John Williams

Queens, Long Island.

I never frankly planned to develop as a film composer at all. My father was, one of the things that he did in his professional life as a musician was to play in Hollywood studio orchestras. And so as a teenager, and I was a serious piano student, I really wanted to be a concert pianist.

I never frankly planned to develop as a film composer at all. My father was, one of the things that he did in his professional life as a musician was to play in Hollywood studio orchestras. And so as a teenager, and I was a serious piano student, I really wanted to be a concert pianist.

I never frankly planned to develop as a film composer at all. My father was, one of the things that he did in his professional life as a musician was to play in Hollywood studio orchestras. And so as a teenager, and I was a serious piano student, I really wanted to be a concert pianist.

He took me to recording sessions there in the studio, and I became fascinated by what people were doing to score the films, how it was orchestrated, written, and so on.

He took me to recording sessions there in the studio, and I became fascinated by what people were doing to score the films, how it was orchestrated, written, and so on.

He took me to recording sessions there in the studio, and I became fascinated by what people were doing to score the films, how it was orchestrated, written, and so on.

And eventually I... My job was playing piano in those orchestras. You mentioned that I played in Western Story. I also played way back Some Like It Hot. Do you remember that? Yeah. That was you playing in the movie? Yes, I played on that. And The Apartment. Do you remember The Apartment?

And eventually I... My job was playing piano in those orchestras. You mentioned that I played in Western Story. I also played way back Some Like It Hot. Do you remember that? Yeah. That was you playing in the movie? Yes, I played on that. And The Apartment. Do you remember The Apartment?

And eventually I... My job was playing piano in those orchestras. You mentioned that I played in Western Story. I also played way back Some Like It Hot. Do you remember that? Yeah. That was you playing in the movie? Yes, I played on that. And The Apartment. Do you remember The Apartment?

and Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face. So my introduction to writing for film was through the influence of older colleagues for whom I played the piano. And they said, can you orchestrate? And I said, yes. Well, here's a piece for next Tuesday. Orchestrate this for me, which I did. And then just at that point in my development, television became very, very popular.

and Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face. So my introduction to writing for film was through the influence of older colleagues for whom I played the piano. And they said, can you orchestrate? And I said, yes. Well, here's a piece for next Tuesday. Orchestrate this for me, which I did. And then just at that point in my development, television became very, very popular.

and Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face. So my introduction to writing for film was through the influence of older colleagues for whom I played the piano. And they said, can you orchestrate? And I said, yes. Well, here's a piece for next Tuesday. Orchestrate this for me, which I did. And then just at that point in my development, television became very, very popular.

And I did a lot of television, Alcoa Theater and Chrysler Theater.

And I did a lot of television, Alcoa Theater and Chrysler Theater.

And I did a lot of television, Alcoa Theater and Chrysler Theater.

It was such a slow, unplanned process. and the process, I must say, really moving from television to feature films. I think at that time in my life, it was wonderful because I had so much more time to work on the feature film. Television show, if you did Alcoa Theater, for example, it was an hour show,

It was such a slow, unplanned process. and the process, I must say, really moving from television to feature films. I think at that time in my life, it was wonderful because I had so much more time to work on the feature film. Television show, if you did Alcoa Theater, for example, it was an hour show,

It was such a slow, unplanned process. and the process, I must say, really moving from television to feature films. I think at that time in my life, it was wonderful because I had so much more time to work on the feature film. Television show, if you did Alcoa Theater, for example, it was an hour show,

you would have to write it within a week, 25 minutes of music or so, orchestrate it and conduct it. Wow. And so that was hard. To do a feature film may have 25 or 30 minutes of music, but you have six weeks to do it and a higher fee and a better orchestra and so forth. So it was a gradual step up that was evolutionary rather than anything planned.