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About Melissa Axel

Passionate about projects rooted in inclusion and belonging, Melissa Axel is an L.A. based lyricist/songwriter and creative producer fueled by the joy of infusing every story with meaning and magic. Be it animation, musicals, TV, or film, Axel weaves words into each narrative work with the instinct of an artist, the skill of a craftsperson, and the care of a close friend. With a background in producing film concerts for Disney and more, including A WHOLE NEW WORLD OF ALAN MENKEN, Axel has a keen ear for sonic quality and a thoughtful approach to collaboration. After writing lyrics for and helping develop the Emmy-nominated variety special SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES, uniting the biggest names in film and TV music to raise money for MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund, Axel co-wrote the show script for the Golden Globes virtual grants celebration and co-directed its finale: a new version of THE GREATEST SHOWMAN’s “This Is Me” featuring new lyrics co-written by Axel, performed by over 50 different young artists. Axel co-wrote 11 songs for DRIVEN: MODERN MUSICALS ABOUT L.A. ARTISTS, also serving as “script doctor” and co-producing a concert reading of these mini-musicals.  Axel also wrote lyrics and created the concept for the animated short CATS OF PARIS, contributed songs to the award-winning LGBTQ+ film WHO'S AFRAID OF VAGINA WOLF? and co-wrote end credits songs for a series pilot and five Easterseals Disability Film Challenge shorts, including WHITNEY’S WEDDING (BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM, Focus On Ability Film Festival). With a deep love for bringing emotion to life through music, Axel is always excited to write with new voices and share fresh stories with the world.

Current Working Location

Los Angeles, CA, USA (Available for some travel.)

Links to work

Work experience

Melissa's Skills

Songwriting
  • Lyricist
  • Songwriter

Melissa's Genres

  • No Genres Entered

Melissa's Experience

In collaboration with a variety of fellow creators and producers, I write song lyrics and develop concepts and scripts for music-driven film & TV projects, stage shows, concerts, and virtual events. Recent online specials include the Golden Globes®-funded grants celebration HFPA PHILANTHROPY: EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION, featuring a new version of THE GREATEST SHOWMAN’s “This Is Me,” and SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES, featuring the LA LA LAND parody “Another Day Inside” and the biggest names in film and television music uniting to benefit MusiCares® COVID-19 Relief Fund, a charity affiliate of The Recording Academy / GRAMMY®s. I’ve written custom end credits songs for short films, developed stories and co-written songs for the new shorts project DRIVEN: MODERN MUSICALS ABOUT L.A. ARTISTS, and produced live-to-film celebrations at the Hollywood Bowl such as Disney THE LITTLE MERMAID and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, LA LA LAND, and WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, as well as legendary composer Alan Menken’s retrospective solo show A WHOLE NEW WORLD OF ALAN MENKEN. Prior to producing live concert events, I was the executive assistant to the Emmy® Award-winning film & television composer Bear McCreary from from 2013 to 2015. As the composer’s right hand, I attended spotting sessions for all of his films and TV shows, including MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC, and helped expand and manage his scoring company and soundtrack record label Sparks & Shadows. I also served as the Associate Producer, Music Consultant, and Assistant to the Director providing full time organizational and creative support to filmmaker Anna Margarita Albelo during post-production of her independent feature WHO’S AFRAID OF VAGINA WOLF? In this role, I recruited and oversaw the film’s composer throughout the scoring of the film, participated in music spotting sessions with the director, producer, and editor, and researched and pitched songs for inclusion in this award-winning eccentric all-female romantic comedy. I love collaborating on creative development for shows and writing custom lyrics for narrative projects of all kinds, especially authentic stories from new voices, heartfelt animation, and fun, modern twists on the early Hollywood musical style.