Love Of My Life (feat. Michael W. Smith): E-Z Play Today

This collaboration with Michael W. Smith brings together two artists with fundamentally different approaches to their craft, resulting in a piece that honors both the intimacy of piano and the warmth of a featured vocal performance. The E-Z Play Today format makes the accompaniment accessible without oversimplifying it, preserving the emotional arc of the original while remaining playable at different levels.

Warmth and sincerity define this piece. The melody unfolds with gentle confidence, supported by harmonies that feel both sophisticated and approachable. This is music meant to underscore moments of connection and affection, never overwrought, always genuine.

This arrangement works for pianists at the intermediate level who want to perform or accompany in wedding ceremonies, celebrations, or piano-focused events. It also appeals to music students exploring how to support a vocalist's performance and understand the role of accompaniment in contemporary music.

• Let the melody breathe in the right hand; resist the urge to rush through phrase endings, as these moments of rest give listeners time to absorb the emotional content.
• Balance the accompaniment so it supports rather than overwhelms the melody. When working with a vocalist, your job is to enhance their performance, not compete with it.
• If you're performing this solo, shape each phrase as though a singer is present. The phrasing and breath points should still feel natural and singing, even without a vocalist.

Feature this in a wedding or ceremony program where it can serve as either a solo performance or an accompaniment feature. It also fits naturally into a showcase of contemporary American songwriting or into a recital that highlights the relationship between instrumental and vocal music.

• Accompanying vocalists with appropriate dynamic control and phrasing
• Interpreting contemporary pop and light classical styles on piano
• Balancing melody and accompaniment when playing multi-staff arrangements
• Shaping longer phrases across repeated sections while maintaining interest