People Who Helped You Get into Williams.....

[pete 737]

I just came across this video and it brought back a lot of happy and almost forgotten memories: Wonderful part from 3:46!

 

 

Peter Duggan is the principle cor anglai player for the Adelaide Symphony Orcestra, and he was my first guitar teacher. He was 17, and I was around 12? 

He wasn't my first introduction to Williams -  I remember being captivated by the end credits music of Superman. It's my first memory of actually noticing music.

 

But Peter brought me deeper into Williams world. He lent me his cassette of the Star Wars soundtrack, which is the first time I remember sitting at home and actively listening to music. And I remember being surprised at the variety of music. I had seen the film a few times by then, but it was really only the main theme that had stuck in my mind. So the Jawa music, sand people music etc. were pleasant and marvelous surprises. A little bizare too that sand people music. And of course Binary sunset and hearing the first Cantina piece. 

 

He made a guitar duet arrangement of the main theme. I played the melody and he played accompaniment. It was my first public performance at my school in front of about two teachers, some students, and some parents. Maybe 15 people tops, and my God I remember being sooooooo nervous. I think we pulled it off, well Peter surely did, but I think I played it without mistakes. Nice simple arrangement, not much beyond playing happy birthday in terms of difficulty level. Not easy for a beginner! And he also had a little arrangement of Jaws that he played. It was beyond my skills then, but I remember - like Star Wars - noticing there was music in Jaws beyond the two-note motive. A couple of years later, he said to me, "I don't think I can teach you more, you should start taking lessons from my guitar teacher". Alas, I learned a lot from my second teacher, and I respected his skills and teaching, but I just felt a much warmer relationship with Peter. And I think the video shows why. I didn't know I was so fortunate.

 

This artcle explores his "desert island discs" No Williams on there, but it warmed my heart to read that he played under the baton of Ennio Morricone.

So, anybody else have some similar stories? Wow, I actually got a little emotional writing this!

[Loert 2,334]

Great idea for a thread!

 

I was lucky enough to have an excellent music teacher in primary/elementary school, with whom my class would regularly have some sort of group musical activity. She had a very commanding personality, and her German ancestry meant that she did not tolerate poor singing/playing, though it never crossed the line to the point where the class felt terrorized. In hindsight, I can see that she was utterly dedicated to getting the best out of us, whether it be singing hymns or playing the recorder. (And by recorder, I don't mean tape recorder....)

 

Anyway, one of our activities was something like music appreciation. Now, she loved the orchestra, but most of all she loved Holst's The Planets. I say that because she would exuberantly hold the CD up in the air, chant praises about it and order us to borrow it from the library.  Perhaps it was just a performance to get us more interested in classical music, but it worked, at least for me (I did go and borrow it). Anyway, she would play excerpts on the stereo player, and ask us questions about what instruments were playing, what the dynamics were, what the structure was, and so on. She would also play Holst at the start and end of school assemblies. It was slightly hilarious, hearing Mars thundering away, only to transition into a speech about how we must all love Jesus etc.

 

Now, to come back to the music appreciation lessons; if we behaved very well, at the end of the lesson our music teacher would sit at the piano and play us a John Williams piece. I remember there was a lot of Harry Potter, because that was all the craze at the time (JK Rowling effectively taught my generation how to read). But she also played other pieces, like Jurassic Park. And not just John Williams; I remember her playing Lord of the Rings too. You can imagine what a "magical" effect this would have had on a class of young children.

 

Either way, I do have vivid memories of this, and I know that much of my initial love of John Williams, and music in general, I owe to this teacher.

 

A slight appendix: More recently I had the chance to do some piano tutoring. The boy I was tutoring was a huge fan of Harry Potter. So I arranged an easy-to-play version of Hedwig's theme, showed it to him, and taught him how to play it. His enthusiasm levels shot upwards, and it was gratifying to see how dedicated he was to learning it, whereas I sensed that beforehand he just saw piano as a chore. As a "reward", in my last session with him, I brought along the orchestral score to Hedwig's theme, and we read along to the music. I showed him how we had been learning the celeste part at the beginning, and how, if he practised more, he could even tackle the runs that come after. I think it was the first time he ever set eyes on an orchestral score, as he seemed perplexed as to how you can have more than two musical lines running at the same time! Nevertheless, I think he found it interesting, and I hope that I managed to pass along some of my own love for JW in those sessions, and, ultimately, a greater appreciation for music as an art.

