Tag: John Williams
-
How Pop Culture and Music Inform the Garratyverse
—
by
in A Bridge Too Far (1977 film), Alex Diaz-Granados, All the Things You Are, All the Things You Are (Kern and Hammerstein), Amazon, Billy Joel, Classical music, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, John Williams (Composer), Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Ludwig van Beethoven, Melodies and Memories: Music, Songs, and Singers, Movies, Music, Music & Concert Specials, Pop Music, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Star Wars, Superman: The Movie, The Summer of Two Movies, West Side Story – Original Broadway Cast (1957)How Pop Culture and Music Inform the Garratyverse If you spend enough time inside the Garratyverse, you eventually notice something: Jim Garraty’s world doesn’t just contain pop culture and music—it breathes through them. Songs, films, TV shows, and the cultural noise of their eras aren’t background decoration. They’re emotional weather systems. They shape memory, mood,…
-
Sunday Spring Musicale…May 24, 2026 Edition
Hi, everyone. I started writing a post for this blog a few hours ago, but I couldn’t organize my thoughts well enough to get my ideas across on the page, so I gave up. I suppose I could have kept trying until I produced something worth reading, but I had already been writing for an…
-
Music Album Review: ‘Cinema Serenade 2: The Golden Age – Itzhak Perlman, John Williams & The Boston Pops Orchestra’ (1999)
Cinema Serenade 2: The Golden Age – Itzhak Perlman, John Williams & The Boston Pops Orchestra Label: Sony Classical Year Released: 1999 Genre(s): Film Music, Light Classical, Violin Transcriptions Cinema Serenade 2: The Golden Age — A New and Expanded Review Following the unexpected and well‑deserved success of Cinema Serenade, conductor John Williams and violinist…
-
A Monday Afternoon Musicale Fit for “May the Fourth Be with You” Day
Music from a Galaxy Far, Far Away…. I’ve proudly waved my Star Wars fan flag since 1977. Admittedly, I was a bit of a holdout at first—much like my character Jim Garraty in “The Summer of Two Movies,” I didn’t rush to see George Lucas’s original space-fantasy adventure. But once I finally took my seat…
-
My Favorite Movie Theme of All Time: ‘Main Title’ from Star Wars
If you know me well, or if you’ve read The Summer of Two Movies: A Jim Garraty Story, you know that John Williams’ Main Title from 1977’s Star Wars is, bar none, my favorite movie theme of all time. So, for your listening pleasure, here’s an official DG video of a live performance by the Vienna…
-
Getting to Know You, Round #75 — Plus a Tiny Royalty Plot Twist
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Billy Joel, Blogging, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, John Williams (Composer), Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in the United States, Music & Concert Specials, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Royalties, Star Wars, WordPress, Writing as a CraftGetting to Know You, Round #75 — Plus a Tiny Royalty Plot Twist Every so often, Kymber posts another round of her “Getting to Know You” questions, and I always enjoy jumping in. Round #75 landed this week, so here are my answers — equal parts honest, reflective, and lightly caffeinated. 1. What drives you…
-
A Tuesday Film Music Festival
Hi, everyone. I’m a bit tired and experiencing a wee bout of writer’s block today. However, I don’t want to end the day without posting anything, so I’m going to share some of my favorite movie themes. Enjoy!
-
Music Album Review: ‘The Empire Strikes Back (Symphonic Suite from the Original Motion Picture Score’ (Gerhardt/National Philharmonic Orchestra)
The Empire Strikes Back (Symphonic Suite From The Original Motion Picture Score)Composer: John WilliamsPerformed by: The National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Charles GerhardtLabel: Varese SarabandeGenre: Film Scores, Symphonic MusicYear Released (This edition): 2006 For those of us who grew up with the original vinyl and cassette editions of John Williams’s score for The Empire Strikes…
-
Music Album Review: ‘Cinema Serenade 2 – The Golden Age’
Cinema Serenade 2: The Golden AgeItzhak Perlman, John Williams, Boston Pops Orchestra Label: Sony Classical/Sony Masterworks Year of Release: 1999 Genre: Movie themes, Orchestral music, Violin solos, Boston Pops Following the success of Cinema Serenade, violinist Itzhak Perlman and conductor John Williams reunited for a second cinematic journey—this time with the Boston Pops Orchestra. Cinema…
-
Music Album Review: ‘Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire’ (1996)
🎬 Rediscovering Shadows of the Empire: When Star Wars Became More Than a Movie Back in 1996, as fans braced for the re-release of the original trilogy and whispers of Episode I grew louder, Lucasfilm ventured into bold territory. “Everything but the movie”—that was their creative mantra. The result? A multimedia narrative tapestry called Star…
A Certain Point of View, Too 