Big John

This Christmas, I received a wonderful gift.

I had wanted to go see John Williams conduct the Pacific Symphony Orchestra last June. It would have been a double treat - my first concert with Williams, and luckily enough, at an orchestra in which a good family friend plays Viola. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the same day as another friend's wedding, so I gave up on the idea, confident that I would make the Hollywood Bowl concert later in the year.

Well, we did make the Hollywood Bowl concert, and it was great fun. Unfortunately, a computer crash took all of my pictures of the event and put them back into the ether whence they came.  :cry:

Unbeknownst to me, Krista (the Violist) had contacted my wife, asking for a "head shot" of me. Kim (my wife) complied, but had no idea what Krista needed the shot for. Fast forward to Christmas. I'm at our friend's house, and she hands me a very strange shaped object to unwrap. It's a life-size shot of my head! I was confused, but pleased, as I had not yet owned a life-size head shot of myself.

However, Krista wasn't done. She had me open the 2nd part of the gift. I could hardly believe my eyes! Krista had told John Williams that her friend was a big fan of his, but couldn't make it to the concert. Would he mind posing with a picture? John Williams said he would, but was a little surprised when Krista showed up with a picture of me on a stick! Ever the good sport, he posed for the picture and I got the best Christmas gift ever. He even signed the back of my head shot, "John, Merry Christmas! John Williams" even though it was June.

You can see me giving Krista a hug, everything in one picture, and a close-up of the picture at these links.

All photos are availble at this page, with links to the larger images.

I couldn't be happier about my gift. I was shaking and near tears! I'd like to blow up the head shot of John Williams, put it on a stick, pose with a picture of it, and then send it to Williams! It's only fair that he have one of me, right?  

Thanks to Krista's gumption and shamelessness, I have a wonderful treasure, hanging proudly on my office wall!

BigJohn

Both in the same category, though ...

Category 79

Best Score Soundtrack Album For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media
(Award to Composer(s) for an original score created specifically for, or as a companion to, a current legitimate motion picture, television show or series or other visual media.)

* Catch Me If You Can
John Williams, composer (John Williams)
[DreamWorks]

* Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets
John Williams, composer (John Williams)
[Warner Sunset/Nonesuch/Atlantic Records]

* The Hours
Philip Glass, composer (Philip Glass)
[Nonesuch Records]

* The Lord Of The Rings - The Two Towers
Howard Shore, composer (Howard Shore)
[Reprise Records/WMG Soundtracks]

* Seabiscuit
Randy Newman, composer (Randy Newman)
[Decca Records]

See the full list at http://www.grammy.co...mmy/46noms.aspx

BigJohn

Comedy as defined by IMDB. Complete score, not just themes. Have I forgotten any?

I was trying to think of recent Williams-scored comedies, and couldn't think of any other than Home Alone. After a little research, I came up with this list, only one of which I have heard. So I won't vote.

Here I am watching The Learning Channel's 10 biggest structures. They get to #8, the Crawler-Transporter, a huge multi-million pound crawler that moves the Space Shuttle (another 6 million pounds) from the hangar to the launch pad. And what music do they have playing? A very basic Imperial March. It was only a single instrument, I'm guessing a Cello, though I really don't know. And it was only enough notes to be recognizable.

Anyway, chalk this one up to a John Williams Brushing His Teeth sighting.

BigJohn

I would like to take a moment to say congratulations to Steven Spielberg. Yesterday, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from CSU Long Beach. He completed the program through Independent Study 34 years after he dropped out.

He said he completed his degree as a Thank You to his parents. I think what he's done is a wonderful statement on responsibility. Obviously, he doesn't need the degree. But the fact that he cared enough to do the work says volumes.

So congratulations, Mr. Spielberg. Your life inspires as much as your art.

Here's one of probably many links to the detailed news story:
http://www1.chinadai...6-01/72051.html

John
P.S. Stay in School