As Long As We Got Each Other (From "Growing Pains"): Piano/Vocal/Chords

This collection captures the infectious joy of TV themes that shaped American pop culture, giving singers access to music that audiences already love and recognize. The variety spans decades and genres, so you can program a single theme or build an entire medley that connects with listeners young and old. The straightforward piano/vocal/chord arrangements make these accessible without sacrificing the charm of the original melodies.

Stepping into a time machine of American television. Each theme carries the emotional signature of its show: the warmth of family-centered sitcoms, the swaggering confidence of action shows, the whimsy of cartoons. These melodies are designed to lodge themselves in your memory, and singing them feels like sharing something you already know with an audience.

Pianists and singers preparing solo recitals, piano students exploring contemporary and popular repertoire, and singers in musical theater or cabaret settings who want crowd-pleasing material. This book also works for educators programming youth concerts or variety shows and for music teachers building repertoire libraries that connect to students' lives outside the practice room.

• Lean into the conversational quality of vocal lines; these themes are written to be sung naturally and warmly, not operatically. Trust the simplicity of the melody.
• Use the chord symbols to inform your harmonic accompaniment at the piano. The voicings don't need to be dense; clarity often serves these melodies better than fullness.
• Reference recordings of the original TV themes to capture the intended tempo and feel. Many of these songs have a specific rhythmic pocket that makes them instantly recognizable.
• Pay attention to the lyrical rhythm in relation to the piano part. These songs were written for broadcasting, so they often have a conversational phrasing that differs from classical vocal lines.

Create a "TV Themes" concert featuring 4-6 selections that span decades and moods, inviting the audience to sing along on familiar refrains. Individual themes work beautifully in recital programs as palate cleansers between classical pieces, offering humor and accessibility. Student pianists can also use single arrangements as supplementary repertoire that builds comfort with lead sheets and chord-based accompaniment.

• Reading and interpreting chord symbols for accompaniment
• Singing with conversational phrasing rather than operatic technique
• Balancing melody and piano texture in contemporary popular songs
• Understanding vocal line placement and breathing in shorter, broadcast-length forms