# John Williams talks to Inquirer.net



## Inductance (Nov 17, 2013)

John Williams talks to Inquirer.net about scoring the upcoming Star Wars and Indiana Jones films. He also reveals composing secrets and he speaks out against younger, computer-based composers.

Okay, I exaggerated that last part quite a bit! But he does talk about coming up with themes and arrangements, and expresses a few thoughts about being old-school in an industry full of tech-savvy composers. When John Williams talks composing, I listen.

Excerpt...

Asked how he goes about creating those memorable scores, John, who’s also the artist-in-residence at Tanglewood, replied, “I used to smoke a cigar, but I don’t anymore. Of course, a composer needs to be alone, and he needs to be in a quiet place. And I have a magnificent Steinway that’s been part of my life for so many years.

“The process begins with me writing a passage and rejecting it, writing another passage and liking some part of it and trying to keep that. It becomes a process in my mind, like sculpting, you keep cutting on something and, eventually, it reveals itself to you. The most difficult part of scoring films isn’t actually doing the scenes but creating the material for the film and its themes. Even if they’re a simple tune like ‘Indiana Jones,’ I find those very hard to uncover!

“Sometimes, it takes weeks of changing things and moving them around, and a few simple notes, to eventually guide it into a state of inevitability, where the ear doesn’t have any argument any longer about the path we’ve taken melodically.”

Still useful

Not surprisingly, John still composes the traditional way. “I am slow,” he stressed. “I don’t have a computer. I only have paper and a pencil, very antiquated tools, but still useful. So, I write every note. Therefore, I can’t quite keep the schedules like my younger colleagues would be able to do who use synthesizers—because if they’re going to write a 32-note scale this way, they can play it on their keyboard, and it’s done! I have to write 32 notes and the harmonization we need, as well.”

Read more: http://entertainment.inquirer.net/12109 ... z2kyl77lPG
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## Martin K (Nov 18, 2013)

Nice! Thanks for sharing 

best,
Martin


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## toomanynotes (Nov 18, 2013)

Legend, people should be grateful the master muttered the words, 'computer musicians' in his interview. I think he's being too generous.


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## Stephen Rees (Nov 18, 2013)

Smoke a cigar! Of course, that's what I need for my music.....

JW has been an inspiration since I was a kid. I remember travelling all the way to London on the train on my own for the first time when I was about 14. I went to find a copy of the LP of JW's 'simple' theme and music to 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' at 58 Dean Street Records (a specialist film and show music shop back in the day when film music recordings were pretty hard to get hold of.

I wore that record out and played along to it on a tiny little casio keyboard 

Now, time for my cigar.....


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## Jetzer (Nov 18, 2013)

Nice interview. Quite interesting to read how he says composing on paper is slower than writing on the computer. I remember people like Mike Verta and Hans Zimmer saying the opposite is true. 

What I always wonder. When composing with/in a computer, it is very tempting to pick a patch and play around. I try really hard to avoid it and think about the notes in my head and then play them in, to train my inner ear. 
But even then, I can immediately hear if what I am hearing in my head is correct or the right thing. Also, I can return to a piece I have written a few days ago and listen it back. If I don't like something, I will rewrite it. 

I wonder about people who write on paper. If you go back to piece that only exists on paper, how do you make those adjustments? 
Do you read the notes an hear the piece in your head and make adjustments that way? Cause I might not really remember that hidden viola line at 2:57 I have written some days ago. Hell, I might not remeber the piece at all because I'm working on something totally different  
Hitting the play button in the computer gives me a chance to go over a piece again and again.


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## G.R. Baumann (Nov 18, 2013)

Me thinks... John has skill sets that are doomed to become extinct in the film composing industry. I'd be temoted to post a poll like "Can you compose music with paper/pencil only?", and I intend to think that the mumbers decline even more in the future.

Now, is this good/bad?

Neither good nor bad in my world. If you studied chemistry, you were cooking the old way in your first semester, no one cooks this way anymore, but it still is part of the education. Do you need that knowledge to become world class in molecular design? Not a sausage really.