[GerateWohl 2,856]

For me unfortunately there was no one for me. For the few classical music lovers, that I met, Williams was too light, for the few film score lovers I got to know he was too old school. So, I was more or less alone with my passion for his music until I joined this forum.

 

But my parents bought me my first John Williams record. That might count in here.

[BB-8 1,944]

George Lucas

[Holko 8,228]

Yes, Lucas, Spielberg and Columbus as the first layer for me. Then the Shrine people, like @SonicAdventure helped reignite my interest when I could get the actual scores, before that I always just got disappointed by incomplete releases missing the best parts. And then of course this forum and Mike Matessino really helped deepen my interest a couple years ago.

[GerateWohl 2,856]

22 minutes ago, Holko said:

Lucas, Spielberg and Columbus

You mean those guys, who made these pretty music video clips to accompany Williams' music.

[Thor 5,972]

1 hour ago, GerateWohl said:

For me unfortunately there was no one for me.

 

Same here, more or less. And I suppose my age comes into play here once again (I'm soon 45 and could be the father of 90% of JWFAN, I think ;)). In the early 90s I was discovering film music all on my own - as a natural progression from first loving electronic music and prog rock. There was no internet then. There was no one, neither family nor friends, who shared my interest. In fact, I was convinced I was the only person in Norway interested in this weird music form. Internet, and a subscription to the FSM magazine in '95, opened up my eyes to other people out there, who shared my passion. But before that, there were some 5 years with lots of "solitude".

 

But I suppose on an unconscious level, my father might have had some form of influence. He played a lot of classical music when I was a kid. I hated it for a long time, but then started to appreciate orchestral music through the prism of film music, symphonic rock etc. I think that's about as close as I can get.

 

However, the discovery of John Williams, in particular, is all me. No one else.

[Andy 2,565]

I will say, being slightly older here, that discovering things “on your own” felt really rewarding in the days pre-Internet. 
 

Libraries in particular were so important in discovering not just music, but film also.  I remember learning about Hammer films through old horror movie books and feeling like I’d made my own discovery without someone telling me. 
 

Many of my early soundtrack discoveries were scratchy library records that had suffered lots of abuse from being circulated frequently.   You could argue the more scratched the vinyl, the better the soundtrack likely was. 

[Tom 3,715]

At some point in the very early 90s, I put it all together that almost every piece of orchestral music that I liked was composed by the same man.

 

I did have a friend who loved listening to Horner's Wrath of Kahn, which did help me to see that it was okay to listen to orchestral soundtracks. 

[Bespin 7,011]

When I was a kid, it took me a long time to understand that there was a "link" between Star Wars, E.T., Indiana Jones, Superman... In fact, I decided to build seriously a CD collection of John Williams after the release of Jurassic Park and Schindler's List, as I realized... ok that guy wrote the soundtrack of my life, I have to send him all my money from this moment on.

 

Then, many years later, I discovered this forum.

 

Since, I have no money left in my pockets.

 

Thanks! 

[Jay 32,102]

Yea I can't say there was any person who helped in my case

 

I loved Star Wars first, then realized I liked listening to the music in the films even without the pictures, then bought the Star Wars Anthology box set, and that was that

[GerateWohl 2,856]

26 minutes ago, Andy said:

Libraries in particular were so important in discovering not just music, but film also.  I remember learning about Hammer films through old horror movie books and feeling like I’d made my own discovery without someone telling me. 

As you are mentioning this. There used to be a book shop in the city in the late 80s, early 90s, which had a table with books about movies. I was especially interested in those about science fiction and horror movies. Man, how much time I spent there checking out and reading what there is. That was quite valuable when later exploring those movies. It never crossed my mind to buy these books. I needed my money to buy records and CDs.

[Datameister 1,691]

The people who contributed most for me in the beginning were my parents and my childhood best friend.

 

My parents had Star Tracks and JW's recording of The Planets among their CDs. I liked space, which is probably what drew me to listen to these in the first place. I kept listening because both albums brought to mind a wide variety of cool mental images. At some point I noticed that both albums had the name "John Williams" on them.

 

In elementary school, I befriended a classmate who was always talking about these "Star Wars" movies. He loved recounting bits of his favorite scenes to me. Eventually my parents let us borrow his VHS tapes and watch what was then simply the Star Wars trilogy. I quickly developed a fascination with the films that has far outlasted that friendship. Soon my dad had dug out his record player and the first film's OST. That same friend also got the '97 expanded release when it came out, and I remember listening to it and realizing there was a lot more amazing music on there.

 

So yeah, all that laid the groundwork for my interest in JW's music, and film music in general. Take away those influences, and I don't know how my musical interests would have turned out.

