cumberland County Playhouse, Crossville, TN (2016), was a Richard Rodgers Award finalist (2012), and is of course published right here with Samuel French. The musical Son of a Gun (with Chris Cragin Day, book and Lori Coscia Chaffer, additional composition), for which Don co-wrote the book in addition to music and lyrics, was produced at the Beckett Theatre, NYC (2011), was a Richard Rodgers Award finalist (2010) and a part of the O’Neill National Music Theater Conference (2010), where he was awarded the Georgia Bogardus Holof Lyricist award. The musical The Unusual Tale of Mary & Joseph’s Baby (with Chris Cragin Day) has had productions at FringeNYC Festival, NYC; River & Rail Theatre, Knoxville, TN; and Theater 315, NYC in 2016.
Don has also been responsible for co-creating The Legacy Series for Studio Tenn Theatre, including three theatrical concerts for which Don created arrangements and contributed to the overall concept of the show. This series includes: The Hank Legacy (2013), The Cash Legacy (2015) and The Loretta Legacy (2017). The one-act musical Is This Heaven, Evan? (with Lori Fischer, book, music and lyrics; and Lori Coscia Chaffer, music and lyrics) was commissioned and performed as a part of The Bespoke Musicals Festival at The York Theatre, NYC.
TV music credits as songwriter, producer and/or recording artist include: Private Practice, One Tree Hill, Sixteen and Pregnant, The Client List, Beauty and the Beast and Pretty Little Liars. Songwriting awards include: ASCAP Awards for “Wicked Web” and “What Life Would Be Like,” Radio and Records Song of the Year for “You Are So Good To Me.”
Don has his BA in music from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, is married to and lives with Lori Coscia Chaffer and their two children in Nashville, Tennessee. For more information, visit donchaffer.com.