This Is The Life (from Golden Boy): Piano Vocal

This song captures the infectious optimism that made Golden Boy a Broadway success, and the three-page vocal score is proportioned perfectly for classroom and performance use. The melody sits comfortably in a teachable range while the accompaniment gives pianists enough to work with without requiring advanced technique, making it an ideal choice when you need a number that works across skill levels.

The number radiates that particular Broadway brightness of the 1960s, full of possibility and uncomplicated joy. It's the kind of song that asks you to smile without apology, with a melody that lands in the ear immediately and a harmonic language that supports rather than complicates the emotional arc.

Solo singers preparing audition material, voice students exploring musical theater repertoire, and singers who want a song with genuine charm and optimism. This works equally well as a concert selection or as part of a larger Golden Boy medley.

• Shape the phrases around the lyrical content rather than the harmonic changes; let the story breathe instead of hitting every chord change with equal weight.
• Balance the vocal line so it floats above the accompaniment without forcing; Strouse's melodies carry themselves if you trust them.
• Coordinate with your pianist on the tempo relationship between the introduction and the verse; a slight lift into the main theme often creates forward momentum.

Pair this with other Strouse selections from his catalog, or use it as a bridge between classic musical theater and more contemporary songs when teaching song selection and interpretation. It also works beautifully in a program exploring optimistic Broadway numbers from the mid-20th century.

• Sustaining a legit vocal sound through longer phrases
• Phrasing around lyrical meaning rather than harmonic structure
• Coordination between vocalist and pianist in a Broadway idiom
• Interpretation of theatrical text with genuine character intention