Anyone Else Have Nerdy JW Traditions?

[Will 2,215]

Here are mine:

 

- When I am at Midway Airport in Chicago, I always listen to the "Midway March."

 

- When my flight is taking off, I listen to "I Can Fly Anything." 

 

Also, I'll be on vacation for a while starting soon and I'm not sure whether I will be on the forums quite as much during that time. So if you have a question for me or want to contact me (not that I'm expecting you would) and want to increase the chance of a response, please quote one of my posts or send me a personal message so I get a notification. I will probably still read the threads, but I might not post as much -- or maybe I will, we'll see. 

[Smeltington 1,440]

Yes! Quite a few...

 

- Listen to Esplanade Overture on the Boston esplanade

- Listen to Fanfare for Fenway while visiting Fenway Park

- Listen to Lincoln and War Horse while in Macon, GA each spring for their cherry blossom festival... the pastoral quality of these scores fits perfectly

- Listen to Memoirs of a Geisha while driving to a JW concert, or Temple of Doom while flying to a JW concert. These don't have a specific association, it's more just a random habit I've started

 

And some holiday related:

 

- Listen to American Journey on July 4 or other patriotic holidays

- Hagrid's Christmas Tree / Cast a Christmas Spell / Music Box / Christmas Morning from HPSS on Christmas

- Home Alone scores, around Christmas

 

I need to try Midway March, as you suggest... there's really a JW piece for every occasion!

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I wouldn't call it a tradition since I've only been once, but I did listen to a recording of Liberty Fanfare when I visited Liberty Island on vacation in NYC.

 

BTW, my favorite performance is not by an orchestra, but by the President's Own wind band. I just wish it was of the full piece instead of just the opening...

 

[Jay 37,346]

Not really, other than making sure to see every film he scores in the theaters.

 

From Phantom Menace forward, I saw all his films in theaters except Angela's Ashes and Memoirs of a Geisha, I won't miss one again!

[Muad'Dib 1,802]

When I'm drunk I sing Haddock's theme.

[JacksonElmore 69]

28 minutes ago, Muad'Dib said:

When I'm drunk I sing Haddock's theme.

holy shit i do the same thing i swear to god. It's such a funny theme

[Jay 37,346]

I love the version of it when we first meet him as he wakes out of his drunken stupor

[Will 2,215]

1 hour ago, Disco Stu said:

I wouldn't call it a tradition since I've only been once, but I did listen to a recording of Liberty Fanfare when I visited Liberty Island on vacation in NYC.

 

BTW, my favorite performance is not by an orchestra, but by the President's Own wind band. I just wish it was of the full piece instead of just the opening...

 

 

The tempo in that recording is too slow, in my opinion. I love the Boston Pops' recording, which I think is Williams-conducted:

 

 

The National Symphony Orchestra actually played this at the national Fourth of July concert last Monday, which I watched on TV, and like that wind band their tempo was too slow. Also, the acoustics on the outdoor stage in front of the Capitol weren't great. But it was still really cool to unexpectedly hear a Williams selection -- and they also played Summon the Heroes and Olympic Fanfare and Theme as background music at various points! 

1 hour ago, Jay said:

Not really, other than making sure to see every film he scores in the theaters.

 

From Phantom Menace forward, I saw all his films in theaters except Angela's Ashes and Memoirs of a Geisha, I won't miss one again!

 

From The Force Awakens forward, I saw all his films in theaters. 

[Jay 37,346]

As good a place to start as any!

 

Pre-Phantom, I saw Jurassic Park, Lost World, and Private Ryan in theaters.

 

My parents tell me they took me to see Return of the Jedi, and I might have seen Home Alone 2 as well possibly, but I don't remember.

[mrbellamy 6,278]

I think it was around when Azkaban and Terminal were coming out together that I decided I was gonna try and see them all in theaters. Just missed Munich, Memoirs, and Book Thief since then. Still haven't seen the latter two, but probably will eventually.

 

3 hours ago, Will said:

- When my flight is taking off, I listen to "I Can Fly Anything." 

 

Damn, you must fly a lot if it already qualifies as tradition!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Ever first listen to a new JW score is done completely naked.

[Wojo 2,453]

Every post I make at JWFan is made from the toilet completely naked. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Me too!

