Jake: May the Fourth be with you, and thank John Williams for that

Happy Star Wars Day. I guarantee you didn’t know this about the films.

May 4 is a big deal in our house. All my boys love Star Wars, and so do my wife and I. It’s a full family affair. But here’s the thing: when I think about Star Wars, I don’t actually picture a scene. I hear something — those opening orchestral trumpets. John Williams’ theme hitting before a single frame of the film has registered in your brain.

I’ll say it plainly — Star Wars is not what it is today without John Williams.

What makes John Williams stand alone

What makes Williams so fascinating, beyond the fact that he’s essentially scored the soundtrack of my entire life, is his process. From what I’ve read, he doesn’t read the scripts sent to him. Doesn’t want to. He refuses to let someone else’s interpretation influence his own contribution. He reacts to atmospheres, energies, rhythms. And when you hear the result, that makes complete sense.

Here’s something you probably don’t know. Williams and George Lucas were strangers before working together on “A New Hope.” Lucas asked his friend, Steven Spielberg, for composer recommendations. Spielberg had just wrapped “Jaws” with Williams and recommended him without hesitation. Lucas brought Williams on for around $80,000 — a one-off gig, as far as Williams was concerned. He had no idea he was stepping into an entire galaxy of films.

The movies are great. The music is out of this world.

I could write a whole separate piece on John Williams and everything he’s given to cinema — and honestly, I should. His talent is singular and cannot be overstated.

But for today, thank you, John Williams, for providing the soundtrack to so many of our lives.

May the Fourth be with you.

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