FROM NES TO SPOCK AND VADER

by me @FilmScoreFans

Let's start with this: I was an emotional kid.  I'm pretty sure I experienced elation and rage earlier than most of my peers.  At least that's what their questioning looks told me.  But most important, I led a childhood full of nostalgia.  When I was five, we moved out of our house in Indiana to be closer to family in Pennsylvania.  I remember standing in front of the house crying.  My parents just didn't get it.  I wasn't sad or scared.  I was remembering all the good times.  Heavy stuff for a pre-K kid.

At this point you're probably asking, "Hey... um... I thought this was about film music?"  Ok, here we go.

When I was in elementary school, I was obsessed with my Nintendo Entertainment System.  Sorry, I'm not old enough to remember Atari, and I certainly didn't have any "Super" or "64" written anywhere on my first gaming system.  After moving through the obligatory fascination with Mario and his friends, I landed squarely in the world of Mega Man.  It does not matter that this was 8-bit music.  It was good and don't you dare disagree with me.  I remember being fascinated by the main title themes, but I was completely hooked the first time I ever stepped into Magnet Man's stage. It just always made me feel... wistful...?  That can't be the right word.  Is it?  Somebody look that up for me.

I can't explain it.  Won't even try.  But whatever intangible hold music can claim on us - Magnet Man has had a tight grip on me for about 25 years.  I used to just turn the game on, pause it, and listen.  (And don't even get me started on Proto Man's theme.)  As a 4th grader, there was just nothing better to me.  All my friends loved the games, but no one (besides my twin) really got it when I talked about the music.  (So thankful for that twin...)

My next memory moves into the (proper?) world of film music.  I have no idea why, how, or when I became a fan of Star Trek.  I honestly have no idea if I fell in with The Next Generation or the original six TOS movies first.  I could just stare at those ship designs all day - fascinating.  Either way, I've been an (almost) life long fan of the show and movies.  (Even Enterprise... I'm pushing my way through it on Netflix now, actually.  So painful at times.)

Which movie caught my ear?  Cue Mr. Rosenman!  
(Man, it is hard to find a recording online that can be embedded.  What gives, internet??)

I have a confession.  When I was a kid, I stole my sister's pink tape player.  It isn't like I was doing it for the rush, or because I was going to sell the thing.  There was one reason I needed it: it could record without a microphone. If you're here at this website, you know why.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is my absolute first film score memory.  I think we rented it.  Or was it on TV and my mom recorded it for us?  Either way, we held that bad-ass pink piece of gold up to the TV and made our (this is my twin again) first film score dub tape.  Awesome.  Pure joy.  That piece of music just made me feel like flying right on above, around, or through any troubles in my life.  Beyond uplifting.

I didn't have money, or a car, of course.  No way to know that I could buy records or tapes.  Oh, pink tape recorder... how I thank you.

But, eventually I did have money.

Which brings us to my first film score purchases.

I know that Star Wars is not an original "first."  It's probably on everyone's list.  When I bought Utah's recording, I thought I was buying the original recording used in the movie (clarinet squeak and all).  It was years later when I found out it wasn't the original.  To my ear, though, this is what Star Wars sounds like.  Especially the Asteroid Field.

I'm particularly proud that Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country was one of my first purchases.  Again, if you're here, you know it is dark.  Especially for Trek.  And it's freaking awesome.  I liked to brood.  I think I was trying to be the anti-hero in my own life, even though there wasn't really any drama or action there.  I would sit in my car listening and watching people.  That random person walking into the grocery store was a bad guy, and he had no idea how harsh my takedown would be.  But I would get him because the music told me so.  Regardless of that, I was 10-ish, and listening to something inspired by Gustav Holst.  Major points for me.

I bought the SW Trilogy and Trek6 at the Sam Goody store in my local mall (it has now been closed for years).  They were on tapes.  I still have them, safely packed away... and since replaced by CDs, and eventually mp3s.  

But, ah, those tapes.  My wife had better bury them with me.  (Along with my trumpet and iPods - hmmm... sounds like a good idea for a post in the future...)

For weeks (months...?  years...?) after that double purchase, every car ride was a battle for our family.  I have a twin brother and a little sister.  Each of us had our personal preference for each day's planned listening.  As stated many times before, the twin is totally with me on this film score thing.  (He even worked in the film industry for a while until he met a great girl and had to move home to build a family and be an awesome brother.)  But the poor little sister, just not into it...  Luckily, my parents came up with a schedule for taking turns with the radio/tape player in the car.  We survived and I got Williams and Rosenman about every other car ride.  Nice.

I know I'm not the only one with these memories.  But more importantly, I know I'm not the only one wishing I had more people to share these memories with.  How about you?  I have my twin, but beyond that my film score peer network didn't exist until Facebook and Twitter.  

The invitation is always open - contact us to write and share your life as a Film Score Fan.

So, that's it for my first post.  Mega Man, Star Trek, and Star Wars.  Nostalgia.

Cya next time, folks.

Jason is a band director.  
He's pretty good at leading large middle school aged rehearsals.
If you ever need help with crowd control, just call.

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