Swings and round abouts.


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## dcoscina (Nov 18, 2013)

For orchestral music, composing even on notation programs like Sibelius or Notion is slower than composing on DP or Logic (for me at least). Then again, the complexity when using the former programs is markedly more involved. That's just me though. Perhaps some people here can play piano really well enough to simulate really virtuosic passages for orchestra


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## mverta (Dec 8, 2013)

_"I can’t quite keep the schedules like my younger colleague... if they’re going to write a 32-note scale... they can play it on their keyboard, and it’s done! I have to write 32 notes and the harmonization we need, as well.” _


Trust me, JW - nobody's writing those 32-note, specific scale runs anymore. And you could write a two-note ostinato figure - and put a repeat sign after it for 6 minutes - just as fast as they can. You just don't.


_Mike


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## AC986 (Dec 8, 2013)

G.R. Baumann @ Mon Nov 18 said:


> Me thinks... John has skill sets that are doomed to become extinct in the film composing industry.



Already done so. As will films by Spielberg. As younger generations take over, their ideas and what they require for the film become entirely different. That's why as you get older, you stop watching films more and more.


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## germancomponist (Dec 8, 2013)

mverta @ Sun Dec 08 said:


> _"I can’t quite keep the schedules like my younger colleague... if they’re going to write a 32-note scale... they can play it on their keyboard, and it’s done! I have to write 32 notes and the harmonization we need, as well.” _
> 
> 
> Trust me, JW - nobody's writing those 32-note, specific scale runs anymore. And you could write a two-note ostinato figure - and put a repeat sign after it for 6 minutes - just as fast as they can. You just don't.
> ...



:-D


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## handz (Dec 8, 2013)

adriancook @ Sun Dec 08 said:


> G.R. Baumann @ Mon Nov 18 said:
> 
> 
> > Me thinks... John has skill sets that are doomed to become extinct in the film composing industry.
> ...



Very sad and true...


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## Jdiggity1 (Dec 8, 2013)

mverta @ Sun 08 Dec said:


> _"I can’t quite keep the schedules like my younger colleague... if they’re going to write a 32-note scale... they can play it on their keyboard, and it’s done! I have to write 32 notes and the harmonization we need, as well.” _
> 
> 
> Trust me, JW - nobody's writing those 32-note, specific scale runs anymore. And you could write a two-note ostinato figure - and put a repeat sign after it for 6 minutes - just as fast as they can. You just don't.
> ...



Trust a JW thread to grab the attention of mverta. 

Good to have you back Mike.


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## germancomponist (Dec 8, 2013)

handz @ Sun Dec 08 said:


> adriancook @ Sun Dec 08 said:
> 
> 
> > G.R. Baumann @ Mon Nov 18 said:
> ...



Yes, more and more...... .


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## mverta (Dec 8, 2013)

Jdiggity1 @ Sun Dec 08 said:


> mverta @ Sun 08 Dec said:
> 
> 
> > _"I can’t quite keep the schedules like my younger colleague... if they’re going to write a 32-note scale... they can play it on their keyboard, and it’s done! I have to write 32 notes and the harmonization we need, as well.” _
> ...



Aww, I'm around... but a JW thread will usually get me _talking_, yeah.


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## kdm (Dec 8, 2013)

mverta @ Sun Dec 08 said:


> Trust me, JW - nobody's writing those 32-note, specific scale runs anymore. And you could write a two-note ostinato figure - and put a repeat sign after it for 6 minutes - just as fast as they can. You just don't.
> 
> 
> _Mike



For sure. Not many scores I like now, other than JW's work (and few exceptions here and there, but they are becoming less and less common). 
One can only take rambling over ostinatos with pounding mega-percussion rhythms for so long before the zombie effect kicks in. 

Good for him for continuing to write traditionally. I honestly think it results in the best and most emotional compositional and musical ideas for orchestra at least. 

I hope the new Star Wars and Indiana Jones films renew interest in great film score writing (and film making), and great music in general. Can't think of two other films I'm looking forward to more.


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