[Bespin 7,011]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

Yea I can't say there was any person who helped in my case

 

I loved Star Wars first, then realized I liked listening to the music in the films even without the pictures, then bought the Star Wars Anthology box set, and that was that

 

A person who helped me?  To lose all my money?

 

@Jay: 
 

[Martinland 233]

My cool soulmate Stefano in 1989 or 1990, who kept on raving about the music and kept on playing his John Williams LP records for me... *sigh*

[pete 737]

And further to my first long post, what got me into soundtrack collecting years later at the age of about 18 was one book of solo guitar arrangements of film themes. I bought it for Cavatina by Stanley Myers, as used in The Deer Hunter. That book also had an arrangement of "Can You Read My Mind", and I saw the title and remembered noticing and loving the music as a kid, but I couldn't quite recall the love theme, but I was really curious.

 

So I bought the book, played the melody - it was instantly famaliar, and I fell in love. I decided then that I should buy the soundtrack. Went along to a soundtrack shop soon after - a day or two? I saw Superman in the OST section. I picked it up and was just about to go pay for it, when I noticed right behind it "Music from the Star Wars Trilogy" the Varese CD. Browsing the track titles also sparked my curiosity. "What does Jabba's Theme sound like?" "The Asteroid Field?" Yoda's Theme?" etc. I had seen the movies quite a few times by then, but I didn't actively listen and take note of the music, Just a kid enjoying the whole Star Wars experience. But I had a sense that much of the music would be familiar, and of course it was. I remember listening the concertised Superman Love Theme and just being swept away. Then I turned to Star Wars and the gentle Yoda's Theme and the other highlights.

 

Then I was hooked and started scouring record shops whenever I could and where ever I went. Sydney, London, Bangkok, New York, Paris, Tokyo. When spending time in each city, finding the big record store and smaller specialty shops was perhaps not at the top of my list, but it was on my list.

One other memory. Perhaps I was 17, so before I was collecting. At the home of a new girlfriend with her family. They were watching the end of Superman on TV. The credits came on.... and they started talking over the music! I knew then that the relationship was over.

[ConorPower 89]

As I was of the Potter generation, I got the early CDs as birthday presents from a relative when I was young and have been listening ever since. 
Ironically, the relative who gave me the CDs (somewhat of a classical music elitist) now bemoans the fact that I listen to film more than classical. I always tell him there's no one he can blame except himself!

[pete 737]

On 28/10/2022 at 12:01 PM, pete said:

 

He made a guitar duet arrangement of the main theme. ..... And he also had a little arrangement of Jaws that he played. 

 

We got back in touch via our old high school's Facebook. Ha, he said he doesn't remember those arrangement at all. I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine them!  He does remember me though.. vaguely! And although oboe/cor anglais are the instruments he plays in the orchestra, he played the James Bond theme on guitar with the orchestra.. Said he was very nervous!

[Naïve Old Fart 7,991]

I'm with @Jay, on this one. There was no one person who introduced me to the music of JW. No-one said "Sit down, you've gotta hear this shit".

I just went along to my local cinema, one day, to watch THE TOWERING INFERNO, and...that was it. Next thing I know, I have the OST, and thus begins a love-affair that has lasted for almost 48 years.

[Jay 32,102]

I bought my first score album 28 years ago.  Hard to believe

[geom_00 14]

On 28/10/2022 at 4:11 AM, GerateWohl said:

For me unfortunately there was no one for me.

 

It's a little funny for me.  Everyone my age had seen Star Wars, Jurassic Park, or Raiders of the Lost Ark by the time they were 10.  (I was born in 1982)  Even when I saw Jurassic Park the first time, I didn't even really care about the music (Hey...I was 11). 

 

When the 1996 Olympics came, and Williams scored the theme.  THAT is how I got into him.  Been a HUGE fan ever since

[Disco Stu 15,475]

When I first downloaded John Williams' "Back to the Future Theme Song" off of Napster.... truly a life-changing moment.

[GerateWohl 2,856]

Like many others I was not focussed on John Williams at all but at movie music in general. My first score record was The Empire Strikes Back, the second was The Black Hole. The third was Superman II, then Laurence Rosenthal's Clash of the Titans. But latest then when I bought myself Raiders of the Lost Ark I was already looking forward to the next Williams score, which was E.T. Fun fact, for whatever reason the score of Star Wars was a rarity at the beginning of the 80s. It took me years until I found the double album in a record store.

