The Human Heart (From "Once On This Island"): Piano/Vocal/Chords

Flaherty's melodies sit beautifully in the voice and reward careful musical phrasing; his harmonic choices expand singers' understanding of contemporary musical theatre writing without requiring extensive vocal gymnastics. The original key transcriptions mean singers encounter the music exactly as Flaherty conceived it, preserving the dramatic intent and vocal tessitura of each moment.

Flaherty's writing balances theatrical storytelling with genuine vocal lyricism, creating music that feels both emotionally direct and musically sophisticated. His melodies tend toward the singable and memorable while his harmonies add emotional texture and harmonic surprise that keeps both singer and listener engaged.

This collection serves singers preparing auditions and performance repertoire across multiple vocal ranges, offering authoritative transcriptions and contextual guidance from an established educational publisher. It's equally valuable for music theatre singers who want to deepen their understanding of contemporary musical theatre composition and for students building a working repertoire of Broadway standards.

• Honor the lyrical contours of Flaherty's melodies by listening for the natural breath points rather than breaking at phrase marks; his lines often stretch across bar lines intentionally.
• Balance vocal legality with the text's emotional specificity; Flaherty's rhythmic settings closely match speech patterns, so lean into the conversational quality of the accompaniment.
• Explore the relationship between your voice and the piano part in quiet passages; Flaherty often uses instrumental counterpoint to frame or echo vocal phrases, creating harmonic context for your interpretive choices.

Use individual songs from this collection to build audition books tailored to your vocal range and type, or select contrasting pieces to create recital programs that showcase both contemporary and classic musical theatre sensibilities. The contextual notes and cut suggestions make this especially useful for preparing selections for competitions, college auditions, or professional casting calls.

• Singing in original keys with confidence across extended ranges
• Interpreting contemporary musical theatre composition and harmonic language
• Connecting lyrical phrasing to Flaherty's rhythmic and melodic architecture
• Preparing audition-ready versions of songs with guidance on strategic cuts and pacing
• Understanding contextual and historical placement of songs within their original productions