Final Thesis - John Williams - ScholarsArchive at Oregon State ...

notable his career has become, he didn’t always plan to become a film music
composer.
John Williams was born in New York in 1932, and became involved in music
at a very young age potentially due to the influence from his father, who was a
percussionist for both CBS Radio and the Raymond Scott Quintet. By the age of 15 he
had already decided he wanted to be a concert pianist, and about that same time the
Williams family moved to Los Angeles in 1948. He enjoyed experimenting with and
arranging music as the leader of his own jazz band, and by the time he was 19 years
old he had performed his first original piano sonata composition ("John Williams"
Wiki). He attended UCLA, as well as the Los Angeles City College, while studying
orchestration under MGM musical associate Robert Van Eps and receiving private
tutoring from composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (Wheeler). He served in the US
Air Force for three years, where he conducted and arranged music for the Air Force
Band during his time there. After returning from his service, he moved back to New
York to attend Juilliard School where he studied piano under Madame Rosina
Lhevinne, and continued working as a jazz pianist in clubs to earn money for school.
Madame Lhevinne encouraged him to focus more on his composing skills, so he
returned to Los Angeles ready to test his skills ("Reference: Bibliography").
His first job was as a piano player in various Hollywood studios, typically
accompanying TV series such as “The Time Tunnel,” “Wagon Train,” “Gilligan's
Island,” and “Lost in Space.” He also began getting more experience as a piano
accompanist with films such as South Pacific, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, and
To Kill a Mockingbird. With connections he was able to build through music
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