Tag: May the 4th

Without “Star Wars,” there would be no Classic Ross Amico. I owe a very great debt of gratitude to George Lucas and all the technicians that made the original “Star Wars” the experience it was. And most especially to John Williams for bringing the London Symphony Orchestra to the fore. I spent countless hours drawing, writing, and dreaming to the double-LP soundtrack album as a kid. And the post-modern approach to the music, with its many allusions to the Romantic and early 20th century classical repertoire, revealed new worlds, richer and more limitless than even those portrayed onscreen. My single-minded absorption in this score would determine my life’s path. This was music that was so hip, so in tune with Lucas’ homage-heavy film school chock-a-block, it took years for my developing mind to unpack everything. Pop music didn’t really grab me as a kid. I had no exposure to classical music, but I was always attracted to film music, thanks to old movies that mesmerized me from earliest childhood. I never missed a television broadcast of “King Kong” or “The Bride of Frankenstein” or “The Adventures of Robin Hood.” But experiencing “Star Wars” in the theater was something else entirely. For me, May 25th (the anniversary of the film’s opening in 1977) will always be Star Wars Day. However, for today, I’ll go with the pun everyone seems to love: May the 4th be with you!