My title and the proximity to May Fourth might have already given away the correct answer, but I have a quiz for you this week, a “guess who I’m talking about” riddle.
First clue. This person has been nominated for 52 Academy Awards, winning five; six Emmy Awards, winning three; 25 Golden Globe Awards, winning four; 71 Grammy Awards, winning 25. This person currently holds the record for the most Oscar nominations for a living person and is the second most nominated person in Academy Awards history, behind Walt Disney.
Need another clue? This person was born on February 8, 1932, in Queens, New York.
Third clue: this person is male and is not an actor, director, or producer.
Clue number four. In 1951, he was drafted into the U.S. Air Force, where he played the piano and brass, conducting and arranging music for the U.S. Air Force Band. In 1955, he entered the Julliard School where he studied piano. During the 1950s and 60s, he composed music for several television programs, which led to writing scores for movies.
For your fifth clue, imagine you’re swimming in the ocean. You catch a glimpse of a shark’s fin above the water. What music do you hear? Two notes. Just two simple notes that, when repeated with increasing speed and intensity, would become the “secret sauce” of the 1975 film Jaws. Somebody had to dream that up.
If you’re still not sure who I’m talking about, think Star Wars. Even I, the one who fell asleep in the theatre during my first viewing, can hum the main theme. Although I might sometimes confuse it with the Indiana Jones theme, also composed by the same genius.
His name is John Williams.
In October 2018, two concerts were scheduled at the Musikverein in Vienna, where John Williams, at the age of 87, would conduct the Vienna Philharmonic in a program dedicated to his works. When Williams became too ill, the orchestra voted to cancel rather than proceed with a substitute conductor—not knowing whether Williams would ever be able to do it. Little did they know then how close they’d come to pandemic shutdowns when they finally held the concerts in January of 2020. The limited-edition recordings released last August.
In preparation for writing this piece, I watched portions of that concert on You Tube. I got goose bumps imagining what a highlight that must have been. Certainly for the audience, but how much more for the musicians? Imagine studying and practicing all your life, and then playing these magnificent compositions while led by the one who wrote them. Williams himself said their performance of The Imperial March was the most powerful he’s heard.
Why would someone like me—not particularly a Star Wars fan—get goose bumps? Because I believe I received a tiny glimpse of my future—and yours. The day is coming when you and I will join with the most creative force in the universe—the God who created us and the one who created John Williams. Whatever we’ve been preparing and practicing for all our lives will finally be perfected and we’ll forever honor our Creator with the gifts he’s given us. Whether it’s music or something else, it will be magnificent beyond belief. Every note crystal clear.
May that one true, glorious Force be with you every day of the year.
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