[Wojo 2,453]

I used to listen to The Imperial March rather loudly with headphones before every speech meet back in high school. It got me into the zone. 

[Will 2,215]

58 minutes ago, Jay said:

As good a place to start as any!

 

Perhaps. Although I do always feel a little sad that I became a JW fan so late in his career (I know we were discussing seeing JW films in the theater, specifically, but the two things are connected, I think). It doesn't help when a bunch of people here claim that JW used to be way better. I do wish I could have been a fan at times like HPSS's release, so I could have joined in the excitement. It's not really the same when you are introduced to a score years after its release, when it's become a relic of the past. It's also the ability to analyze the score that suffers when you hear it after the initial few months of craziness is over. I think a big reason that TFA's my favorite JW score is that it's the only one, other than The BFG (which is great but can't touch TFA) where I was on the forums at the time of release. So I got to read through other members' analysis in various threads, and join in the anticipation and excitement surrounding the release. It would be a daunting task if I want to go back to, say, The Book Thief threads and read through all the posts so I can become knowledgable about the score. And even if I succeeded it would certainly lack the excitement that happens in the moment. So I have incredible levels of knowledge of TFA (and eventually, I'm sure, The BFG), but I know way less about basically every other JW composition. 

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

When I was a schoolboy, I used to always tune in to NBC to hear the Today Show opening before going to the bus stop.

[Will 2,215]

30 minutes ago, mrbellamy said:

I think it was around when Azkaban and Terminal were coming out together that I decided I was gonna try and see them all in theaters. Just missed Munich, Memoirs, and Book Thief since then. Still haven't seen the latter two, but probably will eventually.

 

Haven't seen Memoirs, but I can tell you that I wasn't a fan of The Book Thief overall (neither the book nor the movie, actually). But it's still worth seeing for the score. 

30 minutes ago, mrbellamy said:

 

Damn, you must fly a lot if it already qualifies as tradition!

 

Well, since TFA's release, I've been on six flights, I think. The "tradition" started when I was on an airplane around Christmas 2015, which of course was right after TFA's release. I was listening to the soundtrack on my phone and decided it would be cool if I listened to I Can Fly Anything as the plane took off, which was indeed really cool so I kept doing it. 

[SzPeti42 49]

- Home Alone during the Holidays

- The Olympic Spirit just before playing football

- Harry Potter while reading the books

- Almost constant whistling (which can be quite annoying for others ) based upon mood, company, etc., mostly Williams, and nearly 100% movie scores.

- Watching sport highlights or tributes on Youtube muted replacing it with Williams music

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

No, but reading this I wish I did...

[Disco Stu 15,495]

2 hours ago, Will said:

 

The tempo in that recording is too slow, in my opinion. I love the Boston Pops' recording, which I think is Williams-conducted:

 

 

 

Oh yes, I own that By Request Boston Pops CD, it's one of my favorites! But if I may be so bold, I think Williams set the tempo too fast for that recording. See also: the "Jabba the Hutt" recording on the Williams Conducts Williams release. Nobody's perfect!

[Tom 4,651]

2 hours ago, Nick Tatopoulos's Beret said:

When I was a schoolboy, I used to always tune in to NBC to hear the Today Show opening before going to the bus stop.

You never listened to the Today Show opening, even when you were a schoolboy. 

[Cerebral Cortex 3,357]

1 hour ago, Disco Stu said:

 

Oh yes, I own that By Request Boston Pops CD, it's one of my favorites! But if I may be so bold, I think Williams set the tempo too fast for that recording. See also: the "Jabba the Hutt" recording on the Williams Conducts Williams release. Nobody's perfect!

 

A composer never sets the tempo too slow, nor too fast, he sets it precisely as he means to!

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Just now, Cerebral Cortex said:

 

A composer never sets the tempo too slow, nor too fast, he sets it precisely as he means to!

 

[Faleel 5,346]

I a Will,gree with. It sounds like slow and tell.

[artguy360 1,843]

I just...listen to his music a lot.

[Jay 37,346]

Oh I thought of one. Any time I get new speakers or headphones or a new receiver or anything like that, the first thing I play is the Star Wars main title ( doesnt matter which film)

[artguy360 1,843]

I would test a new sound system with TFA's main title over the prequels' main title. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Me too. Its more lively.

