Tuesday Tunesday: My Shot!

Theater has always been a huge part of my life. I can vividly remember putting on plays for my family members and forcing them to attend, sitting on the steps at home belting out lyrics from The Bodyguard, playing Mrs. Potts in my elementary school’s production of Beauty and the Beast, performing in my high school’s production of Man of La Mancha, and falling deeply in love with Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge. It wasn’t until Wicked came to Chicago, however, that I realized just how magical the theater really was and is. Ever since Elphaba soared above my head and both literally and figuratively defied gravity, sending chills up and down my spine, I’ve been obsessed and have jumped at every possible chance to see a live musical. The Lion King? Check! Kinky Boots? Check! The Book of Mormon? Check! And the one I think we’ve all been waiting for…Hamilton! Listen, March 7, 2017 can’t come soon enough. 

If you haven’t listened to the Hamilton soundtrack and now most recent Hamilton Mixtape (which just dropped last week), you’ve obviously been living under a rock. I think it’s safe to say that Lin-Manuel Miranda is an unbelievably talented and creative genius! From start to finish, the album is such a fun, exciting, and contemporary way to tell our Nation’s complex and complicated story. History can oftentimes be so dry and boring, but Lin (yes, we’re on a first name basis) takes such seemingly dull subject matter and spins it on its head. Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, James Madison and so many others are now more than just Founding Fathers, they’re akin to celebrities. What’s so unique about Hamilton is that it’s truly grounded in history. I found myself wanting to know more and more about these historical figures and how our Nation began. At the heart of it all, though, is a story of vision, perseverance, and, like yesterday’s post, patience.

Which brings me to today’s Tuesday Tunesday song: “My Shot.” If I’m being honest, it was so difficult to choose just one song from the soundtrack, but this one seemed most fitting given yesterday’s focus. This is probably my favorite “get pumped up” song. Whether I’m at the gym or heading into class, this song provides a much needed boost of confidence and determination essential to getting “it” down, whatever “it” is for you. Between lyrical stylings and powerful beats, Hamilton, Lafayette, Mulligan, Burr, and Laurens collectively and definitively proclaim: “I am not throwing away my shot/ Hey yo, I’m just like my country/ I’m young, scrappy and hungry/ And I’m not throwing away my shot.” This is their chance to do something with their lives, and they’re hungry for it. What are you hungry for? What are you willing to work for? This is your shot. Are you ready? Hopefully “My Shot” will inspire you to make your “it” happen.