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18 | July 13, 2016 | Malibu surfside news Life & Arts
malibusurfsidenews.com
Ride of the Week
Composer, hockey player, car girl: Megan Cavallari
Fireball Tim Lawrence
Contributing Columnist
Malibu resident
Unexpected. That’s
the word I’d use
to describe Megan
Cavallari, an accomplished
composer of feature films,
television, theater opera
and song writing. But
that’s not what I’m referring
to here. Although Megan
has had a great career
so far and has created great
scores, what makes here
unique is her car and how
she uses it. Thus, she’s my
Ride of the Week.
Now, Megan’s car itself
isn’t a hot rod or a custom.
It’s isn’t a muscle car or a
monster truck. What she
does have is a 2012 Lexus
CT 200 Hybrid. OK, so at
this point you’re probably
saying, “That’s it, Fireball.
You’ve gone to the looney
bin!” And I’d respond by
saying, “I own the looney
bin,” and here’s why Megan
belongs there too.
“I’ve had this Lexus for
four-and-a-half years,”
Cavallari said. “Got it at
a dealer in Van Nuys and
there’s a lot of reasons why
I love this car.”
She then broke down her
reasons one by one.
No. 1: “All film composers
and songwriters
listen to the ‘mix’ in their
cars. We do this to make
sure the music is mixed
well, and the levels are
right. Sometimes directors,
music supervisors, show
runners [or] producers
don’t have time to listen
to links in their office, so
on their way home on the
101, 405, 134 or 5 parking
lot/freeways, they listen
to your music in their car.
The sound system is awesome
in this car and I test
all my music in it.”
Malibu resident Megan Cavallari stands beside her
2012 Lexus CT 200 Hybrid. Fireball Tim Lawrence/22nd
Century Media
OK, so that’s cool. But it
gets better.
No. 2: “My 11-yearold
daughter has juvenile
arthritis, so I have to put a
wheelchair in the car and it
fits perfectly and can hold
her as well.”
An even better reason,
but hold on a tick.
No. 3: “My ice hockey
gear.” Wait...what? “While
hunting for a car, I took
CDs to listen to the sound
system and my ice hockey
gear bag. The trunk is
much lower than other hybrids
and you are exhausted
after playing hockey
with a bunch of men.”
And there it is. This
sweet-looking, unassuming
young lady is a hockey
bruiser. To which, when I
met her for the first time
and we filmed an episode
of my show, she had just
been stick-checked in the
face and neck and was in
severe pain. Her reaction?
“All good, baby. Can’t
wait to get back out there.”
So, as a composer, mom
to daughter Shoshie and
founder of The Talk Foundation,
Megan also spends
her nights battle-axing
in men’s ice hockey — a
sport is all about impact.
Thinks she’s nuts? You can
tell her at www.megancavallari.com.
Be sure to tell
her I sent you, too.
But let’s head back to
the ride for a jiff.
“The other best part
about the car,” Cavallari
said, “is I spend $20
to $30 a month to fill up
a tank. It’s helping the
environment. I am a vegan
and environmentalist and
anything I can do to help is
important to me.”
Vegan, environmentalist,
ice hockey — wow.
“I use this car for business
meetings, lunches,
driving to orchestra or percussion
sessions, rehearsals,
concerts and driving
my 11-year-old around.
When I first got this car, all
the moms at my daughter’s
school kept asking what
kind of car it was because
it is cute. Little by little
they started to get them.”
But did the other moms
know she was whacking
pucks into men’s faces?
Probably not.
“Malibu is a great
place to drive because it’s
another world,” Cavallari
said. “[It’s] casual and
the temperature is 20-30
degrees cooler than the
valley. The air is clean, the
ocean is beautiful. What’s
not to love?”
And there you have it,
folks. Cavallari enjoys her
car, momness, music and
destroying men’s egos by
sending them face first into
the net. (I’m paraphrasing
here. She might be sending
them into the glass to lose
their teeth. Just saying.).
Want to be a Ride of the
Week? Shoot an email to
askfireball@fireballtim.com.
Malibu resident conducts philharmonic of lawyers
Submitted Content
Longtime Malibu resident Gary
S. Greene led the Los Angeles Lawyers
Philharmonic and its chorus,
Legal Voices, in their seventh annual
Concert Extraordinaire on June
18 at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
The program featured music by
American composers, with works
from Candide, Appalachian Spring,
Rodeo and the Grand Canyon Suite.
It also featured songs from “Mary
Poppins” and “Chitty Chitty Bang
Bang,” along with music from “Tom
Sawyer,” “The Jungle Book” and
the Disneyland theme parks.
The grand finale was “It’s a Small
World.” Greene presented Sherman
with the orchestra’s prestigious June
Lockhart Humanitarian Award as
the audience rose to their feet for a
standing ovation.
The Honorable Steven Z. Perren,
associate justice of the California
Court of Appeal in the 2nd District,
performed the baritone solo in the
Sherman Brothers’ “River Song”
from “Tom Sawyer.” The Honorable
Curtis A. Kin, judge of the Los Angeles
Superior Court, sang “Chim
Chim Cher-ee” from “Mary Poppins.”
The Los Angeles Lawyers Philharmonic
and its chorus, Legal
Voices, was founded by Greene, an
attorney. These musical organizations
are under the umbrella of the
Los Angeles Lawyers Philharmonic
where lawyers, judges, law students
and legal staff meet in harmony.
The members include conservatory
graduates and professional musicians,
as well as hobbyists who are
dusting off instruments they played
in their youth.
Malibu resident Gary S. Greene (left) presents the June
Lockhart Humanitarian Award to Richard M. Sherman
on June 18 at the LA Lawyers Philharmonic’s seventh
annual Disney Hall Concert Extraordinaire at Walt Disney
Concert Hall. Photo Submitted