Alicia Keys Learned to Play the Cello For Her Role in ‘The Secret Life of Bees’
Alicia Keys is a music legend. The R&B icon has continued to stun audiences since winning her first Grammy 20 years ago. Keys talents don’t end with music, however — she’s also a gifted actor. In fact, the musician combined her music and acting talents for one memorable role in 2008.
Her role in The Secret Life of Bees required her to take on a new musical challenge that ended up being fairly difficult.
Alicia Keys looked to a close friend for inspiration for her character in ‘The Secret Life of Bees’
In 2008, Alicia Keys took her talents to the big screen again in The Secret Life of Bees. The film was based on a novel of the same name by Sue Monk Kidd, set in 1964 in rural South Carolina.
The film tells the story of Lily, a teenage girl who has tragically lost her mother and finds her life shaped by the influences of her dear friend and three incredibly strong beekeeping sisters. Keys delivered a memorable performance as one of those sisters, June Boatwright. Of the three Boatwright sisters, June is the one who is least welcoming to Lily.
She doesn’t like having a white girl in their home, and she doesn’t like the fact that August (June’s sister) used to work for Lily’s family. She puts up a tough exterior, but she spends her free time playing the cello at the local hospital.
In an interview with Essence, Keys reflected on her approach to becoming June Boatwright. She says that she connected with June in some ways, namely having to put up a tough exterior to hide inner sensitivity. “My personal experiences have given me that understanding of hiding behind an exterior because the interior is so delicate.”
She also gives credit to a close friend whose body language she applied to her role as June. “My friend is amazing, but you don’t want to step to her because she has these piercing eyes, but she’s amazing and giving.” Keys wanted to give June that same energy, and she pulled it off beautifully.
Keys had to learn to play the cello for her role, and says ‘it was hard’
Two years ago, YouTube presented the Alicia Keys Answers the Web’s Most Asked Questions video from Wired. One of the most commonly Googled questions was “Does Alicia Keys play the cello?” and the star revealed her experience learning a new instrument. She said that she did have to learn to play the cello for her role in The Secret Life of Bees — “I had to practice the whole thing, and it was hard.”
As we all know, Keys has an extensive background in music. However, she had never before played the cello and only had a short span of time to learn it. According to Metro, the musician said learning to play was quite challenging. She mentioned how she wanted everything to look just right, including how she held the instrument.
“It takes a year or so just to learn how to hold the bow properly and use it the right way, so just making it feel effortless and look effortless was a challenge.”
What is Alicia Keys up to now?
Last December, Vibe shared some very exciting news with the public – Keys has finally become an independent artist. The musician signed with Sony 20 years ago and has had a phenomenal career since then.
This landmark moment is very exciting for Keys, who will now have more freedom and complete control over any future musical endeavors. Keys is currently touring, enjoying being back on the road after coronavirus (COVID-19) delayed her Alicia + Keys World Tour. She also recently released Keys II, a deluxe edition of her latest album.
In a New York Post article, Keys shared that she also enjoys playing music with her son, Egypt. The 11-year-old is quite gifted on the piano and shared the stage with his mother in Germany.
