How Did Ryan Gosling Learn To Play The Piano So Fast

ABOUT THE Picture: Written and directed by Damien Chazelle (Whiplash), this big-screen musical tells the story of dedicated jazz pianist Sebastian (Gosling), and aspiring actress Mia (Emma Rock), who fall in love and try to manage their conflicting dreams. With original songs and elaborate dance numbers, it will leave you lot feeling utterly mesmerised.

Liz is married to professional person woodwind player, Dick Mitchell, and lives in Los Angeles. She has two sons, Eric, 21, and Kevin, 23. Liz has been playing jazz pianoforte since she was a teenager and at present runs classes at a local school, too as producing her own music.

When I received an e-mail request if I'd be interested in teaching Ryan Gosling to play the piano for a new film - well, how could I say no? It turned out I'd been recommended by The Colburn Schoolhouse, where I teach classes. I was looking frontward to meeting him, just before anything was made official, I actually had to have my own "audience" with Ryan.

I was invited to meet him at his home in Los Angeles, and I didn't tell anyone I was going - not even my husband. When I arrived, he made me some coffee and we talked for 45 minutes about everything from our families to how we could approach the music. He was incredibly honest and laidback and at i bespeak, I remember saying, "Isn't having kids just dandy?" and he simply said, "It's simply the best!" We established a bang-up rapport and the 24-hour interval after I got a call to say, "Let'south get started." That's when I received the script and the recordings of the xiv songs we'd be working on.

Ryan is very musical, only he'd played very little piano before nosotros met and had no grooming. And so he asked if we could practise 2 hours a day, v days a week. Of course, Ryan couldn't read music and we only had effectually three months to practise, so he decided to learn all the songs by memory. We'd sit down together at an upright pianoforte in his living room, him on a stool and me on a chair side by side to him, and take it in turns to play - I'd show him how to play something, he'd try to indistinguishable it, then I'd make corrections. We didn't even stop for breaks - he was a very careful pupil.

Ryan was so dedicated that when filming began, he'd oft enquire me to meet him in his trailer with my keyboard on his lunch breaks, so he could do. We had an ongoing joke where whenever he'd tell me he was going to a dance lesson or to rehearse an acting scene, I'd go, "What? There's actually something besides the piano?"

The biggest challenge was mastering ane of the opening scenes. Ryan's character is this hardcore jazz musician who finds himself playing Christmas carols in a eating house simply so that he can pay his rent (I've been there myself!), and during this scene, he starts playing Deck the Halls on the pianoforte earlier it morphs into the most elaborate jazz slice (he's daydreaming at the time). The director, Damien [Chazelle] wanted to practice it in one continuous have without any cuts, so Ryan and I worked on that piece more than than annihilation else. And when he pulled it off with all these extras and cameramen standing around watching, the whole room merely applauded. That was the moment where I thought, "Nosotros can exercise this!" - in fact, I remember everyone breathed a sigh of relief at that point. I later found out that the original program was to have a mitt double.

I take to admit, I became quite attached to Ryan's family while I was working with him. His eldest daughter was just starting to walk and she was completely charming and his partner couldn't accept been more hospitable. Then there was Ryan's dog, who would be lying correct there with us well-nigh every time we had a lesson. I still miss them all now.

Just before nosotros finished working together, Ryan told me there were a couple of things he still wanted to learn. 1 of those was Eva's favourite piece of music, which he wants to surprise her with. Then I told him, "You lot know how to accomplish me" - and I hope he does.

THE MUSIC Student

Ryan Gosling, 36, lives in LA with his partner, Eva Mendes, 42, and their daughters, Esmeralda, two, and Amada, built-in final April. This is what he had to say nearly the role:

I was actually intrigued by the fact that Damien wanted to brand a pic in the way of the Fred and Ginger and Gene Kelly eras because those are the musicals that moved me. The fact that he wanted this motion-picture show to have that kind of aesthetic and spirit of playfulness was fantastic because information technology was also a secret wish of mine to make a film like that.

My character, Sebastian, has defended his life to beingness a great jazz pianist, but in his listen the world around him is saying those days are over. His heroes were born seventy years ago, and in this solar day and age, a neat piano thespian playing real jazz is destined to piece of work in bars where people don't even terminate their conversations to mind to you. So how much do y'all compromise to be the creative person you want to be?

I think Sebastian is struggling with the difference betwixt being a purist and being a snob. Ultimately, he faces a question lots of creative people are faced with at some point in life: do I go on pursuing this piece of work that really nourishes me, or do I have to accept that this is merely a job and I have to pay my bills? Information technology'due south easier for him to become on board with Mia'due south dream than it is with his own. He just thinks Mia needs to create her ain opportunities and terminate waiting for people to give her permission to do what she loves to practice.

Pianoforte is something I always wished I had the time to learn. So I had this great opportunity to sit in front of a piano for three months and merely play - and I took reward of it. It was really ane of the nigh fulfilling preproduction periods I've ever had. I practised some of those pieces iv hours a day for three months - so I should technically never want to hear them again. Just every fourth dimension I hear them I'm still moved past them and I think they are really, actually beautiful. Nosotros're so lucky to accept this really special score.

La La Land is released in cinemas on thirteen January.

Natalie Whittle is a British journalist specialising in glory content in the women'south lifestyle sector. She previously held the role of Celebrity Manager at Woman & Domicile and has likewise worked at Prima, Cherry-red & Good Housekeeping.