Dear John Willams….. You continue to inspire me everyday not only as a peformer, but as a musician and also a composer. Your music has not only breathtaking, but also pleasant to listen too, as well as well composed and well orchestrated, not to mentioned also well played by different instrumentalists. You have inspired me, as well as countless other musicans or pseudo- musicans or anyone in between to appreciate the value and the beauty of music and what it has to offer.
Your compositions seems to strike many different types of emotions, These emotions include joy, sadness, laughter and others. Your scores not only flesh out older worlds, but also in turn create new worlds and bring different types of perspectives to the mix, in general. Something that has changed quite a bit in the sense is how your compositions represent themselves melodically, harmonically and also emotionally. The most prevalent example of the use of emotion seems to be in Star Wars. This music starts off a quite brash and fanfare like. Brass instruments are used to reinforce the fanfare motif of the melody. The score in Harry Potter is something completely different however and instead of starting off with brass instruments, choses to start of with glockenspiel and harp and although these are not commonly associated with instruments of fanfare, they still contain the emotion associated with it. This shows that there was some type of musical whimsicalness to the Harry Potter series as apposed to his other scores such as Jurassic Park or Star War. One example of this instance is in Hedwigs Theme.
This theme is first framed with the image in mind of Hagrid, Professor Mcongical as well as Professor Dumbldore outside the Dursleys house, ready to give a newborn baby away. Musically, this is framed with a chromatic type waltz figure with some very interesting harmonic choices. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, this is essentially repeated in the background or not even at all in some parts of the film in general until Harry discovers plot points about himself that change his worldview or move the plot forward in the movie. The music responds to this growing louder with volume and the level of instrumentaton as well as moving the plot forward.
Growing Up as a kid I has always had been a bit odd. I remember tending to seclude myself early on due to me just being obsessed with things. I always found enjoyment in every subject (except for math). One day however I had one of my first piano lessons ever and this made me so excited to listen and enjoy music. I spent most of my time learning my scales paticuarly learning my scales and practicing almost every day. My love for music took me into middle school were I instantly became obsessed with the musical in middle school. And although I had one of the most non – existent parts ever in a musical i was instantly transfixed by the idea of preforming on stage. This love for music carried into high school. Were I learned how to play percussion because I though it was a pretty cool instrument and plus some of my friends were doing it. I ended up making the wind ensemble my junior year of high school only after starting my sophomore year in the band program. I also did marching band and played quads and bass drum in that. My biggest accomplishment in music was making All -state choir junior and senior year of high school as well as doing regions.
So.. Why did I want to tell you.. John Willams my musical experiences. Well because like how I have changed in my musical growth, You as well have also changed in your musical growth as well as the music becoming a part of the narrative more and more as each new installment arises. This is clearly reflected through the instance of melodic ideas used as a melodic tool, as well a harmonic and emotional tool.In the course of the different movies. In the earlier movies such as Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, the tone of the music seems to be quite adventurers and whimsical, with less focus on the colors and more on the chromaticism. While Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire take it to an entirely different direction. Instead of the narrative taking cues from the music about magic, the music takes its emotions through the acts of fear as well, creating a larger amount of harmonic progressions that are both emotional and juicy.
In truth, you have really influenced me as a musician as well as a composer. Your scores have the power to bring back nostalgia as well as make me feel like a kid again sometimes. You are constantly setting up new boundaries and also pushing them as well. You have also cemented musical motives that have touched the hearts of maybe tens of thousands of people across the world. And this is what I thank you for, for not only your contribution to the musical world, but as for making me more self aware, more confident and a more caring individual.
Sincerely
Liam Patrick Flanagan – Ravenclaw – 11.20.19
