music, therapy, and me

So, today is not a single song - it is a composer. My favorite composer, to be specific. This is coming from a post I saw randomly yesterday - "what is your favorite song from a soundtrack?" To be completely honest, I cannot answer that question.  I don't have one favorite song from a soundtrack - I have so many that choosing one just makes my brain hurt. So, instead of trying to select one song, I have selected my favorite composer, John Williams. There isn't much that Mr. Williams has written that I have not loved. I am sure that my love stems from my love of the Star Wars movies. That is the first movie that I remember seeing as a child - the first Star Wars movie - back when it was just called "Star Wars" - from the back of the station wagon at the drive-in. My parents had been to the movie the night before and decided that they wanted to see it again. They figured that their three children (I was the oldest at seven) would fall asleep in their pajamas i...

Part of my identity as a vintage music therapist is my CD and cassette collection. Now, I have purged many of my cassettes, but I cannot seem to get rid of the CDs that I purchased over many years. I use them in my car during commutes because wi-fi and data usage and all that is confusing to me (that's where the vintage label becomes VERY evident), so I prefer my music in tangible form rather than in streaming. So, I have book after book of CDs in my living room. The reason I bring this up is that the songs that I have been listening to lately are from yet another soundtrack - Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium.  This is from a sweet movie that discusses grief and creativity and love, and the music is wonderful. It is currently the only CD in my car, so I am listening to it often. I cannot identify a favorite track in the soundtrack. It all blends together nicely. There is only one vocal track, and that one is not my favorite. I enjoy the leitmotivs and the way the music flows. I r...