[Thor 7,493]

No tradition, beyond playing HOME ALONE around Christmas. And sometimes deciding to go through my Williams collection by year. But I often go through periods of not playing any Williams at all.

 

 

[Bespin 8,480]

I always listen to Sabrina on the playa.

 

A little travel playlist.

 

 

[Scarpia 132]

The only thing I can think of is, not being a moviegoer myself, never miss a movie scored by John Williams in its theatrical run. It's the only time I pay for a ticket, and it's always a big event for me and my wife.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

2 hours ago, Scarpia said:

The only thing I can think of is, not being a moviegoer myself, never miss a movie scored by John Williams in its theatrical run. It's the only time I pay for a ticket, and it's always a big event for me and my wife.

 

Is that really the only time you go to the cinema? 

 

Holy moly I'd live there if I could. I used to see multiple movies a week! Now I have a family so it's less often but a theater is like church for me if church was awesome! 

 

Of course church doesn't charge you $20 for a ticket and popcorn.... 

[Bespin 8,480]

Last movies I saw in Cinema : Tintin, Jurassic World, The Force Awakens, eeeewww... that's it.

 

The next one will be Star Wars Episode 8.

 

I hate cinemas.... people... it's dirty... it's smell popcorn... it's disgusting... and now, everyone is on his phone...

 

Where's the FF button to skip directly when the movies will be released on Blu-Ray 2 weeks after the theatrical release?

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I am 100% seeing Jason Bourne, Star Trek Beyond,  and Ghostbusters over the next few weeks. And of course my favorite time of year is when the studios actually put out good movies hoping to win Oscars. 

[Wojo 2,453]

15 minutes ago, Bespin said:

Last movies I saw in Cinema : Tintin, Jurassic World, The Force Awakens, eeeewww... that's it.

 

The next one will be Star Wars Episode 8.

 

You're skipping Episode <4, aka Rogue One? 

[Bespin 8,480]

7 minutes ago, WojinPA said:

 

You're skipping Episode <4, aka Rogue One? 

 

Rogue what?

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Don't worry about it, just a Sarah Palin biopic.

[thx99 1,740]

5 hours ago, Bespin said:

I always listen to Sabrina on the playa.

 

A little travel playlist.

 

 

Track 12 doesn't belong on your "John Williams - Travel Playlist"!!

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

It doesn't belong on any playlist. Save for maybe a "Never Listen to This" playlist.

[Bespin 8,480]

That's a wink ;-)

 

[Will 2,215]

Yesterday while traveling I managed to continue the two above traditions. 

 

I actually almost forgot to listen to Midway March, but fortunately I remembered while sitting in the plane waiting to take off. 

 

And then I Can Fly Anything: I tried to sync real-world take off with Finn and Poe's TIE fighter take off and it was marvelous. Williams's action music is so fun and exhilarating. I was trying very hard to suppress a silly grin from breaking out on my face. 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

On 7/8/2016 at 2:27 PM, Will said:

- When my flight is taking off, I listen to "I Can Fly Anything." 

 

I did this on my recent flights (4 of them) to and from California.  I also played "Flying Theme" and "Flight to Neverland" of course.  "Neverland" especially is damn fine music to soar above the clouds to

 

[Simon McBride 113]

I listen to E.T. while riding my bike.

 

[Wojo 2,453]

I don't brake for bikers wearing headphones  

[Incanus 5,714]

The first music I always play after moving to a new apartment is Journey to the Island from Jurassic Park. What an inauguration!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Do you often move house?

[Incanus 5,714]

Just now, Stefancos said:

Do you often move house?

Not these days (during my student years yes) but it has become a tradition none the less.

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

I listen to Presumed Innocent every time I go to prison for stealing sheet music.  

[Incanus 5,714]

21 minutes ago, Not Mr. Big said:

I listen to Presumed Innocent every time I go to prison for stealing sheet music.  

And how often is that? OMG! You are serving time for it as we speak, aren't you, you villain!

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Try to figure out if @Not Mr. Big always posts around the same time of day and during a short period.  Could be an indication that this is the "computer time" he's allowed in prison.