A Living Legend
This past weekend, I saw John Williams conduct his own scores at the Hollywood Bowl. You might not recognize his name; however, you would know his music from the movies. Think Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Memoirs of a Geisha, Jaws, Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter . . . I could go on with over 100 movie scores. In addition to his movie scores, he has composed some of the best known Olympic fanfares.
In his 50 year plus year career, he has given our culture an amazing array of compositions that stand on their own, apart from the movies for which they were written.
When I hear his music, I am transported into the story the music is telling. I often wonder what it must like to be in his head. Does he hear music all of the time, or just when he is actually composing?
I also think about the what ifs . . .
What if John Williams had followed a different path and played his life small – sticking to playing the piano at a Jazz bar in New York City?
What if he had not taken the risk of moving to Los Angeles and studying with the great movie composers of the time, like Alfred Newman?
Can you imagine Jaws without that persistent theme? What about all of the climatic moments in the movies that have helped shape our culture?
Think of all the people he has inspired throughout the world with his gift of music.
There is a saying that one acorn can create a whole forest. John Williams is an acorn that has changed our world and made it a better place just by sharing his joy.
What gift are you not sharing with the world?
© 2012 Heather C. Morrow. All rights reserved
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Heather C. Morrow, owner of Pottery Daily, helps emerging artists express their true value and get paid what they are worth. Her products and services show you how to make more money, save more time while enjoying the freedom in your art. For your FREE audio go to www.marketandsellyourart.com.
September 5th, 2012 at 11:25 pm
I saw a great piece on TV earlier this summer, right before the Olympics started, about John Williams and the Olympics theme song he created for NBC. What a remarkable man!