Up and coming composer Rae Covey is the latest member of the Playbill Songwriter Series!

A pandemic-era graduate of Northwestern University, Covey has been busy since 2020, joining the BMI Workshop as she has developed an array of original work. Her original musicals Noise and Painting Faye Salvez have been developed at Tuacahn Theatre, The Tank, the New York Musical Festival (NYMF), and within other incubators throughout the country; and her song cycle, Where We Are, received a concert performance at Joe’s Pub in January.

For her stint on the Songwriter Series, Covey shared four songs: "One Wrong Turn," "Run," "Focus on Your Hands," and "Endings."

Covey described each selection as follows. "Each song in Where We Are is based on a map collected by the Hand Drawn Map Association. 'One Wrong Turn' is inspired by a map drawn by a young man as he tried to explain how he found himself 'supremely lost' on a drive to visit a loved one. 'Run' is inspired by another map from the Hand Drawn Map Association's collection. The creator of this map used a GPS tracking feature to depict the shape of a runner amidst the cityscape. And 'Endings' closes out the song cycle, weaving directions from the Hand Drawn Map Association’s collection with themes from the piece.

"'Focus On Your Hands' is from my full-length musical, Noise. The piece follows a researcher whose work drives her down a dangerous path, and a friendship which changes the course of a young woman’s life. This song is sung by a college student as she processes a tragedy for which she believes she missed the warning signs."

Video production for the Playbill Songwriter Series is by Ethan Tremain. The series is produced by Jeffrey Vizcaíno.

A finalist for the 2023 Fred Ebb Award, Covey also works as a vocal coach at Liz Caplan Vocal Studios. For her episode, Covey was joined by vocalists Izzy Bansal, Stefan Schallack, Pablo Laucerica, and Sarah Dacey Charles, as well as violinist Maggy Simon and a cellist Sarah Overton. Covey played the Sing for Hope Playbill piano herself.

Sing for Hope harnesses the power of the arts to create a better world. Our creative programs bring hope, healing, and connection to millions of people in hospitals, schools, care facilities, refugee camps, transit hubs, and community spaces worldwide. A non-profit organization founded in New York City in response to the events of 9/11, Sing for Hope partners with hundreds of community-based organizations, mobilizes thousands of artists in creative service, and produces artist-created Sing for Hope Pianos across the US and around the world. The official Cultural Partner of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, Sing for Hope champions art for all because we believe the arts have an unmatched capacity to uplift, unite, and heal. Learn more at SingForHope.org.

To learn more about Covey's work, visit RaeCovey.com.