I have decided that I am not going to post videos updating my progress every single week. Instead, I think that video updates every two weeks will allow for more drastic progress to be seen from video to video. That being said, I am continuing to practice and improve both the right hand melody, and the left hand accompaniment. Both parts are coming along; however, I feel that I am having an easier time improving on the right hand. This is to be expected, as the right hand is playing the melody, which is definitely easier to pick up.
This week, I thought I would provide a little bit of backstory on the song I chose to learn for this project. As I have mentioned, “Rewrite the Stars” is originally from the 2017 movie “The Greatest Showman.” When I first saw this movie in theatres, I was awestruck. From the costumes to the dancing to the singing, I loved every bit of it. However, the performance that Zac Efron and Zendaya put on when they sang this song captivated me for weeks.
In the movie, Zac Efron’s character, Philip Carlyle, and Zendaya’s character, Anne Wheeler, come from very different backgrounds. Philip comes from a well-off family and lives in the upper echelon of society. Anne, in contrast, lives with her brother as typical “circus freaks,” upon who Philip’s family and friends look down. Throughout the movie, their love story unfolds. Upon first glance, it is clear that the two have feelings for each other. However, they both know that the society they live in will never allow them to be together. Their performance of “Rewrite the Stars” is the culmination of all of these feelings. They sing with such emotion, and it is clear that they want to be together, but know that they cannot.
I think that this is the main reason that the song resonated with me so heavily. Emotionally charged songs are so much more fun and interesting to listen to, which translates directly to me playing the piece. I can clearly feel the emotion when I am playing, and I am excited to continue to improve so that I might add extra emphasis and drama in certain places, to truly convey the love and torment that Philip and Anne are feeling throughout the song.