How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore…

It was February 15th and I was watching the Grammys with friends in their apartment. Scratch that. I was talking with my friends about my plans for my upcoming 21st birthday with the Grammys playing in the background. But it was something about that line that caught my attention and made me focus fully on the TV. I watched what I now know to be the opening number of Hamilton: An American Musical with rapt attention. When it was over, I lost interest again, zoning in and out of the program while I hung out with my friends. But as soon as I got back to my room that night, I immediately went on to YouTube and listened to that opening number again. By the next day, I had listened to the whole album. By the end of that week, I had downloaded the whole album. The rest, they say, is history.

To be fair, I started on this particular article weeks ago, after Hamilton made history as an 11-time Tony winning show. It was originally going to be a congratulatory article. But then Lin-Manuel Miranda- the mastermind behind this whole thing who also stars as Alexander Hamilton himself- announced that he was hanging up his hat and stepping down as Hamilton. All work on this article stopped immediately. I could have still kept going with my congratulatory article, but it didn’t seem…right anymore. I didn’t just want to say congratulations to this cast, to Lin. I wanted to let them know that this thing they created has had an effect, a major one. I say thank you. So I scrapped the first article and started anew, this time focusing on all of the things I took from Hamilton. It took a while, but I managed to narrow it down to these five.

History Isn’t Just For The Classroom

Let me tell you what I learned about Alexander Hamilton from my twelve years of schooling: Vice President Aaron Burr shot him in a duel. That’s it. For Alexander Hamilton to have been one of our nation’s founding fathers, we never learned an awful lot about him. And, while listening to the album, I couldn’t help but wonder did Hamilton really write 51 of the 85 Federalist Papers? Did he seriously write a pamphlet about an affair he had? Did Martha Washington really name a feral tomcat after him? How much of what I’m listening to is legit and how much is creative license? Spoiler alert: with the exception of the tomcat bit and a few others, it’s all legit (check out the book that gave Lin the idea if you don’t believe me). This musical taught me more about Alexander Hamilton, the American Revolution, and how our country came to be than any of my history classes ever have. It makes me wonder what other stories are out there that aren’t being told. And it makes me want to go out there and find them.

Who Said A Musical Had To Have Theatre Music?

If you have not yet listened to the Hamilton cast album and you just somehow stumbled upon this article, stop what you’re doing. Go on YouTube and listen to this album. Thank me later. If you have listened to the album, you know what I’m talking about when I say that the music in the musical is not of this world.

It is a hip-hop musical. Hip-hop. Musical. Those are two words I never thought I would see, let alone write, side by side. But that’s what Hamilton is. It is what happens when hip-hop meets the world of theatre. This is an album that debuted on iTunes at #3 on the Rap Album chart, became the first cast album to peak at #1 on the same chart, and is still on the Top Current Albums chart. And it’s not just rap in this musical. There’s a little R&B woven into there, a little pop, a little rock. And, yes, there’s a little theatre music in there, too. Maybe that’s what’s kept it so popular; there’s something for everyone, no matter what genre of music you love.

And let’s not overlook the fact that this music is good. Ridiculously good. Almost good enough to make you forget that the tickets cost and arm and a leg. The music is what you fall in love with first in Hamilton and, boy, what a way to fall. I don’t think a day has gone by since I downloaded it that I haven’t listened to the album at least twice. “Right Hand Man” and “Yorktown” were my saving grace during finals this past semester. “Aaron Burr, Sir” and “Say No To This” are my current songs of choice to sing while I’m driving to work, school, anywhere really. And the day I master Lafayette’s verse in “Guns and Ships” will probably be one of the happiest days of my life. I’m not sure that you can put the music in this musical under the “Theatre” genre. I’m not sure you can put it under any genre, really. It’s just that good.

Alexander Hamilton Set The Bar High For Writers

Alexander Hamilton was a writer above all else. Writing is what got him to America, writing is what elevated him from obscurity to notoriety, writing is what caused his downfall, and writing is what ultimately cost him his life. I highly doubt that there is any writer who has been exposed to this musical and hasn’t been inspired by the sheer tenacity with which he wrote. He got more written in 49 years than most people today could get written in 100 years. And the things he wrote have stood the test of time; they’re still having an impact on our nation today.

Why do you write like you’re running out of time?

It’s a verse in the musical, yes. It’s one of the underlying themes throughout the musical, yes. But it’s also an inspiration to writers everywhere. Say what you need to say, write what you need to write, because you never know you’re your last chance to get it out will be. Maybe your words won’t have the same lasting impact that Hamilton’s did. Maybe they will. All that matters right now is that you keep writing and don’t stop.

Wait For It, But Don’t Throw Away Your Shot

One of the most intriguing things about this story for me has always been the juxtaposition of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Two men, so similar and yet so different at the same time. Hamilton, the poor orphan from the West Indies, who operates under the belief that if you really want something in this life, you have to go get it. Burr, the orphaned young prodigy, who believes that the best way to survive in this life is to be a chameleon, to work amongst many different circles and wait until you find what best benefits you.

There isn’t a clear cut winner or loser in Hamilton. Hamilton is never classified as the hero in this story, just as Burr is never classified as the villain. We never learn, ultimately, whose outlook on life was right. Because, in reality, they both are. There are times in everyone’s lives when you need to be like Hamilton, when you need to go after what you want and fight for what you believe and never, never, take no for an answer. There are also times, however, when you need to be like Burr, hanging in the background, observing the situation and waiting for the dust to settle before you make your move. It’s never about whether it’s better to be hungry and ambitious or quiet and calculating. It all boils down to having that balance of when to be which, and succeeding in that way.

Who Tells Your Story?

They say history is told by the winners. When he lost his life in that duel, Hamilton’s enemies won. In their victory, they reduced his legacy to little more than a couple of sentences in the history books. What kept him from being erased completely was the love of his wife, Eliza. She worked tirelessly for the next fifty years after her husband’s death to keep his legacy alive. She told his story until the end of her own life, and made it possible for Lin-Manuel Miranda to tell his story today.

But when you’re gone, who remembers your name? Who keeps your flame? Who tells your story?

This is a thought I’ve had many times, especially here in these past few days. With all the death that is happening around us, on our own soil, in our own backyards, it’s hard not to imagine am I next? Is it going to be my bloodied body plastered across television and social media next? Will my name be the next hashtag? Will it be one of my loved ones? Will I have to play Eliza to one of my family members, my friends? Will I have to tell their story? And, if I were to die today, who would be my Eliza? Who would tell my story?

And what kind of story am I leaving them to tell?

It’s a sobering thought, but it’s inspiring as well. It makes me want to live life to the fullest because tomorrow is clearly not promised for anyone. And if I were to die today, I want to make sure whoever is telling my story has a hell of a story to tell.

And so, to Mr. Lin-Manuel Miranda, I would like to say thank you. Thank you to you and your cast for bringing this incredible story to life. Thank you for writing something that is changing the landscape of, not only our time now, but history as we know it. And, most of all, thank you for being like Hamilton and setting the bar high for every writer and story teller that comes after you.