Stuart Todd Whitworth

(earbuds in if you have them, lots of instrumental detail in this song)

"SHE WON'T BE MINE" Music Video - Piano Lit On Fire 🔥🎹🔥

from album "IF ALL ELSE FAILS"

by Stuart Todd Whitworth 

I decided I wanted to light a piano on fire for my next music video to help capture the heart & intensity of the song "She Won't Be Mine".  So I pitched the idea to Taylor Martyn, my close friend since middle school (Taylor filmed several of my previous music videos).  He loved the idea.

And where should we light the piano on fire for the most visually stunning impact?  In the snow, up in the mountains.  So we spent a few weeks planning, and then headed to Denver.

A family member of a close friend had agreed to let us shoot the video and light the piano on fire on his property in the mountains in Golden, but his wife vetoed the idea just before Taylor and I arrived in Colorado.  We were back at square one, with nothing but an idea and a bunch of gear & equipment.

Taylor suggested we drive around looking for some ideal land, and then simply knock on the residents’ doors and ask for permission to film on their property… and set fire to a piano on it.  I thought it was an absurd idea, and very unlikely that anyone would say yes.  But with no other real options, we started our search for a scenic location, and hopefully some brave & benevolent landowners.

Shortly into our land-hunt up in the mountains, we rounded a corner that opened up to an expansive rolling meadow surrounded by several hills & mountain peaks—it was perfect.  There was a little house on the west side of the site, so we parked and knocked, hoping for the best.  A sweet old lady answered the door and invited us in.  We explained to her we that were shooting a music video and wanted to film it in the middle of the scenic meadow just outside of her picturesque mountain cottage.  She was receptive to the idea!  She reminisced for a bit about how her family had owned this land for generations.  But I then tempered my expectations as Taylor broached the tough aspect of the sell... "Ma'am, we'd like to set a piano on fire in the middle of that pasture" as he pointed out the frosted window.  I was shocked when she didn't bat an eye and simply responded "Well, that should be fine."  We then set a date about a week away, and agreed on a modest location fee.

Over the next week, Taylor and I got to work preparing for the shoot.  We acquired a used piano on Craigslist for $75, tested several fuels to see which one burned the cleanest, made shot lists, and organized video gear.  A few days before filming, we took the piano out to the meadow and placed it in the spot where we planned to film. There was no snow yet, but the forecast looked promising.  By the day of the shoot, the meadow had transformed from an earthy brown pasture to a snow-white-blanketed winter-wonderland.

It was a long & cold but fun day filming.  Lighting the piano on fire was nerve-wracking but exhilarating.  I was very fortunate that the breeze was blowing the flames away from my face, rather than toward me!  There were several shots that we only had one chance to get right, and we nailed all of them.

We wrapped, headed back home, and shot the rest of the band in an empty warehouse that we got permission to use.  They all did a fantastic job: Shawna Hamilton on cello, Imelda Tecson on viola, Abigail Potts & Jocelyn Hund Turner on violin, Judson Valdez on bass, Richard Carpenter on electric guitar, and Bobak Lotfipour on drums.

So much time, effort, & care went into the creation of this video, and many stars aligned to make it possible.  Enjoy!