Music and Emotion: Maddie is a concert pianist for the New York Philharmonic. How did you use music to enhance the emotional depth of the story? Are there specific pieces of music that played a significant role in the narrative?
Music is a huge deal in the Reunion Duology, and it shapes the story in many ways. In both Reunion: A Story and Reunion: Coda, three main characters—Jim, Marty, and Maddie—are into music as teens. Jim and Marty join chorus classes together in January 1981 and stay with the Singing Cobras all through high school at South Miami High. Maddie, on the other hand, started piano lessons as a kid in London, moved to New York, and even made it into the New York Philharmonic in the ’90s. As an adult, Jim became a historian and teacher but never lost his passion for music, especially classical and Big Band tunes.
Behind the scenes, music’s influence is even bigger. I used Billy Joel’s “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” as a blueprint for Reunion: A Story. That song inspired me to give fiction writing a shot back in 1998. Plus, I have this quirky habit of listening to film scores or classical music when writing certain scenes, so much of Jim’s journey in both books is shaped by specific musical pieces.
Besides “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” these songs and instrumental pieces are super important in the Reunion Duology They either pop up in the story itself or serve as a major inspiration for writing about Jim, Marty, Mark, and Maddie:
- “The Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa (quoted at a chapter’s start in Reunion: A Story)
- “Theme from Summer of ’42” by Michel Legrand (inspired the “song” Where Time’s Winds Blow during the dream sequence introducing Marty in the Duology)
- “Never an Absolution” from Titanic‘s original soundtrack by James Horner, used to prompt Jim and Marty scenes in 1998
- “Somewhere” from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. Established in-universe as the song Jim and Marty were set to perform at the aborted Spring Concert in 1983
- “Take Her to Sea, Mr. Murdoch” from Titanic’s original score by James Horner, inspiring scenes at South Miami Senior High School
- “Omaha Beach” from Saving Private Ryan’s score by John Williams, underpinning two key scenes where Jim describes SMSH on the final school day, specifically transitioning from the library to chorus practice room
- “Hymn to the Fallen” from Saving Private Ryan’s original score by John Williams, evocative for cemetery scenes in Miami within the 1998 Present Day bookends
- “Moonglow” by Will Hudson and Irving Mills with lyrics by Eddie DeLange, inspired the nightclub name where Jim meets Maddie in Reunion: Coda
- “Forgotten Dreams” by Leroy Anderson, serves as “Marty’s Theme” especially during scenes involving her in Reunion: Coda. Also noted in-universe as a piece Maddie performs throughout various scenes
- “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin, stated in-story as a musical piece performed by Maddie
- “All the Things You Are” by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein, frequently referenced and inspirational for writing Reunion: Coda, even appearing in a chapter’s headings
- Love theme from Superman: The Movie by John Williams, noted in-universe as a melody performed by Maddie, also inspiring Jim-and-Maddie narratives
- “Men of Harlech,” a traditional Welsh and British military march and song, mentioned in-universe as practiced briefly by the Singing Cobras in Reunion: Coda, and parodied as Boy of Harvard
While other songs and pieces make appearances, these are the principal themes composing the Reunion Duology’s “soundtrack.”
A Certain Point of View, Too 
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