Darren Criss Explains His Songwriting Process, Sings Examples & Shares Sondheim Story

Broadway headliner and Glee breakout star Darren Criss explains his own personal songwriting process and sings some of his favorite songs to date as part of a new fan interview.

Comparing writing pop songs versus theatre music, Criss relates, "It's really a case-by-case thing."

Elaborating, Criss shares, "When you are writing for musical theatre, it's a little different because you have characters already allotted out for you - and you have a scene and a goal and a character; and, a character has a literal voice and a vernacular and there's all of these things."

Furthermore, Criss opines, "You are basically painting-by-numbers - a lot of the groundwork has been laid for you."

Additionally, Criss says, "I think it's actually easier and more fun to write for characters than writing for yourself, which is a much more personal and more difficult thing to do."

And, Criss even shares a candid and instructive story shared with him by a master songwriter in his own right, the one and only Stephen Sondheim!

Plus, Criss reveals "Granger Danger" written for a Team Starkid project is one of his personal favorite compositions to date, as is "Human", a standalone song he wrote as a teenager.

Check out the full interview here.