Help This Young, (Very) Small Town Composer From Iowa Meet The Legendary John Williams

Many people know that Iowa produces a lot of corn. But composers? That's a stretch...Or is it?

It's no secret I'm a huge John Williams fan. Have been for as long as I can remember.

In fact, John Williams is the reason that I've decided to pursue film scoring with (for the most part) unwavering determination.  

And that's precisely why I've been trying for years (literally) to meet him. 

Now you're probably thinking to yourself, "There's gotta be a story behind this." And you'd be right.

But instead of me telling you about it (after all, reading is so 1982), let me show you a video I made a couple years ago in honor of John Williams' 84th birthday. It tells my story quite nicely. 

Oh, and just so you don't have to leave this page to go find the Star Wars tribute piece I referenced in the video (the one I composed), you can watch/listen to that via the video below. 

So now you're probably thinking to yourself, "Ok, cool - the kid wants to meet John Williams to thank him personally for his influence...but how on earth can I help make that happen?"

​I'm so glad you thought that to yourself.

Am I asking you to reach out to John Williams' agent, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, or perhaps even the United Nations to make this happen? No. I'm not. (But if you do, that would be pretty cool.)

All I'm asking is that you share my story. 

My birthday is a week away (the 15th of February), so - even if you have no idea who I am - if you would take a few moments to share this with your friends on social media, you'd play a vital role in making my 28th birthday the best one yet. :) 

Whenever you ask someone to help you, you put yourself in a vulnerable position. But as my dad always says, "It never hurts to ask! The worst thing people can tell you is 'no.'" That little ounce of wisdom has stuck with me for years and is the reason I've had the privilege of meeting some incredible people who are willing to help a young composer from the middle of nowhere (that's me) achieve his dreams. In fact, just recently, I had the opportunity to correspond via email with Ram Bergman, producer of Star Wars: The Last Jedi! How? By simply asking. (read the full story here)

Some of you might be thinking (as you can tell, I like to assume what people are thinking), "You've been trying for years to make this happen. Clearly, it ain't happening. Why don't you give it a rest?"

This is why:

I still believe in the "American Dream." Achieving what others deem impossible because of an unwillingness to give up at the first sign of failure/opposition. Often times, the greatest opportunities in life come around after years and years of disappointment and discouragement.

Here are a few cases in point:

1.   Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star in 1919 because, his editor said, he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.”
2.   After a performance at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, Elvis was told by the concert hall manager that he was better off returning to Memphis and driving trucks (his former career).
3.   Before her iconic show I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball was considered a failed actress, a B-list actress. So much so that her drama instructors urged her to try another profession. 

So much of life is determined by how we choose to handle disappointment and failure.

Will I ever meet John Williams? Probably not. But will that stop me from trying? No. 

Will I ever become a world-renown film composer? Again. Probably not. But will that stop me from trying? Again. No.

You can now probably understand why my parents refer to me as their strong-willed child... :)

Well, I think I've taken enough of your time. If you've read this from the beginning and are still reading, I commend you and appreciate you. 

Again, if you could please share this link on social media (or via email), I'd be most grateful! Come to think of it, it would be pretty sweet if this was trending by my birthday next week... ;) 

Oh, and if you don't follow me on Facebook or Instagram yet, please do so! I love to meet new people.

With sincere thanks and appreciation,

Aaron
Soli Deo Gloria