Start A Fire (from La La Land): E-Z Play Today

Students connect immediately to material from films they know and love, and this arrangement maintains the song's emotional core while keeping the piano part accessible. The E-Z Play format opens this contemporary classic to pianists who might otherwise bypass it, without sacrificing the arrangement's musicality.

Warm and aspirational without being saccharine. The harmonic movement creates gentle forward momentum, supported by steady accompaniment that feels like building possibility rather than dramatic urgency. It's the sound of vulnerability held together by quiet determination.

Pianists developing comfort with contemporary popular music and film repertoire, especially those working toward NFHS or state audition standards that increasingly include these styles. It's equally valuable for students building confidence with four-page pieces that demand sustained focus and interpretive choice.

• Lean into the legato phrasing rather than playing mechanically through the chord changes; this song lives in sustained resonance.
• Balance dynamic control carefully in the upper register where the melody sits, resisting the urge to overwhelm the tune with accompanying texture.
• Let tempo breathe naturally rather than locking to a click; the emotional arc depends on subtle shifts in forward motion.

Include this in a winter or spring concert that celebrates film music, pairing it with instrumental or vocal selections from other contemporary soundtracks. It also works as a recital opener for students building performance confidence, since the accessible range and straightforward form allow focus on expression rather than technical scrambling.

• Legato pedaling in sustained harmonic progressions
• Balancing melody and accompaniment texture in the same hand
• Phrasing and breath management in contemporary ballad form
• Interpreting dynamic subtlety without notation markings