[SonicAdventure 10]

On 28/10/2022 at 1:24 PM, Holko said:

Yes, Lucas, Spielberg and Columbus as the first layer for me. Then the Shrine people, like @SonicAdventure helped reignite my interest when I could get the actual scores, before that I always just got disappointed by incomplete releases missing the best parts. And then of course this forum and Mike Matessino really helped deepen my interest a couple years ago.

 

Me too? Wow, that's great! I always hope that I'm able to improve the impression one might have about some score. To actually see that I succeeded is very gratifying to me.

 

P.S.: forgot this: I agree on Mike Matessino. Through his mastering, I've been able to rediscover certain scores. 'War Of The Worlds' or 'Casper' spring to mind.

[Gurkensalat 320]

In 1984, I was 16, I made an extended biking tour in the summer holidays. One day one of the co-bikers which I had not known before the trip, dragged the 3 others into the cinema one day, to watch this movie we others had not seen: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I had neither seen Raiders nor Star Wars at this point and had no idea what to expect.

 

On the road to the cinema, he sang (horribly) the main Indy theme and raved about the composer, John Williams, a name, I also had not heard before. I just wasn't much of a movie and cinema guy up to this time. I was very impressed by the movie (I had mostly seen only much older movies on TV before) and also liked the music during the credits (I was too occupied with the movie up to that point to pay attention to the music).

 

Back at home, the guy offered to lend the soundtrack LP to me, which I copied to cassette tape and listened for hours and hours during the next weeks. During the next months I saw the original Star Wars trilogy films and borrowed those soundtrack LPs from him, too. And Raiders. And this was the beginning of close to 40 years of John Williams fandom and my soundtrack collection as well. So I owe a debt of gratitude to this person. 

[p0llux 299]

I unwillingly started learning the violin at the age of 7. My mom made that decision for me. The violin led me to classical music and the orchestra. The orchestra led me to my dad's classical CD collection. The CD collection led me to Cincinnati Pops Orchestra's The Great Fantasy Adventure Album conducted by Erich Kunzel. The album led me to film music. Film music led me to John Williams.

[JTWfan77 1,406]

Basically:

 

George Lucas - for Star Wars

Richard Donner - for Superman

My mom - for buying me the Gerhardt CE3K/SW LP

My dad - for buying me the Superman double LP

 

The rest is my history.

[MrJosh 770]

I watched the Star Wars trilogy growing up and had Home Alone and Hook on VHS that got a lot of repeat plays. 

 

I knew I liked hearing the music, and was interested in orchestral instruments from a young age. 

 

A family friend and big Star Wars fan had the Star Wars Anthology CD box set and let me borrow it.  I made myself Cassette tapes from those CDs (I put the tracks into as chronological order as I could figure) and that was my gateway into wanting to hear more music from films. 

 

I do think I would have ended up about the same even if it weren't for me borrowing that set, because I was on my way toward wanting more movie music to listen to outside of the movies, but it perhaps accelerated things. 

[Naïve Old Fart 7,991]

On 02/11/2022 at 7:16 PM, JTWfan77 said:

Richard Donner - for Star Wars

 

On 02/11/2022 at 7:16 PM, JTWfan77 said:

My mom - for buying me the Gerhardt CE3K/SW LP

My dad - for buying me the Superman double LP

Yay, @JTWfan77's mom and dad!

[herunen 3]

I think my first OST was "back to the future". Deeply inspired by bass section of symphonic orchestras. Since then quite attracted for impressive orchestral music (Overtures from italian opera, Rossini, Pucini,...).
 

The first John Williams revelation for me was when I played with an orchestra a John Williams Medley and the joy we had to play those scores. It is a pleasure for a musician to play his music, not only ear it. Almost every section have a nice time to play.

Since then I deeply explore John Williams work, and still do.

 

And now I try to be "the person who helped" with my 6 years old daughter. She is absolutely fan of Imperial March and Far and Away Suite. I am very happy to had 2 tickets for the Milan concert with her. Cannot wait to transmit her this love for John Williams work.

[Vince 11]

Probably George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. I wasn't a musical kid at all (I still can't read notes or play an instrument), but I loved movies from an early age and the music of Jurassic Park and Star Wars made a huge impression on me.* I remember quite clearly that I was astonished that one could buy an album featuring the music from certain films when I saw an advert for the album of The Phantom Menace. When I discovered this I went out of my way to collect as many soundtracks as I could. 

 

*Jerry Goldsmith deserves a special mention here. His score to Gremlins was probably the first to make me aware of film music.