One of our sons took violin lessons. We found a young instructor who was recommended to us. Bonnie was very good with kids and what I liked about her teaching style was her ability to connect with her students. In our first interaction she asked me “What does Alex enjoy doing? What movies does he like and what activities does he participate in outside of school? As we talked she explained to me that she liked to select music for her students based on what their interests are. In addition to the usual exercises and drills, she had Alex working toward music from his favorite movies like Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Our son had a very good ear because the music he was playing was composed by one of the best movie music composers, John Williams. Bonnie’s philosophy in her music selections inspired her students to practice, since they were playing music they were familiar with and had an interest in.



A very few of the movies John Williams has been involved in.
John Williams originally thought he wanted to be a classical pianist but after studying at UCLA, Juilliard and with an Italian composer, Mario Castelnuovo-Tesdesco, he decided that movie scores were where his interest lied. Born in 1932 in Queens, New York, John Williams career has spanned over seventy years. He has received critical acclaim from the most distinguished people in music and has worked on some of the most popular movies of our times, earning several of the most coveted awards for his work. When I think of John William I think of soundtracks from Jaws, Indiana Jones Star Wars and Schindler’s List, but these are just a small portion of his portfolio of work.
In putting together a playlist of music for a most recent fitness workout, “Scotland the Brave” came to mind for a sequence of intense ‘skaters/Heismans. I played a selection of Scotland the Brave and as I listened, I thought, “This sounds like a John Williams arrangement.” Sure enough, when I looked at the credits for the song, it WAS a John Williams arrangement when he conducted the Boston Pops in a concert that included “Scotland the Brave.” It just had that quality with the collaboration of sounds that could have been straight out of a Star Wars movie set in the Highlands of Scotland. No where near a music critic or student of music, even my untrained ear could detect Williams’ very unique style.
That interaction prompted seeking out more of William’s music for listening, workouts this past week and reading about this very talented artist. What inspires someone so talented and how do they go about their job to create music that helps a director tell a story?
Always, for me, it’s interesting to hear about the early life and family of those very talented individuals. John’s father was a musician, a jazz drummer and percussionist (how interesting that much of his music has powerful drums and other percussion sounds). He was very close to his father, who was born in Maine, sometimes joining his father on music gigs. His mother was originally from Boston. His family moved to Los Angeles and from there his music education continued and his career started to take off. A stint in the Air Force allowed him to continue his role in music. A move to NYC studying at Juilliard convinced him that he was better at composing than piano performance playing in jazz clubs in the city. A return to back to LA after Juilliard is were his career in film began. He became a studio pianist and session musician performing on film scores with many of the best at the time, such as Henri Mancini and Alfred Newman on scores like Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Carousel. while working on Carousel, he met his future wife, actress Barbara Ruick. They married, had three children and remained married until her sudden death in 1974. Interesting to me is that John Williams had his two younger brothers working with him on his film scores throughout his career. Also interesting to me, is that Williams wrote some of his most memorable work that led to bigger projects as he was mourning the sudden loss of his wife and embracing his role as a single Dad with teenagers.

Most people think of Williams’ connection to Steven Spielberg and George Lucas and his connection to the Star Wars and Indiana Jones series but his work includes so much more depth including other Spielberg Projects and script scores with other directors, producers and productions such as Robert Altman. For instance, you probably didn’t know that John Williams created the music for the Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984, “Olympic Fanfare.” He has also written music for NBC Nightly News. Even these two pieces have that majestic quality Williams is known for, heavy in percussion.
Williams worked many films, before joining Spielberg. He wrote scores for many of the disaster movies of the seventies, like The Poseidon Adventure, Towering Inferno and Earthquake. The first time Williams worked with a teenage Spielberg was on Sugar-land Express. That experience led to Jaws and the wheels were set in motion for the parade of hits from there.

When Spielberg took on the World War II story of Oscar Schindler for Schindler’s List, he had Williams read the script. In a meeting following, John told the director that it was a story with such significance that he wasn’t sure if he was the caliber of musician that could write such music. Spielberg told him that the same thought had crossed his mind, but all the other composers in that realm of work were all dead. Williams asked renown violinist, Itzhak Perlman, to accompany on the theme. When listened to what the composer had written he asked, “Where did such passion and understanding come from?” Williams replied that he had drawn on his work on the movie score for “Fiddler on the Roof.”
No doubt that John Williams and others who make their own unique mark on the job they do, set them apart. Think of Rudolph Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov in the world of classical Ballet…Think of Wayne Gretzky. in Hockey…Think of the Pastor, Priest or Preacher who does a baptism, wedding or funeral one after another and each one brings emotions because they are so in tune with sensitivity and solemnness to each event….Think of the family doctor who takes the time to know their patient, sets the lap top down to carefully observe the patient and treats them with such respect and individuality….Think of nurse who cares for the patient and their family in their time of sadness as if they were his/her own family. Reflect on the teacher who knows each student as if they were THEIR own child, putting as much effort into their role as a mentor and shepherd…
I could continue, however, you know the people I am talking about and they are each one of us. We all may not be able to write musical movie scores or win the same number of of Super Bowls as Tom Brady, but each one of us has qualities that set us apart. The Baba or Grandmother who makes her favorite dish for her grandchildren and the rest of her family, taking pride when someone refers to her effort and says, “I was hoping you’d make that”…For the Dad, it might be the way he tucks in his children at night, praying with them and sitting next to their child’s bed as they go through the events of their school day. The Dad listens intently responding to communicate to the child that they are listening to the details…The city bus driver who gets off to help the man with a walker to get onboard and assists him get to a seat, safely…The Aunt who gets on an airplane to fly cross country to help care for her niece who is ill and help with her family …The employee who sees to each detail of their job as if the business were their’s, taking pride in the work that they do with a job well done each and everyday… Each one of us makes our mark on those we interact with and those we care for. When one takes the gifts God gives them, and use those gifts for good, sharing them with others, it’s a good thing and other benefit from that gift. We see these people all around us. It’s about being intentional, taking care in the action of our daily lives and then taking them to a higher level.
When I think of the caliber of movies and projects John Williams is or has been associated with, I think of blockbuster movies or ‘the big leagues’ in entertainment. Listening to his music this week, the thought came to mind, could it be possible that his music takes a project to a greater level? Could a mediocre script be “John Williams-ed” and elevated in its quality if it has an Academy Award winning sound in the background? Do those who ‘bring their A game’ elevate those they work with or interact with, making a better experience for those around them?
“Can you John Williams that?” Something to think about…
It’s a Great Day 🎶
